What better way to spend a vacation than outdoors? The sun, the surf, a good mountain trail, a family picnic - all these fun activities and more are yours to enjoy in your free time! Why spoil the fun with nasty allergies? Take the proper precaution and take preventive medicine, before allergies strike! Make sure Nasacort is part of your daily routine.

Nasacort is a nasal spray medicine used to treat allergic rhinitis, or allergies that occur in the nasal area. A common example of this is hay fever. Hay fever occurs when pollen enters the nasal passages, causing the body's natural defense against foreign substances to go on "overdrive." This means the nose becomes runny, eyes start to water, and uncontrollable sneezing occurs. At times the irritation in the nose and eye areas become severe enough for redness and swelling to become manifest, and this often comes with pain. Allergies should definitely not be part of the outdoor fun agenda. That is why Nasacort and other anti-allergy medications were made!

Triamcinolone, the active ingredient in Nasacort, is a synthetic corticosteroid. It reduces inflammation by reaching into the afflicted cells and suppressing the chemicals naturally released by the body as a reaction to the invasion of foreign substances, such as dust and pollen. This is why it is important to apply Nasacort directly on the surface of the cells that suffer the most. Triamcinolone comes in many forms - injection, ointment or pill - but it comes as a spray in the form of Nasacort. It is applied onto the cells inside the nostrils, lining the walls of the nasal passage, which are the ones most directly affected by allergic rhinitis attacks. For best results, Nasacort should be applied at the same time, once every day. It may take a few days or weeks before the product's maximum potency becomes evident.

During your first use of Nasacort, you must first "prime" the bottle by pressing it lightly some five times, or when a light spray is released into the air. After this, the bottle is ready for use. You only need to "prime" the bottle once, then you may use it regularly in the succeeding days. It is only necessary to "prime" the bottle again after opening, if the opened bottle has not been used within 14 days.

After the bottle has been "primed," tilt your head downwards and spray the substance into your nostrils, one after the other. Refrain from blowing your nose within 15 minutes after application of the medicine. Many people mistakenly believe you should tilt your head back when using nose sprays - on the contrary, you should tilt your head downwards, so that the nozzle of the spray is able to reach the back of your nose more easily.

Side effects occur rarely. The side effects of this medication include coughing, nosebleed and sore throat. In even rarer cases, nasal septal perforations have been observed to appear. Patients who have recently undergone surgery in the nose area are advised to abstain from using this product until his or her doctor declares it safe to undergo medication. If a person has a viral, bacterial or fungal infection of any sort, it is best to consult a doctor before taking this medicine.

It has not yet been determined if triamcinolone has any adverse affects on unborn or newborn babies, but all the same, pregnant and nursing mothers may wish to refrain from using this product as well.

Habitual, intentional overuse of the drug may cause some major complications. It is important not to take more than the recommended dose, as prolonged and excessive use of this product has been known to cause problems in the adrenaline glands, such as adrenal suppression and hypercorticism.

However, it is not easy to accidentally overdose on this product. Nasal steroids come in very light doses, and are rarely absorbed by the healthy adult human body. If you suspect that an overdose has occurred, especially in the case of children, it is best to contact your doctor right away. Nasacort should not be administered to children under the age of 6, and the Tri-Nasal Nasacort Spray especially should not be given to children under 12, without a doctor's recommendation. The doctor may prescribe a lower dosage of Nasacort for younger children, or alternative anti-allergy medication for smaller children. Kids have the right to enjoy their free time outdoors, too!