Ah the cold season is laying people low all over the place, these poor people are the ones with shiny red noses, sniffling weakly into their hankies and generally feeling miserable with pounding heads and aching limbs. Help is only a squirt away with Vicks Sinex nasal pump spray.

~~ What does it do? ~~

It really is a simple medication to take. I prefer the 'pump' action of the bottle to the 'squeezy' type bottle that you can also buy. To use, insert the nozzle into the nostril. Place your thumb on the base of the bottle, with index and middle fingers on the rim of the pump. Firmly squeeze the pump on the bottle to deliver either one or two sprays. Repeat for the other nostril. As you depress the pump, it is helpful to inhale through your nose if possible. This ensures the spray reaches as far into the nasal cavities as possible.

This may sound a strange question to ask about a medication, but one I generally consider with nasal sprays. I have tried the squeezy bottles of nasal sprays and found them most unpleasant indeed. There is little sensation with this pump nasal spray other than the presence of the nozzle in your nose. The spray is very fine indeed and at most I can feel a slight tingle as it penetrates through the nasal cavities - not unpleasant at all. You may smell a very slight 'Vicks' scent and after a few minutes a slight taste in the back of the throat. This is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. It may be a little unpleasant for some people, but it doesn’t bother me at all, and disappears after a few minutes.

Sinex state that their recommended dosage is 1-2 sprays per nostril every 6-8 hours for adults and children over 6 years.

The bottle states that if your problem persists for more than 7 days seek advice from your doctor. However general medical consensus is that if after 3 days of use your problem persists, stop using the spray, and see what happens. It could be that you are suffering from 'rebound' congestion - as the spray wears off further swelling occurs of the sinus membranes. This creates more congestion; requiring increased doses of spray this building up tolerance and possible addiction.

There is no warning on the bottle of any possible interactions, however in the leaflet inside the box it does warn that people with heart disease or high blood pressure, diabetes, overactive thyroid, glaucoma or enlarged prostrate to seek advice from your GP.

Perhaps the most important consideration. In my case yes it does. I usually use Sudafed to relieve any congestion, but after 3 days this had no effect on my pounding headache and aching face. After 2 days of using Sinex, one spray in each nostril morning and evening I am no longer congested in my face and have no headache at all. The relief delivered is almost instant, much quicker than oral preparations like Mucron or Sudafed. However having said that, it would not be the first line of attack when the congestion rears its ugly head again due to the possibility of rebound congestion. A handy and readily available and cheap product to have in your medicine cabinet, you can buy at most larger supermarkets and chemists for £2.50 per 10 mls (enough for 200 doses). SO if you have tried everything else to unblock you sinuses, try Sinex spray - but only for a maximum of three days!