Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Quick fixes
• Method 2 of 4: Natural remedies
• Method 3 of 4: Medical treatments
• Method 4 of 4: What can you expect from a doctor
• Tips
• Warnings

You can get a stuffy nose if you have a cold or if you have an allergy to something. Your nasal mucous membranes swell and mucus builds up in your nose, making it harder for you to breathe. A stuffy nose can be annoying and very tiring. Fortunately, there are several ways to clear a stuffy nose. In this article you will find quick fixes for a stuffy nose, natural remedies and medical treatments.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Quick fixes

1. Blow your nose. The easiest way to get rid of a nasal congestion is to blow out the mucus. Always bring a pack of tissues with you when you go out.
2. Eat something spicy. Have you ever eaten too much wasabi and felt it in your nose? Spicy food thins the mucus so you can clear the blockage, even if it only works temporarily. If you have a stuffy nose, try:
   • Hot peppers such as chili, jalapeño, or madame jeanette peppers
   • Horseradish or wasabi
   • Ginger
   • Fenugreek
   • Onion and garlic
3. Smear some ointment with menthol. An ointment such as Vapo Rub or Tiger Balm contains menthol that temporarily clears the stuffy nose, allowing you to breathe better for an hour or two. Rub some ointment on your upper lip under your nose, or on your chest.
4. Stay upright. If you put several pillows in your back at night so that you are not horizontal, you can breathe better. It doesn't get rid of the stuffy nose, but it makes it easier to breathe making it a bit more bearable.
5. Massage your cavities. Clear the blockage the old-fashioned way - without drugs or other means, just with your fingers. Self-massage is easy to do and very effective. Here are three massage techniques you can do anywhere.
   • Place your index fingers on either side of your eye socket, just above the nose but below the eyebrows. Now massage the cavities in circular movements outwards. Do this for 20 to 30 seconds.
   • Put both index fingers under your eyes. Make circular movements outwards again and massage the hollows under your eyes. Do this for 20 to 30 seconds.
   • Finally, put your thumbs on your cheekbones. Massage your cheekbones outward in circular motions. Do this for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat the massage until your constipation is reduced.
6. Apply a heat compress on your face. Wet a towel with warm water and wring it out until it is no longer soaking wet but damp. Sit down and put the towel on your face for a few minutes. The heat provides relief and can open the nose.
7. Take a hot shower. The hot steam loosens the mucus and clears the stuffy nose.

Method 2 of 4: Natural remedies

1. Use a steam bath to loosen the mucus. If you have more time, make a steam bath to clear the blockage. Steam baths have been used around the world for centuries by people who are sick.
   • Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. When it boils, take it off the stove.
   • Infuse some chamomile flowers or bags of chamomile tea while the water cools slightly (optional).
   • If you can put your hand over the steam without getting burned, pour the water or chamomile tea into a bowl.
   • Keep your head above the bowl, put a towel over your head and take a deep breath. If you can't breathe through your nose at first, breathe through your mouth.
2. Hydrate! Drink as much water or juice as possible. For a quick recovery from constipation, drink 6-8 cups of water. This helps build the immune system and shrink swollen nasal passages.
3. Use a humidifier. Humidifiers (and steam in general) are good for clearing a stuffy nose because dry air irritates the tissues in the nasal cavity, causing it to bother you more. Therefore keep the air moist.
   • If you don't have a real humidifier, you can make your own. Boil enough water in a large pot, remove it from the heat and place it where you sit in the room. The steam coming out of the pan moistens the room. Repeat if necessary.
   • If you're using a humidifier, don't overdo it. You don't want your home to become a tropical jungle. You only need a little moisture in the air.
4. Make your own saline solution. Add a teaspoon of salt to a cup of boiled water and stir until dissolved. Let it cool down well. Using a pipette, drip some salt water into both nostrils while tilting your head back.
5. Keep your nasal cavity moist with a nasal cannula. Some people experience rapid improvement when they moisten their nose with a nasal cannula. With a nasal cannister you dilute the mucus and flush it out of your nasal passages.
   • Follow the instructions that come with the nose cup. Usually you must first make a saline solution by mixing 500 ml of lukewarm (and sterilized) water with 1 teaspoon of salt. Then you fill the nose cup with this saline solution.
   • Tilt your head 45 degrees and insert the tip of the nasal cannula into your upper nostril. The saline solution enters through one nostril, flows through your nasal passages and out through the other nostril. If the saline solution gets into your mouth, just spit it out. Blow your nose and repeat the process on the other side.
   • If you suffer from a blocked nose or allergy, you can use the nasal cannister every day. If the symptoms improve, you can keep using it three times a week.
6. Move. While this is the last thing you want to do, moving your body helps refresh your body.An easy way to quickly clear a blockage is to press 20 times, breathing only through your nose. Your brain knows it needs more air, so it will help stop the swelling in your nose and reduce the amount of mucus.
7. Take an essential oil bath. Certain essential oils help to loosen mucus and clear the nose. Fill your bath with warm water and add ten drops of eucalyptus oil, rosemary oil or tea tree oil. Lie down in the bath until your nose is clear and you can breathe more easily.
8. Sleep. While it may seem overrated, it's okay to stay home from work or school for a day to sleep all day. This gives your body time to heal and fight the cold. If you have trouble sleeping because of the constipation, try medication, Breathe Right strips, or breathe through your mouth. (Use lip balm if you breathe through your mouth as it can dry out your lips.)
9. Get calm. Stress slows down the immune system. The more stressed you are, the longer it will take to clear your nasal passages.

Method 3 of 4: Medical treatments

1. Use an over-the-counter remedy. You can buy nasal drops at the drugstore to get rid of a stuffy nose.
   • Nasal drops are, for example, based on xylometazoline, tramazoline or oxymetazoline.
   • Pill form is, for example, based on phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine.
   • Do not use the nasal drops for more than three days, otherwise the symptoms may worsen due to damage to the nasal mucous membranes.
2. Use an antihistamine. Antihistamines can release the stuffy nose. Give these natural antihistamines a try:
   • Nettle. Some doctors recommend using freeze-dried nettle because it is known for its ability to reduce the amount of histamine the body produces.
   • Coltsfoot may also be effective as a natural antihistamine. It has been used to treat skin problems for centuries. You can make a paste from the leaves or you can take it in pill form.
   • Basil can also act as a natural antihistamine. Place some sprigs of basil in a bowl of hot water and breathe in the steam. Basil ensures that the body produces less histamine.

Method 4 of 4: What can you expect from a doctor

1. Be prepared to answer some basic questions. Nasal congestion has a range of possible causes, and you cannot be treated properly without honest answers. Some possible questions your doctor may ask are:
   • How long you have a stuffy nose. If it is longer than seven days, see a doctor immediately.
   • Color of excretion.
   • Other symptoms such as pain, fever, cough, etc.
   • Possibly known allergies.
   • Or you smoke.
2. Expect to be the first to combat antibiotics and prescription drugs. Usually nasal congestion is a symptom of a cold or other infection. As a result, most doctors will start to fight the infection with medication.
   • Make sure to tell the doctor if you are taking any other medications.
3. Prepare for an endoscopy, where a camera goes up your nose for a diagnosis. It sounds uncomfortable, but local anesthesia makes it painless and easy. A narrow camera is inserted into your nasal passages with a tube to look for polyps, nasal discharge abnormalities, or infections. If your symptoms persist, be prepared that this will be the doctor's next step.
   • The alternative, an X-ray, is both expensive and impractical, but may be necessary for extreme or difficult cases.
4. Ask about somnoplasty to cure chronic cases of constipation. This easy 15-minute procedure uses heat to open your cavities and clear the blockage. You will be placed under a local anesthetic and will likely be outside within an hour.
   • Although you will get hot needles in both nostrils, most patients will hardly feel anything.
   • For the first 1-2 weeks, your nose will be blocked while you heal.
   • If the procedure doesn't work, it can be repeated several weeks later.
   • This is usually performed by an ENT doctor in his office, not the hospital.
5. Understand that your doctor will only recommend surgery in extreme cases. If you have a serious infection or blockage, you may need endoscopic sinus surgery. A fixed camera will be placed in your nasal cavity, which will be used to guide a surgeon attempting to remove diseased areas or open natural cavities.
   • Surgery is almost always outpatient. You will come home the same day.
   • The pain is minimal and you should feel as good as new within a week.
   • Repetition is sometimes necessary although the success rate is high.
6. Request laser surgery of the nasal concha (LTS) for minimally invasive, extra-fast unclogging. Nose shells are the structures in your nose that cause congestion. Using CO2 or KTP lasers, they are allowed to shrink within 20 minutes. No cover is needed and you can go back to work the same day.
   • Before everything is released, you can experience a light constipation for a week.
   • You will be given a light topical anesthetic - no needles required.
   • The downside to LTS is the cost. It may not be offered at all clinics.

Tips

• Do not swim in chlorinated water. This can irritate your nasal membranes and cause your nose to become blocked.
• Do not eat dairy products and chocolate, you will get mucus from that.
• If you are in pain because your cavities are blocked, take a pain reliever (such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen).
• If they are available, use Breathe Right strips, you can buy them at most drugstores and pharmacies.

Warnings

• Do not put menthol ointment under your nose if the skin there is damaged by blowing your nose often. That can sting a lot.