Awareness of the Unaizah populations in Al-Qassim province in Saudi Arabia regarding nasal decongestant use for allergic rhinitis and their side effect

Abstract

Background: Nasal decongestant drugs are widely used as potent vasoconstrictive agents to reduce congestion of nasal and ocular mucous membranes in disease such as allergic rhinitis. These drugs are easily accessible to the people over the counter without prescription. The ease in access may lead the population in believing that the drugs are risk free and free from side effects. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of awareness of the people in Unaizah Al-Qassim province in Saudi Arabia on the use of nasal decongestants ad their side effects. Methodology: After gaining the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, the study was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study conducted on the people Unaizah Al-Qassim province in Saudi Arabia. It was explorative in nature as such a study has never been done in Unaizah before and hence descriptive statistics was mainly used to establish significance and reference. The questionnaires assessed the demographical characteristics of the population, participants’ history on the usage of nasal decongestants, health condition of the participants, and knowledge on nasal congestion and use nasal decongestants. Results: Out of 385 participants, 54% were male and 46% are female. With regards to age, majority of the participants were between the age of 20 and 40 years 56%, followed by 40--60 years old (33%). 79% of the participants had acquired a baccalaureus level in education. When assessed on the usage of nasal decongestants, 32.5% currently use the decongestants, 64.4% have ever used the drugs now and in the past. In terms of knowledge of the drugs, 16.6% of the participants are aware of the side effects, 25.2% are aware of the medically recommended period to use the drugs, 21.3% have heard of the nasal congestion addiction, and 21.6% are aware of the medication that may cause nasal congestion. Conclusion: The study established that the level of awareness on the use nasal decongestants and the side effects is not significant. There needs to be a sensitization campaign to educate the population on the use of nasal decongestants.

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

“…This outcome is like the results extracted by Al-Mutairi et al, who concluded that female participants were significantly knowledgeable about the correct duration of nasal decongestant use [ 10 ]. The same study also indicated that the participants' knowledge about nasal decongestants was higher among those who had already used these medications than the others [ 10 ]. This outcome reflects that nasal decongestant users were keen to know about their medications in use.…”

“…A total of 221 (53.9%) denied the side effects of prolonged nasal decongestant use, and most participants (84.6%, n = 347) denied the contraindications for this category of medications. Similar to these findings, Al-Mutairi et al [ 10 ] found that 83.4% of their study subjects were not aware of the side effects of nasal decongestants. Therefore, health education campaigns should be provided for the public, involving information about indications, contraindications, and side effects of nasal decongestants, focusing on correct medication use, and discouraging self-medication [ 19 ].…”

“…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 ]. Thus, in this study, we aimed to measure the utilization pattern of nasal decongestants and their related knowledge among the general population of Al-Qunfudah governorate of Saudi Arabia due to the lack of studies done to cover such an important subject in this remote area.…”

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

“…This suggests that there is room for improvement in terms of public knowledge and understanding. 20 , 21 …”

Adverse Effects of Nasal Decongestants (Review of Literature)

“…A big problem of managing a patient with medication-induced rhinitis is the high risk of relapse of the disease during the next episode of use of topical nasal decongestants. Thus, according to De Corso E. et al [40], every third patient with druginduced rhinitis returns to continuous use of topical NDs one year after withdrawal. Even short-term use of topical NDs can result in the recurrence of medication-induced rhinitis in prone individuals.…”