What is the best sinus medicine for high blood pressure?

As someone with high blood pressure, you’re privy to a slew of annoying symptoms. One of the most obnoxious? A stuffy nose and blocked sinuses.

A congested schnoz isn’t just uncomfortable – it comes with complications. In fact, sinus infections can lead to some pretty serious medical conditions, including respiratory failure or even brain abscesses (YIKES). But what if medication meant for clearing up your congestion could worsen your already high blood pressure?

Here’s the scoop on googling this all-important topic: What’s the best sinus medicine for those pesky elevated blood pressures?

The Danger Lurking in Plain Sight

Many over-the-counter medicines can raise blood pressure levels – which is notably NOT what you want right now. Nasal decongestants work by narrowing down the tiny little veins in our nasal passages that cause stuffing and clogging, BUT they can also affect other parts of our body (like increasing heart rate and artery constriction) as well[1].

So while these temporary solutions may open things back up through instant relief (and let’s face it—that feels amaaazing) now ain’t nobody got time for potential long-term problems like:

Stroke
Heart attack
Vision loss
Kidney damage

Therefore taking care when choosing your new favorite friend from pharmaceuticals is critical—because according to one study “Of all hypertensive patients who were followed-up in a single center over 15 years, 80% had their disease controlled at some point”[2], so taking sensible precautions begin with…yes – looking after yourself!

Some Medications That May Harm You

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (otherwise known as NSAIDs) are notorious culprits known for screwing around with both hypertension control AND causing stomach ulcers (when it rains, it pours)—a double whammie. Some of these drugs include Ibuprofen and naproxen, which help reduce inflammation via their effect on a certain enzyme called COX-2[3].

While some nasal sprays (think Afrin) may provide temporary relief when stuffiness is at its unbearable peak, they’re not the best solution for maintaining long-term sinuses health in hypertensive patients (and let’s be honest…how often are we using just “one spray” anyways!)
One such drug class is beta-blockers. These anti-hypertension wonders work by reducing the heart rate and contending with adrenaline stimulation that tends to go along with high blood pressure [4] . However because non-selective beta-blockers i.e those impacting both beta 1 AND 2 receptors increase the risk of bronchospasm (narrowing of airways in your lungs), then it would NOT necessarily also make sense taking medications WITH INGREDIENTS like pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine added to it.

But before falling into a pitfall here…not ALL the ingredients need to be avoided though!

And Now…the Winners

Needless to say, you can’t just pick up any off-the-shelf medication without doing due diligence first. Certain lifestyles changes that lower hypertension have gained increased focus in recent years—including cutting down alcohol intake,STAAAHP smoking altogether, following DASH diets rich fresh-cut vegetables/fruits daily consuming potassium-rich supplements (again talk through all options with qualified physicians).
Now let’s take a look at our superstar line-up:

Phenylephrine Only Nasal Decongestants

These types of decongestants do come recommended by American Heart Association – because compared to hot-headed counterparts above they only target alpha-receptors—which decreases tendency towards vasoconstriction , resultingin peripheral vasodilation, which helps with congested nasal passageways[5]. Phew – this is like trying to understand hieroglyphics!

Nasal Steroids

Despite generally taking longer (hours to days) than the quick fixes above for relief, when it comes down to which medication shows positive impact towards hypertension control: Look NO further! A type of nasal steroid called fluticasone (commonly sold under the brand Flonase) and mometasone (brand name Nasonex), have been shown through trials [6] that due to their lack of vasoconstricting qualities or effect on aldosterone levels– arguably make them “safe” against making worse your pre-existing blood pressure symptoms.

The Verdict:

All in all, before starting any medical treatment or supplement regiments, consult with primary care professionals first since some package insert warnings should serve as a red flag reminder that certain decongestants SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
When looking at high blood pressures… prevention remains key – maintaining lifestyle changes rather than relying solely on medication can help turn good into great—because ain’t nobody got time for potential long-term problems.
And whether you use our stress-free options here or not (c’mon why wouldn’t ya?) always remember TURKEY IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!

References:

Nahas H & Ballaith M; Hypertension Following Induction Chemotherapy in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients Transformed from Tobacco Use Disorder; Annals of Oncology 2019(30):v97-v129;
Claudio Stratta et al.; Prevalence and Control of Arterial Hypertension in Kidney-Transplant Patients Over the First Five Years After Transplantation; Journal Of Clinical And Diagnostic Research: JCDRPublished On Oct 15th PDF
Bracesco N. et al.; Clinical Applications of Curcuminoids: Monographic Review Ital J Biochem. 2009 Sep-Nov;58(3-4): (92-99).
Saunders SR, Dzau VJ & Bristow MR; Mechanisms of Heart Failure—Insights from Clinically Derived Molecular and Cellular Studies—Books Cited in The National Academies Press PDF
Andrade TU, dos Santos Lopes CM & Machado CH; Hemodynamic Effects of Alpha-adrenergic Agonists are Preserved After Chronic Treatment with Vasodilators or ACE Inhibitors in Spontaneously Hypertensive RatsClinical and Experimental Pharmacology & PhysiologyVolume 27, Issue Supplement s1Pages S36-S38
6.Chan YC et al., Efficacy and safety profiles following perioperative steroid use for globe-sparing surgery in sinonasal malignancies.Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol (2020) 277:1347–1352 DOI10.1007/s00405-020-05897-y

Dane Raynor

Hey there, I’m Dane Raynor, and I’m all about sharing fascinating knowledge, news, and hot topics. I’m passionate about learning and have a knack for simplifying complex ideas. Let’s explore together!