Cortisone is a messenger substance produced from cholesterol and belongs to the group of steroid hormones. Strictly speaking, it belongs to the glucocorticoids, a certain subgroup of the steroid hormones. Cortisone, which is often administered as a medicine, is basically only the inactive form of cortisol produced by the organism itself, but it cannot have any effect in this chemical structure.
The reason for this fact is that cortisone itself is not able to bind to the body cells. For this reason its application on the skin is not very useful, but if taken orally or administered through the vein, the molecule can be converted enzymatically into the active form of cortisol. In long-term stress situations, cortisol is produced in increased quantities and released into the bloodstream.
In this context, it has a similar effect to adrenaline and noradrenaline, but with a time delay. Cortisone has an anti-allergic and decongestant effect on the nasal mucosa. Nasal sprays containing cortisone are used especially for allergic reactions and special nasal diseases.
A very frequent area of application is hay fever or other forms of allergy (house dust, animal hair, etc.). How often the cortisone nasal spray should be used daily must be determined by the treating physician. An independent overdose should be avoided.
If a patient suffers from allergic reactions, it is usually necessary to use the nasal spray once a day, preferably in the morning or evening. In case of nasal diseases, the preparation is used up to 2 times a day. A 3 times application can be necessary in the course of serious diseases and/or operations, it is then recommended to apply the medicine in the morning, at noon and in the evening.
In addition to the correct dosage, an ideal application naturally plays a decisive role in the success of the treatment. Only when the cortisone nasal spray reaches all the areas inside the nose in need of treatment can it develop its full effect. This means that the spray should be applied as deeply as possible into the nose.
Sometimes (for example, when the nose is blocked) it is not easy to spray the medication unhindered. In such cases, the simultaneous use of decongestant nasal sprays such as Nasivin, Nasic® or Otriven can help to make the inside of the nose more accessible. The patient should first use a decongestant nasal spray and only 20 minutes later the cortisone-containing nasal spray. In addition, spraying while lying down is usually more effective.
Effect
Active ingredients similar to cortisone relieve the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever), as well as non-seasonal rhinitis caused by a house dust allergy. The active ingredients, which are all related to cortisone, reduce the release of messenger substances that play an important role in the allergic reaction. They have an anti-inflammatory effect and relieve irritation of the nasal mucous membrane.
This improves symptoms such as sneezing, itching and a runny nose. They also have a decongestant effect on the nasal mucosa. However, they damage the nasal mucosa if used continuously. In contrast to nasal sprays containing alpha-1 sympathomimetics such as xylometazoline, they do not lead to a dependence on the nasal mucosa.
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