Classic TV Commercials playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_hX5wLdhf_I3wE8to5xHS4P6v_2baOU3

Dristan nasal decongestant television commercial says “Dristan is like sending your sinuses to Arizona” which is enacted with a giant flying suitcase, which in fact carries one’s entire body to The Grand Canyon State.

Public domain film from the Library of Congress Prelinger Archives, slightly cropped to remove uneven edges, with the aspect ratio corrected, and one-pass brightness-contrast-color correction & mild video noise reduction applied.
The soundtrack was also processed with volume normalization, noise reduction, clipping reduction, and/or equalization (the resulting sound, though not perfect, is far less noisy than the original).

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 of which has disputed efficacy).

These are alpha-agonists which on topical application as dilute solution (0.05-0.1%) produce local vasoconstriction. Regular use of these agents for long periods should be avoided because mucosal ciliary function is impaired: atrophic rhinitis and anosmia can occur due to persistent vasoconstriction.

Decongestants can be absorbed from the nose via an inhaler and produce systemic effects, mainly CNS stimulation and rise in blood pressure. These drugs should be used cautiously in hypertensives and in those receiving MAO inhibitors…

Pharmacology

The vast majority of decongestants act via enhancing norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and epinephrine (adrenaline) or adrenergic activity by stimulating the α-adrenergic receptors. This induces vasoconstriction of the blood vessels in the nose, throat, and paranasal sinuses, which results in reduced inflammation (swelling) and mucus formation in these areas.

Decongestant nasal sprays and eye drops often contain oxymetazoline and are used for topical decongestion. Pseudoephedrine acts indirectly on the adrenergic receptor system, whereas phenylephrine and oxymetazoline are direct agonists. The effects are not limited to the nose, and these medicines may cause hypertension (high blood pressure) through vasoconstriction. Most decongestants, however, are not pronounced stimulants, due to lack of response from the other adrenoreceptors. Besides hypertension, common side-effects include sleeplessness, anxiety, dizziness, excitability, and nervousness.

Topical nasal or ophthalmic decongestants quickly develop tachyphylaxis (a rapid decrease in the response to a drug after repeated doses over a short period of time). Long-term use is not recommended, since these agents lose effectiveness after a few days…

Lists

Common decongestants include:

- Ephedrine
- Levomethamphetamine
- Naphazoline
- Oxymetazoline
- Phenylephrine
- Phenylpropanolamine
- Propylhexedrine
- Synephrine
- Tetrahydrozoline
- Xylometazoline
- Pseudoephedrine—controlled in some jurisdictions for over the counter use
- Tramazoline

Uncommon or discontinued decongestants include:

- Cafaminol
- Cyclopentamine
- Epinephrine
- Fenoxazoline
- Levonordefrin
- Mephentermine
- Metizoline
- Norepinephrine
- Tuaminoheptane
- Tymazoline