Decongestants. These medicines help reduce the swelling in your nasal passages and ease the stuffiness and sinus pressure. They come as nasal sprays, like naphazoline (Privine), oxymetazoline (Afrin, Dristan, Nostrilla, Vicks Sinus Nasal Spray), or phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine, Sinex, Rhinall).
Running a humidifier or cool-mist vaporizer in your home or office is a simple and effective way to reduce nasal congestion, says Stringer. Breathing in humid air helps soothe irritated nasal tissues, lessens sinus inflammation, and thins mucus (which helps it drain), he explains.
If water and steam both help to ease a blocked nose, it's unsurprising that hot drinks do too. These relieve pressure on the nose to help with your nasal congestion. Plus, if you are suffering from other cold and flu symptoms as well, a warm drink can help these.
How Long Does Nasal Congestion Last? If your nasal congestion is from a cold or flu, it will likely last as long your cold or flu (anywhere from five to 10 days) or even longer. If your nasal congestion is the result of allergies, it may last longer, depending on your exposure to that particular allergen.
Blocked noses are a common symptom of colds, allergies and other respiratory conditions. The problem will usually clear up by itself, but if you're bothered by a blocked nose then there are some breathing exercises and other remedies that might help.
A warm compress can help unclog a stuffy nose by reducing inflammation and opening the nasal cavity. You can apply hot pressure from the outside of your nose that will help you tremendously. It may help relieve the inflammation in your nostrils and sinuses and make it easier to breathe.
Propping your head up on a high pillow can help keep your sinuses more open. Or you could try sleeping in a recliner or on an adjustable bed with the head propped higher. The idea is to keep your blood flowing down away from your sinuses.
Holding your breath helps to raise carbon dioxide levels in the nasal passages which soothes nasal membrane tissue and reduces inflammation. Gentle nodding helps to increase circulation to the sinuses.
When we have a cold, the blood vessels in the nose dilate as part of the body's immune response, and the nose also produces more mucus. Both of these changes cause congestion, but you'll feel more blocked in the nostril that's currently 'off duty'. The nostril with the full airflow might feel fine.
There are a couple of reasons why nasal congestion feels worse when the sun goes down. For one, allergies tend to worsen at night. And two, your nose becomes more congested when you lie down. Therefore, you may find that it's easier to breathe at night when you have congestion if you prop yourself up in the bed.
The stages of a cold include the incubation period, appearance of symptoms, remission, and recovery.
The best sleeping position for sinus drainage problems and other sinus issues is to sleep with your head propped up. Sleeping with your head propped up will help gravity naturally drain your sinuses and reduce the chance of excessive blood flow that can develop sinus congestion.
If you feel that you are blocked up but are not really producing mucus, then this is more indicative of a physical abnormality, such as nasal polyps or a deviated septum. It is quite common for people to complain of having a blocked nose on one side.
Infections in your respiratory tract — most commonly colds — can inflame and thicken your sinus membranes and block mucus drainage. These infections can be caused by viruses or bacteria. Allergies such as hay fever. Inflammation that occurs with allergies can block your sinuses.
While you are standing or sitting upright, you have gravity helping you drain the mucus from your nasal cavity, but when you lie down, it becomes easier for mucus to accumulate and cause sinus issues at night. Nasal congestion at night can become especially noticeable when you have a cold, the flu or a sinus infection.
Massaging the sinuses is thought to help sinus pain and congestion by relieving pressure and helping the sinus drain out mucus. The gentle pressure and warmth from the hands may also help by increasing blood circulation to the area.
The lung meridian 5 (LU5) points are located on the inside of each elbow. These points help to relieve sinus congestion and pressure, which may help relieve pain and a runny nose. The LU5 points are also linked to your lungs and breathing.
Vicks VapoRub — a topical ointment made of ingredients including camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol that you rub on your throat and chest — doesn't relieve nasal congestion. But the strong menthol odor of VapoRub may trick your brain, so you feel like you're breathing through an unclogged nose.