The National Medicines Safety Agency does not recommend oral vasoconstrictor medications for colds. But according to UFC-Que Choisir, solutions based on plants and essential oils are not without risks either.
The discomfort caused by a cold can lead to looking for immediate solutions: medications, sprays, inhalations… Responses which are not always ideal: in an article published on January 29, the consumer defense association UFC-Que Choisir warns of the risks linked to products aimed at decongesting blocked noses.
In October 2023, the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) a called not to use vasoconstrictor drugs orally (such as Dolirhume or Actifed Rhume). A “very low” risk of myocardial infarction and stroke exists after using these medications intended to relieve cold symptoms, according to this establishment dependent on the Ministry of Health.
Sprays based on essential oils “can cause allergies”
In pharmacies, some can therefore opt for sprays, sticks or inhalation preparations based on plants andessential oilswhich praise their decongestant qualities.
But the UFC-Que Choisir emphasizes that the plants which often compose them (eucalyptus, thyme, menthol, camphor, etc.) contain terpenes, or natural organic compounds, “which can cause allergies and convulsive seizures”.
Why do health authorities warn about certain cold medications?
Parisian pharmacist Caroline Majer confirms with BFMTV that these products are not recommended for certain populations. “It is not recommended for asthmatics, epileptics, pregnant women and children under six years old,” she explains.
“Nothing beats salt water”
Especially since the effectiveness of these sprays and other products based on essential oils “is weak at best, based on traditional use and not on solid evaluations”, according to the UFC-Que Choisir article. “The feeling of decongestion” that these products provide “is only an ephemeral sensation, linked to the strong scent of these oils”, explains the association.
“What we realized was that the addition of these essential oils did not necessarily do much and that to unclog your nose, nothing beats salt water,” says BFMTV Perrine Vennetier, editor-in-chief of the magazine.
This is also the recommendation of the ANSM, which emphasizes that a cold disappears spontaneously in 7 to 10 days without treatment. For better comfort, the agency recommends simply moistening the inside of the nose with physiological serum or thermal water or sea water sprays, to hydrate well, to sleep with your head elevated, to maintain a cool atmosphere at home and to ventilate the rooms regularly.
Caroline Dieudonné with Eliot Francomme and Sophie Cazaux
