decongestant

/ˈdikənˌdʒɛstənt/

/dikənˈdʒɛstənt/

Other forms: decongestants

A decongestant is like a traffic cop for your sinuses, helping clear up blockage so you can breathe easier when your nose is stuffy from a cold or an allergy.

Decongestants work by shrinking swollen blood vessels in your nasal passages, much like deflating a balloon that's blocking a hallway. This action helps clear the congestion, allowing air to flow more freely, so you feel less stuffy. They are like little helpers that assist you in feeling better when you have a cold or allergies. Available in forms such as pills, sprays, and drops, decongestants are handy tools for those times when you need a clear path to breathe easy again.

Definitions of decongestant

1. noun

   a drug that decreases pulmonary congestion
   types:

   nasal decongestant

   a decongestant that provides temporary relief of nasal symptoms of the common cold and rhinitis and upper respiratory infections

   Actifed

   trade name for a drug containing an antihistamine and a decongestant; used to treat upper respiratory conditions and minor allergies

   Dimetapp

   trade name for a drug containing an antihistamine and a decongestant; used to relieve nasal congestion and to treat rhinitis

   Privine, Sudafed, naphazoline

   vasoconstrictor (trade names Privine and Sudafed) used in nasal sprays to treat symptoms of nasal congestion and in eyedrops to treat eye irritation

   type of:

   medicament, medication, medicinal drug, medicine

   (medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease