How They Work

• Decongestants shrink the swollen blood vessels inside the nose, thereby allowing air to pass more easily.
  
  

Side Effects

• Side effects generally do not affect most healthy adults, but are a possibility for those with other health problems or who use decongestants for longer than recommended. The main ingredient in decongestants, pseudoephedrine, can increase blood pressure or feelings of dizziness in some people.
  
  

Drug Interaction

• Decongestants, like other medications, can interact with drugs for treating depression, diet pills and high blood pressure medications.
  
  

Precautions

• If you have heart disease or kidney disease, high blood pressure or diabetes, speak to your doctor before taking any decongestant medications.
  
  

Warning

• Decongestants can sometimes make you feel restless or disturb your sleep patterns, so monitor your caffeine intake while taking the medication.