You’re probably familiar with capsaicin, or at least have some kind of basic idea about what it is. If not, it’s the active chemical ingredient in chili peppers that gives them their distinctive kick, that spark that starts the fire. Capsaicin is what thrill-seeking food daredevils crave, and the more of it that’s in something, the hotter the heat.
What you may not know, though, is that capsaicin has a number of other pretty impressive uses. It’s used to make pepper spray, for one thing, but that’s not what we’re here today to discuss. No, today we’re here to talk about how it can help you. Specifically, we’re going to talk about the benefits of using capsaicin nose spray as a remedy for a whole assortment of ailments.
The Science of Capsaicin Nose Spray
Without digging too deeply into the hard science of it, there is actually quite a bit of scientific evidence to support using capsaicin nose spray to relieve symptoms from a whole variety of woes. We’ll give that a minute to sink in because it’s understandably tough to believe. It’s definitely a strange idea that shooting pepper spray up your nose would solve anything.
The fact of the matter, though, is that using capsaicin nose spray has proven to be effective in relieving the symptoms of many forms of rhinitis. Another way to put it is that, in layman’s terms, using capsaicin nose spray can help you get rid of a pesky, persistent stuffy nose. Kind of makes sense, doesn’t it? You eat some really hot and spicy food and your eyes start watering, your nose runs and sinuses open up. Not that far of a stretch that shooting capsaicin right up your nose would basically have the same effect, right?
According to one study undertaken by the Cochrane group, over 300 patients were given capsaicin nose spray to relieve the effects of non-allergy related rhinitis. Results were surprisingly conclusive, and an overwhelming majority of patients involved in the study noticed immediate relief of rhinitis symptoms. Continued usage of the capsaicin nose spray in controlled doses remained effective, as well.
It’s thought, according to another study, that capsaicin nose spray works by reducing inflammation that occurs in conjunction with rhinitis, opening up nasal passages and allowing for an oftentimes quick relief of symptoms, shortly after the application of treatment.
Other Uses for Capsaicin Nose Spray
For chronic sufferers of stuffy noses and the like, this is all great and hopefully helpful information, but you’ll probably be surprised to discover that capsaicin nose spray has yet another beneficial and surprising use.
If you’re prone to suffering from chronic migraines and cluster headaches, you’ll want to pay attention to this next stuff. It could really make a difference in your life.
Ready for it? All right: capsaicin nose spray can be used to relieve the pain of migraines and cluster headaches.
True story, it turns out. Some people have said that migraines and cluster headaches are some of the worst kinds of pain you could possibly experience and even neurologists agree. It can feel like it’s never-ending, and there’s no relief. If you’re one of those people, you’ve probably tried just about everything to get away from the pain, from medications and massage therapy to who knows what kind of holistic remedies.
You probably haven’t tried capsaicin nose spray, though. Much like the issue with the stuffy nose, who could blame you, though? Most people wouldn’t think capsaicin nose spray would cure a stuffed up nose, let alone a migraine. You’re in luck, though, because according to some very convincing studies it can do just that.
In this study, 18 patients of varying ages, all suffering from one type of severe headache or another, were treated for their symptoms with capsaicin nose spray. Shockingly enough, over 70% of the patients in the study reported complete relief from pain shortly after using the spray. Everyone else, except for one person, reported some level of relief.
What’s even more amazing is that almost half of the patients who experienced total relief from pain said that the relief came immediately after using the capsaicin nose spray. The only side effects to the treatment, apparently, were a little bit of sneezing, watery eyes and a stinging in the nostrils. It’s not really all that surprising considering they’d all just basically shot pepper spray up their noses, but isn’t that amazing?
Almost total and immediate relief from what some people believe to be an inescapable pain. That’s definitely worth considering, isn’t it?
How It’s Possible
Studies looking into capsaicin nose spray as a treatment for headaches have found that it seems to work by targeting what are known as the trigeminal nerves, which are believed to contribute to a lot of the pain you experience when suffering from a cluster headache or migraine. The capsaicin works by desensitizing the nerves, blocking pain signals and basically short circuiting the headache.
Much like when using it for clearing up a stuffy nose, people using capsaicin nose spray for headaches report a fair to middling bit of stinging in their nasal passages, watery eyes and the like. It’s still pretty impressive to know that there’s such a simple and effective relief for pain that can sometimes be debilitating.
That’s certainly got to be some really good news for people who might be thinking that there’s nothing out there that can help them. If you’re one of those people who’s tried just about everything they can think of to get rid of the pain, well, now you’ve got one more thing that might help. It’s something that’s natural and simple, and has been shown in more than a few instances to actually be effective.
It’s definitely worth some consideration, at least, especially if you’re at your wit’s end thinking you’ve run out of options.
Kind of amazing to find out there are so many strange, helpful ways to use capsaicin nose spray, isn’t it? Hopefully, you’ve got at least some kind of idea by now about all the ways it can help you out, and have some alternatives to relief next time you’re experiencing a plugged up nose or killer headache.