Nasal obstruction as a drug side effect

Abstract

Nasal obstruction is a common symptom of various diseases, allergies, and structural deformities and a ‘stuffy nose— is one of the most common reasons that patients seek a physician's aid. Drugs that affect the autonomic nervous system are also expected to have a vasoactive effect on the nose. Nasal obstruction in the absence of infectious rhinitis or allergic symptoms may be due to drug use. With the chronic use of a medication, nasal obstruction can change over time and can be underestimated. Very little is known about this topic and very few publications to date solely devoted to drug-induced rhinitis. To prevent complications, obvious nasal obstruction due to drug intake should be treated with appropriate medication(s) or surgical intervention(s). © 2011, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.