Naphazoline is a medicine used as a

decongestant A decongestant, or nasal decongestant, is a type of pharmaceutical drug that is used to relieve nasal congestion in the upper respiratory tract. The active ingredient in most decongestants is either pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine (the latter ...

, and a

vasoconstrictor Vasoconstriction is the narrowing of the blood vessels resulting from contraction of the muscular wall of the vessels, in particular the large arteries and small arterioles. The process is the opposite of vasodilation, the widening of blood vess ...

added to

eye drops Eye drops or eyedrops are liquid drops applied directly to the surface of the eye usually in small amounts such as a single drop or a few drops. Eye drops usually contain saline to match the salinity of the eye. Drops containing only saline ...

to relieve red eye. It has a rapid action in reducing swelling when applied to

mucous membranes A mucous membrane or mucosa is a membrane that lines various cavities in the body of an organism and covers the surface of internal organs. It consists of one or more layers of epithelial cells overlying a layer of loose connective tissue. It is ...

. It is a sympathomimetic agent with marked

alpha adrenergic The adrenergic receptors or adrenoceptors are a class of G protein-coupled receptors that are targets of many catecholamines like norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and epinephrine (adrenaline) produced by the body, but also many medications like beta ...

activity that acts on alpha-receptors in the

arterioles An arteriole is a small-diameter blood vessel in the microcirculation that extends and branches out from an artery and leads to capillaries. Arterioles have muscular walls (usually only one to two layers of smooth muscle cells) and are the primar ...

of the

conjunctiva The conjunctiva is a thin mucous membrane that lines the inside of the eyelids and covers the sclera (the white of the eye). It is composed of non-keratinized, stratified squamous epithelium with goblet cells, stratified columnar epithelium ...

to produce constriction, resulting in decreased congestion. It was patented in 1934 and came into medical use in 1942.

Medical uses

Nasal administration

Nasal

Ophthalmic drug administration

Eye drop Eye drops or eyedrops are liquid drops applied directly to the surface of the eye usually in small amounts such as a single drop or a few drops. Eye drops usually contain saline to match the salinity of the eye. Drops containing only saline ...

s (brand names Clear Eyes, and Cleari) narrowing swollen blood vessels ( ophthalmic arteries, and ophthalmic veins) to relieve red eye. Temporary red eye can safely be treated when the cause of the redness is established (eg

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...

induces corneal vasodilation) nsufficient Bibliography However, continuous use is not recommended without knowing an underlying condition.

Side effects

A few warnings and

contraindications In medicine, a contraindication is a condition that serves as a reason not to take a certain medical treatment due to the harm that it would cause the patient. Contraindication is the opposite of indication, which is a reason to use a certain tre ...

that apply to all naphazoline-containing substances intended for medicinal use are: * Hypersensitivity to naphazoline * Use in infants and children can result in

central nervous system The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain and spinal cord. The CNS is so named because the brain integrates the received information and coordinates and influences the activity of all p ...

depression, leading to coma and marked reduction in

body temperature Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different. A thermoconforming organism, by contrast, simply adopts the surrounding temperature ...

* Should be used with caution in patients with severe cardiovascular disease including

cardiac arrhythmia Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, heart arrhythmias, or dysrhythmias, are irregularities in the heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. A resting heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beats per minute in adults ...

and in patients with

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

, especially those with a tendency toward diabetic

ketoacidosis Ketoacidosis is a metabolic state caused by uncontrolled production of ketone bodies that cause a metabolic acidosis. While ketosis refers to any elevation of blood ketones, ketoacidosis is a specific pathologic condition that results in changes ...

* A possible association with stroke has been suggested.

Nasal administration

* Extended use may cause

rhinitis medicamentosa Rhinitis medicamentosa (or RM) is a condition of rebound nasal congestion suspected to be brought on by extended use of topical decongestants (e.g., oxymetazoline, phenylephrine, xylometazoline, and naphazoline nasal sprays) and certain oral med ...

, a condition of rebound

nasal congestion Nasal congestion is the blockage of nasal breathing usually due to membranes lining the nose becoming swollen from inflamed blood vessels. Background In about 85% of cases, nasal congestion leads to mouth breathing rather than nasal breathin ...

Ophthalmic drug administration

Known side-effect: * Stinging * Discomfort * Irritation * Increased red eyes * Blurred vision * Mydriasis * Punctate keratitis *

Lacrimation Tears are a clear liquid secreted by the lacrimal glands (tear gland) found in the eyes of all land mammals. Tears are made up of water, electrolytes, proteins, lipids, and mucins that form layers on the surface of eyes. The different types of ...

(tears) * Increased

intraocular pressure Intraocular pressure (IOP) is the fluid pressure inside the eye. Tonometry is the method eye care professionals use to determine this. IOP is an important aspect in the evaluation of patients at risk of glaucoma. Most tonometers are calibrated t ...

Contraindications

* Patients taking MAO inhibitors can experience a severe hypertensive crisis if given a sympathomimetic drug such as naphazoline HCl * Drug interactions can occur with

anaesthetics An anesthetic (American English) or anaesthetic (British English; see spelling differences) is a drug used to induce anesthesia ⁠— ⁠in other words, to result in a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. They may be divided into two ...

that sensitize the myocardium to sympathomimetics (e.g. cyclopropane or halothane cautiously) * Exercise caution when applying prior to use of

phenylephrine Phenylephrine is a medication primarily used as a decongestant, to dilate the pupil, to increase blood pressure, and to relieve hemorrhoids. In the United States, it was previously used orally as an over-the-counter decongestant to relieve nas ...

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

Naphazoline is a mixed α₁- and α₂-adrenergic receptor agonist.

Chemistry

The non-hydrochloride form of Naphazoline has the

molecular formula In chemistry, a chemical formula is a way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule, using chemical element symbols, numbers, and sometimes also other symbols, ...

C₁₄H₁₄N₂ and a

molar mass In chemistry, the molar mass of a chemical compound is defined as the mass of a sample of that compound divided by the amount of substance which is the number of moles in that sample, measured in moles. The molar mass is a bulk, not molecular, ...

of 210.28 g/mol. The HCl salt form has a molar mass of 246.73 g/mol.

Society and culture

Brand names

It is an

active ingredient An active ingredient is any ingredient that provides biologically active or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease or to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or animals. The ...

in several

over-the-counter Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid prescr ...

eye drop Eye drops or eyedrops are liquid drops applied directly to the surface of the eye usually in small amounts such as a single drop or a few drops. Eye drops usually contain saline to match the salinity of the eye. Drops containing only saline ...

formulations including Clear Eyes, Rohto, Eucool, and

Naphcon-A Naphazoline/pheniramine, sold under the brand name Naphcon-A among others, is a combination eye drop used to help the symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis such as from hay fever. It contains naphazoline and pheniramine. It is used as an eye drop. ...

References

{{Adrenergic receptor modulators Alpha-1 adrenergic receptor agonists Alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonists Decongestants Imidazolines 1-Naphthyl compounds Vasoconstrictors Ophthalmology drugs