Nasal blockages unrelated to allergies or infection can often be traced to medication use, according to a 2011 research article published in Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease. How is this so? Beta-blockers are one of many types of drugs that impact our autonomic nervous system, which plays a role in vital, involuntary bodily functions like breathing, digestion, blood pressure, and heart rate (per StatPearls).
As previously mentioned, beta-blockers are most often used to treat conditions related to the health of our heart and circulation. These drugs are reported to have vasoactive properties, meaning that they alter the size of our blood vessels to lower blood pressure. This vasoactivity is also said to take place within the nasal lining. More specifically, a 2022 review shows that beta-adrenergic antagonists are a type of peripherally acting sympatholytic drug (via Ear, Nose & Throat Journal). These types of beta-blockers work by impeding norepinephrine release, which causes the expansion of blood vessels (vasodilation) and increased vascular permeability in the nasal blood vessels. As a result, nasal congestion has been reported as a side effect of these medications.
