Should I use a nasal spray for my cold symptoms?

If you want to use a nasal spray for your cold symptoms, you have two choices: a saline solution, which will help keep the lining of your nose moist so that it's easier to blow out the mucus, or a decongestant nasal spray, which reduces the swelling inside your nose. Don't use a decongestant spray for more than a few days or you risk a rebound effect, meaning the medicine will stop working as well.

If you are an adult, you can use a decongestant nasal spray for the nasal congestion due to colds or the flu, but you should not use these for more than the time specified on the bottle. This is usually just a few days. Children six and older may use the appropriate dosage under adult supervision. Care must be exercised as these drugs may be dangerous to young children if swallowed.