What is a "decongestant"?

What is a "decongestant"?

Harold Kaiser (Practicing Allergist and Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School) gives expert video advice on: What kind of medications are used to treat allergies?; Does using an EpiPen hurt? and more...

A decongestant blocks congestion. In other words, think of an allergic reaction in the nose. The nose will run, the nose will plug up, the nose will get stuffy. The stuffiness or the congestion is not well treated with antihistamines. The antihistamines work well against the mucus secretion, against the itching and against the itchy eyes, but certain other classes of medications are necessary to block the congestion. Decongestants may be locally applied, like Afrin or Neosinephrin, by a spray, and more commonly it's taken by mouth. Sudafed is a decongestant - the most common one used in the United States. There are other decongestants available also, and often a combination of an antihistamine and a decongestant are used in the treatment of allergic disease.