Nasal congestion occurs when a cold or allergy causes the nasal passages to swell and produce mucus, making it difficult to breathe. Nasal congestion isn't just a nuisance; but it can also weaken your body. Fortunately, there are many ways to clear blockages and improve comfort when a cold or allergy strikes. This article outlines quick remedies for nasal congestion with natural remedies that clear the blockage as well as medical remedies.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Quick Heal
Blow your nose. The easiest way to clear the blockage is to force the mucus out through the nose. Take a box of tissues or a few handkerchiefs with you every time you leave the house.
Step 1. Eat something spicy
Have you ever eaten too much wasabi and tasted it in your nose? That's because spicy food liquefies mucus and clears blockages, although most are temporary. For moderately severe blockages, try eating:
- Hot peppers, such as jalapeno, habanero or serrano peppers
- Radish or wasabi
- spicy ginger
- Fenugreek
- Onions and garlic
Step 2. Apply a small amount of menthol ointment
Ointments containing menthol will temporarily clear the blockage and allow you to breathe easier for an hour or two. Rub a small amount of the ointment on your lips above and under your nose, then let the steam work.
Step 3. Stay in a vertical position
Support yourself at night with a pillow, or resist the temptation to sleep on your back. This can help reduce the blockage and make it easier for you to breathe. But it will not only clear the blockage, but also help with breathing and make you more comfortable.
Step 4. Massage your sinuses
Relieve blockages the old fashioned way - without drugs or stimulants, just you and your fingers. Massaging yourself is easy to do and effective. Here are three types of massage you can do at home, at work, or in public.
- Use both index fingers and place them on both sides of the eye sockets, just above the nose and just below the eyebrows. In an outward circular motion, start massaging the sinuses around your nose with your fingers. Do this for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Use both index fingers and place them under your eyes. Again, using an outward circular motion, massage the sinuses around your eyes using your fingers. Do this for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Finally, use your thumbs and place them on both cheekbones. Massage your cheekbones in an outward circular motion using your thumbs. Do this for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat the massage again, or until your sinuses are relieved.
Step 5. Apply a warm compress on your face
Soak a clean towel in warm water and wring it out until the towel is damp, but not wet. Sit down and place a towel on your face for a few minutes. A warm compress can help relieve discomfort and open the nasal passages.
Step 6. Take a hot shower
The warm steam will pass through your lungs and flow into your nasal cavity, liquefying mucus and clearing blockages.
Method 2 of 3: Natural Treatment
Step 1. Use a steam treatment to thin the mucus
If you have more time than just a hot shower, do a steam treatment to reduce the blockage. Steam treatment has been a staple treatment for nasal congestion sufferers worldwide for centuries.
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling, remove the water from the stove.
- Dip a chamomile tea bag in water while it cools (optional).
- Once the steam has cooled enough to pass through your hands without burning, pour the water or tea into the bowl.
- Be careful with the warm steam, then turn your face over the bowl, cover your head with a towel, and breathe deeply. If you are temporarily unable to breathe through your nose, breathe through your mouth.
Step 2. Use a humidifier
Humidifying air (and steam in general) is recommended as a treatment for nasal congestion because dry air irritates the inner membranes of the sinuses, causing symptoms to appear. Therefore, moist air is recommended by doctors.
- If you don't have one or don't want to buy an actual humidifier, you can make a basic one using items you can find around your home. Boil enough water to fill a large pot, remove from heat, and place the hot water in a safe area of your room. The steam from the water will humidify the room. Repeat as needed.
- When using a humidifier, a little back to the previous discussion, you don't want the air conditions to be too humid so that your room is like a tropical forest. A little humidifier, sufficient to turn the room air slightly humid, is all you need.
Step 3. Make your own nasal saline solution
Salt water can serve as a non-medical solution. Add one teaspoon of salt to one cup of water, stir until dissolved. With an eye dropper, put a few drops of saline solution into one nostril while tilting your head back. Blow the liquid out of your nostril and repeat in the other nostril.
Step 4. Blow your nose using a neti pot
In some people, nasal irrigation can relieve sinus symptoms without the use of medication. Neti pots work by liquefying mucus and then flushing it out of the nasal cavity.
- Neti pots come with instructions to follow. The instructions are first, prepare an irrigation solution consisting of 475 ml of lukewarm (sterile) water, along with 1 teaspoon of salt. Fill your neti pot with the saline solution.
- Tilt your head at a 45-degree angle and point the tip of the neti pot over your nostrils. The saline solution will go into one nostril, flow through your nasal cavity, and out the other nostril. If the solution drips into your mouth, just spit it out. Blow your nose and repeat the process in the other hole.
- How often should you irrigate your nose with a neti pot? People with severe sinus problems or allergies find it beneficial to irrigate their nasal passages daily. After symptoms improve, the recommended use is three times a week.
Step 5. Soak in essential oils
Certain essential oils help liquefy mucus and clear the sinuses. Fill a tub with warm water and add ten drops of eucalyptus oil, rosemary oil, or tea tree oil. Soak in the tub until your nasal passages are cleared and breathing becomes easier.
Method 3 of 3: Medical Fluids
Step 1. Use a decongestant
Decongestants can be purchased at pharmacy stores. There are different types of this drug:
- Decongestant sprays, such as naphazoline (Privine), oxymetazoline (Afrin, Dristan, Duramist), or phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine, Sinex, Rhinall).
- Pill forms, such as phenylephrine (Lusonal, Sudafed PE, Sudogest PE) and pseudoephedrine (Sudafed, Sudogest).
- Do not use decongestant sprays for more than three days, as they can worsen symptoms. Also, do not use oral decongestants for more than seven days without consulting your doctor. Follow all instructions on the decongestant package.
Step 2. Use an antihistamine
Antihistamines, along with other allergy medications, are useful for reducing nasal congestion. Opt for an antihistamine that also contains a decongestant so you can relieve sneezing as well as mucus and sinus pressure. Try these natural antihistamines:
- Stinging nettle, stinging nettle. Some doctors recommend using both dried and frozen stinging nettle, which is known for its ability to reduce the amount of histamine the body produces.
- Coldsfoot may be effective as a natural antihistamine. Europeans have had a long history of using this plant to treat skin diseases. The leaves can be ground into a paste or the extract can be swallowed in pill form.
- Basil or basil can also work as a natural antihistamine. Heat a few sprigs of basil leaves under a little steam and then inhale the steam deeply. Basil can help convince the body that the histamine it produces can be reduced.
Tips
- Do not eat dairy products or chocolate as they both cause mucus buildup.
- Stay away from chlorinated water. Chlorine from swimming pool water can irritate mucous membranes, making your stuffy nose worse.
- If you have sinus headaches, take some painkillers (such as Tylenol, Advil, etc.).
