Steroid Nasal Spray Product Review: Great For Allergy Season

When you are talking about medications, there isn’t always a way to review products. The only way you can review them is if you actually suffer from the condition they are treating. Fortunately for you (and not so much for me) I do have personal experience with steroid nasal sprays. Allergies are a way of life here in Texas. Three products have gone from prescription-only to over-the-counter status within the last couple of years. I have tried them all. So, here is my steroid nasal spray product review.

Before we begin the steroid nasal spray product review, we should discuss what steroid nasal sprays are and why and how we should use them.

Uses

Steroid nasal sprays are used for seasonal or year-round allergies. They can also be used to relieve sinus congestion. In my opinion, steroid nasal sprays are the best OTC treatment for seasonal allergies. To find out other options for allergies please read my previous article. In fact, you may want to read that one first and then come back to this one.

When treating seasonal allergies, steroid nasal sprays can help with many symptoms. A lot of people think they only help with sinus congestion. This is not true. They help with sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, and sinus congestion. They are safe to use every day, and actually work best that way.

The word “steroid” scares a lot of people. It conjures up images of body builders and professional wrestlers. No need to worry. Your nose spray does not contain those types of steroids. It wouldn’t be available over-the-counter if it did. If you are hoping to look like John Cena, this would not be your easy way to get there. Sorry.

Side effects are rare and the most common is that your nose could become irritated or you could experience bloody noses at times. Steroid nasal sprays should be used every day during the allergy season for the best results.

Technique

Spray and sniff, right? Well, yes, but there is a certain technique you should use. Using the proper technique will give you the best results.

The first thing you need to do is “prime” the spray. This simply means that before the first use you should squeeze the pump into the air a few times until you can see and hear the medication coming out of the bottle. You do not need to do this every time you use it. The only other time you would prime it is if you are near the end of the bottle and are checking to see if any medication is left.

Now you are ready to use your spray. Be sure to blow your nose first. Shake the bottle gently. Keep your head straight, or maybe even tilted forward a little bit. Hold one nostril closed. Aim the tip of the sprayer at the top or middle of your other nostril. Press the actuator and inhale the mist slowly and deeply. If you are using multiple sprays on that side, wait a few seconds before spraying again. Repeat on the the other side. It’s as simple as that. Be sure to wipe off the sprayer after use.

Remember that this is a nasal spray. It works in your nose and sinuses, not your lungs. The biggest mistake most people make is sniffing too hard. Your technique should not resemble Johnny Depp snorting cocaine in the movie Blow. If you do that, the spray will go straight into your lungs and you will lose most of the effectiveness. Slowly and deeply.

On to the steroid nasal spray product review….

Flonase

Flonase was the first steroid nasal spray to move from prescription status to over-the-counter status. This move was primarily initiated by the manufacturer so they could sell their product without having to rely on a physician to write a prescription for it. The FDA determined that it is safe enough to use without the supervision of a physician. This used to be a very highly prescribed medication, and it still is. If you wish to use Flonase you might ask for a prescription to see if you can use your insurance to help pay for it.

Flonase works great and I used it for years. There are a couple of characteristics of Flonase that I do not like, which is why it is not my first choice any more. First, it has a pronounced odor and taste. This didn’t bother me too much when it was the only one available. However, it is very noticeable when you first use it. Also, if you develop a runny nose later in the day, you can still smell and taste the medication in that drainage. This is a problem for me now that I have tried other products. The other thing I do not like about it is that it comes in a glass container. It is thick glass, so it is not easily breakable. If you have kids around, like me, with a hard tile floor this could potentially be a problem. The good part about using the glass container is that you can easily see how much product is left in the bottle, and aren’t left wondering when it will run out.

Flonase has recently released a product for kids called Children’s Flonase. It is the same as the regular one. It is, and always has been, approved for use in kids 4 and older. Smart marketing there.

Rhinocort

Rhinocort is the latest product to make the OTC switch. It just became available recently. When I found out it was going to be available over the counter, I decided I should try it and pass along my opinions to my readers here.

I tried Rhinocort for a month and the effectiveness was equal to Flonase and Nasacort. My allergies did not get better or worse during that month. I did notice a faint scent and taste, although the manufacturer says it is odor free. Maybe I was just overly sensitive to this because of my intent to write this article. It is possible that you would not notice this at all. The scent was not nearly what I experienced with Flonase. Rhinocort also comes in a glass container. Again, it is thick glass. I did drop it into the sink once and it didn’t break or crack. Glass containers would also worry me if I traveled a lot. Not a problem for me. I have no idea what a business trip is like.

There is one feature of Rhinocort that can be good or bad, depending on your perspective. It has a lower volume spray. This is good because it is less likely to come dripping back out after you spray it. I found that the spraying mechanism was a little hard to use. Because of the low volume, I sometimes wondered if I got a full spray in or not. Overall, I think this feature is an advantage and it would make me recommend Rhinocort over Flonase.

Rhinocort is approved for use in kids age 6 and older.

Nasacort 24 Hour

Nasacort was always my go-to product before I tried Rhinocort, and I still give it a slight advantage now. The main reason I like it the best is because it definitely has no scent or taste. Nasacort comes in a plastic bottle, which I prefer, and would be preferable for travelers as well. As far as effectiveness goes, I was not able to notice a difference among any of the 3 products.

Nasacort is easy to hold and easy to spray. It does have a large amount of spray and tends to drip back out of your nose some right after you use it. If that is annoying to you then you should consider using Rhinocort instead.

Nasacort has also come out with a children’s version, Children’s Nasacort 24. Again, it is the same as the adult product. It is approved for use in children age 2 and older.

That wraps up the steroid nasal spray product review. All are good products and will help you with your allergy problems. All are also available as generic products by prescription. Hopefully this article has provided you with some insight as to which would be the best one for you.

Please be aware that any purchases made on Amazon through a link on this page will result in me receiving a (very) small commission. I am not trying to sneak those in there.