Assessment of the Prevalence of the Use of Nasal Decongestants Among the General Population in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

BackgroundA topical nasal decongestant (NDC) is widely prescribed in ENT practice and used as self-medication because it is available over the counter, which makes it an easily accessible medication. Due to its common and long-term use, it is associated with serious nasal complications. It is commonly self-administrated in many otolaryngology diseases like the common cold, sinusitis, and acute or chronic rhinitis. The long-term usage of nasal decongestants is associated with significantly increased side effects. AimTo assess the prevalence of the usage of nasal decongestants among the general population in Saudi Arabia ad the pattern of its use. MethodologyA questionnaire-based, cross-sectional survey was applied to level all available populations in Saudi Arabia. Participants with ages aged 10 to 60 years old in Saudi Arabia were invited to participate in the survey. Data were collected from participants using a predesigned online questionnaire. The questionnaire included the participant's demographic data, NDC use, and pattern of use. The questionnaire was uploaded online by researchers and their friends using social media platforms. ResultsA total of 1456 participants completed the study questionnaire. Participants ages ranged from 10 to 60 years with a mean age of 26.9 ± 12.4 years old. Exact 585 (40.2%) participants were males and 1270 (87.2%) were from urban regions. A total of 657 (45.1%) respondents reported using nasal decongestants while 799 (54.9%) did not use NDC. As for the duration of use, 70.8% used NDC for less than five days and 13.5% used it for 5-15 days. The most reported causes of using NDC were nasal obstruction (62.7%) and common cold (25.7%). ConclusionsIn conclusion, the study revealed that the frequency of using nasal decongestants was common (45.1%) in the study. More efforts should be paid to improve public awareness regarding indications, duration of use, and method of using nasal decongestants to avoid rebound reactions that may affect patients' daily life activities.

Pharmacists’ Attitudes Towards Long-Term Use of Nasal Decongestants: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…In the general population of Saudi Arabia, approximately 45.1% reported utilizing NDs. 12 Furthermore, within the participants of this study, around 15.0% indicated obtaining NDs through a prescription from a physician. However, although there exists a minority of physicians who prescribe these medications, it has been observed that they are the primary prescribers of NDs, constituting over half of the users, while pharmacists advise approximately one-fifth of the cases.…”

“…However, although there exists a minority of physicians who prescribe these medications, it has been observed that they are the primary prescribers of NDs, constituting over half of the users, while pharmacists advise approximately one-fifth of the cases. 12 …”

“…In fact, it was found that nasal obstruction accounted for the highest percentage (62.7%) of reported reasons for using NDs among the general population in Saudi Arabia. 12 It is worth noting that NDs are recommended for the treatment of acute rhinosinusitis in order to alleviate the distressing consequences of frequent nasal congestion and obstruction. 1 , 8 …”

Utilization Pattern and Related Knowledge of Nasal Decongestants Among the General Population in Al-Qunfudah Governorate, Saudi Arabia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

“…Epi-Info (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA) was used to estimate the minimum sample size required for data collection. Based on the total population of Al-Qunfudah governorate (300,516) [ 11 ] and the frequency of nasal decongestants' utilization in Saudi Arabia (45.1%) [ 8 ], at CI (95%) and margin of error (5%), the minimum sample size was 380.…”

“…Nasal decongestants are commonly used and are easily accessible and available over the counter, but as before mentioned, they have many side effects [ 7 ]. A study from a large Saudi city, Jeddah, revealed that a significant percentage (over 50%) of adults used over-the-counter (OTC) medications in an improper and dangerous manner [ 8 ]. Additionally, few studies in Saudi Arabia detected inadequate knowledge about medication uses [ 9 , 10 ].…”