How long should I use a steroid nasal spray?

The length of time you should use a steroid nasal spray depends on your type of symptoms. For seasonal allergies like hay fever, you typically need the spray for just a few months during the pollen season. However, if you have persistent nasal symptoms year-round, you may need to use the spray long-term, and long-term use is considered safe. If you've bought the spray from a pharmacy without a prescription, don't use it continuously for more than one month without speaking to a doctor, but if your doctor has prescribed it, they may advise longer use.

Key points:

Seasonal allergies usually require treatment for a few months during the relevant pollen season.
Persistent symptoms may need continuous long-term treatment to keep symptoms controlled.
Once your symptoms improve, you'll likely still need to use the spray regularly rather than stopping it completely.
Long-term use of steroid nasal sprays is considered safe, and your doctor may help you find the lowest effective dose for maintenance.

This text has been fact-checked for accuracy by medino's clinical team.