It is crucial for people to cut back on their use of decongestants when looking for phlegm-clearing remedies. These drugs work by shrinking swelling tissues and blood arteries in the nose, which should lessen congestion to some extent. While these drugs effectively dry out secretions and stop a runny nose, they also cause any thick phlegm and mucus to solidify rather than thin, which means that using decongestants may make the phlegm worse. People must be careful not to choose a decongestant spray instead of a saline nasal spray while looking for the best nasal spray to get rid of phlegm.