Treatment
The treatment of RM involves withdrawal of the offending nasal spray. Both a "cold turkey" and a "weaning" approach can be used. Cold turkey is the most effective treatment method, as it directly removes the cause of the condition, yet the time period between the discontinuation of the decongestant and the relief of symptoms may be too long for some individuals (particularly when trying to go to sleep when they are unable to breathe through their nose). The use of Over the Counter (OTC) saline nasal sprays may help open the nose without causing RM if the spray does not contain a decongestant (or preservative) . Symptoms of congestion and runny nose can often be treated with corticosteroid nasal sprays under the supervision of a physician. For very severe cases, oral steroids or nasal surgery may be necessary.
There are anecdotal reports of persons having success by withdrawing treatment from one nostril at a time.
A study has shown that the anti-infective agent benzalkonium chloride, which is frequently added to topical nasal sprays as a preservative, aggravates the condition by further increasing the rebound swelling.
Read more about this topic: Rhinitis Medicamentosa
Famous quotes containing the word treatment:
“Narcissist: psychoanalytic term for the person who loves himself more than his analyst; considered to be the manifestation of a dire mental disease whose successful treatment depends on the patient learning to love the analyst more and himself less.”
—Thomas Szasz (b. 1920)
“The treatment of African and African American culture in our education was no different from their treatment in Tarzan movies.”
—Ishmael Reed (b. 1938)
“A regular council was held with the Indians, who had come in on their ponies, and speeches were made on both sides through an interpreter, quite in the described mode,the Indians, as usual, having the advantage in point of truth and earnestness, and therefore of eloquence. The most prominent chief was named Little Crow. They were quite dissatisfied with the white mans treatment of them, and probably have reason to be so.”
—Henry David Thoreau (18171862)