Should I use a nasal spray for my cold symptoms?

If you are an adult, you can use a decongestant nasal spray containing active ingredients like phenylephrine or oxymetazoline 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 no more than three 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. Other nasal sprays that may help are unmedicated saline sprays, which ease dry, irritated nasal tissues, and homeopathic sprays that contain menthol and eucalyptus. Allergy sprays, like those with fluticasone or triamcinolone, are not particularly useful for colds but may ease congestion if you're suffering from seasonal allergies at the same time.