do decongestants raise blood pressure - SportsID
Oral decongestants can raise blood pressure — especially in people with uncontrolled or poorly monitored hypertension. Safer alternatives exist including nasal steroid sprays, antihistamines, saline rinses, and SLIT (allergy drops). Decongestants like pseudoephedrine can cause small increases in blood pressure, but higher doses or combinations with other medicines can raise the risk much more.
Understanding the Context
Pain relievers such as NSAIDs and acetaminophen can both raise blood pressure and make blood pressure medicines less effective. That’s because decongestants, a common ingredient in cold and flu medications, can raise your blood pressure, according to the latest guidelines published in 2017 by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology. Decongestants, particularly sympathomimetic ones, can cause an increase in blood pressure. This happens because these medications stimulate the alpha receptors in blood vessels, leading to their constriction.
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Key Insights
Among cold medicines, decongestants cause the most concern for people who have high blood pressure. Patients with underlying hypertension should be cautioned about the use of oral decongestants; topical nasal decongestants might be safer. Based on the studies reviewed, topical nasal decongestants are not expected to cause a significant elevation in blood pressure. We found no evidence that taking oral decongestants (medicine taken by mouth to relieve a stuffy nose) daily for a week or more changes blood pressure or heart rate or causes people to stop taking them due to unwanted effects. Because they act directly in the nose, they typically don’t affect blood pressure.
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