How are the effects of paracrine signaling limited to an area near the signaling cells?

Paracrine signaling molecules are intrinsically unstable and thus have difficulty to travel long distances in the body. The secreted ligands are rapidly removed by degradation or reabsorption into the cell so that they cannot travel far. For example, neurotransmitters, which act as paracrine signals, function within a small range of distance. They travel between adjacent neurons and between neurons and muscle cells.