Nasal Congestion - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

A stuffy nose, also known as nasal congestion, is hard to live with. It will affect the daily living activities at a great deal by not allowing to focus and feel giddiness always. If the cold is accompanied with cough, your days would be not easy to cope with.

Reason for Nasal Congestion

There are various triggering factors that cause nasal congestions apart from cold. It could be caused by a flu, allergies or sinus. Whatever the reason, the actual cause behind the nose getting stuffy is the membranes lining getting irritated due to allergies.

The nasal and adjacent tissue along with the blood vessels get swollen with the excessive fluid secretion in response to the allergies. However, nasal discharge or a runny nose is not the symptom associated with all the nasal congestions.

Causes for Nasal Congestion

There are various reasons that trigger nasal congestion such as sinus infection, allergies, common cold, enlarged adenoids, foreign bodies in the  nose, hormonal changes, flu, Nasal Polyps, occupational asthma, stress, sleep apnea, tobacco smoke and due to the medications that are used to treat blood pressure. Some times, the nasal congestion occurs due to tumors but this condition is not common.

Home Remedies for Nasal Congestion

If it is a common cold, your kitchen has many reliefs you could take advantage of. You could use the spices that medicinal benefits such as pepper, cloves and ginger. Although people think that drying up the nose could give relief, it actually has the effect of the opposite. Remember that drying up the nasal discharge completely will further increase the irritation of the nasal membrane linings.

Here are a Few Tips to Keep the Nasal Membrane Moist

• Vaporise with the hot water and balm. It could release the congestion and allows you to breath with less difficulty.
• Use the nasal sprays. These sprays contain sodium chloride that keep the nasal membrane from getting dried.
• Keep the bed, pillow and the sheets warm. It helps you in releasing the congestion and fall asleep easily.
• Drink lot of fluids as they may help in making the mucus thin while preventing blocked sinuses.
• Take long showers with lukewarm water but avoid using the chlorinated pools as they increase nasal infections.
• Use a humidifier or a vaporizer in frequent intervals to keep the nasal membrane from getting dried.
• Rinse and gargle with salt water that is lukewarm. This will prevent the throat from getting infected due to cold.
• Completely avoid cigarettes and consuming alcohol. Especially, smoking makes managing sinusitis very difficult.
• Stay away from the factors that are triggering allergy for you. For example dust allergy.

When to Seek Medical Help?

Nasal congestion due to common cold is self-cured by the body and it stays 5-7 days depending on the immunity strength in each individual. The duration varies from children to adults. If you are an adult, you may want to see the doctor if the nasal congestion stays beyond 5-7 days, without a sign of cure. Also, you should visit the doctor if...

• you have a fever or body pains.
• the nasal discharge is in green or yellow color.
• you observe any blood or blood-cots in nasal discharge.
• if the nasal congestion is associated with headaches and nausea.

For children, it is always advisable to seek immediate medical help right after you observe stuffed nose. The stuffy or running nose in children make it difficult for them to breathe and immediate medical help is duly recommended. 

Take Away

Nasal congestion is difficult to manage but the home remedies give you the much needed relief. Follow the necessary precautions to avoid cold and allergies. If you see the cold symptoms that are not yielding to the home remedies, seek medical help immediately. 

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