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Medical Video: How to Sleep With a Stuffy Nose
When the nose is blocked, breathing can be a serious challenge. Whatever the cause - allergies, runny nose, or flu - difficulty breathing can make you tired and tired quickly.
Many people think that a blocked nose is a result of clots in the nasal passages. But, nasal congestion is actually caused by inflamed sinus blood vessels.
"The nose has a network of blood vessels thanks to a wide and open-up," said Scott P. Stringer, MD, professor of ENT at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and director of Rhinology and Paranasal Sinus Committee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. When the nose is irritated, the nervous system is also stimulated, causing the valves to open. As a result, more blood flows into the nose. This condition causes swelling in the nasal passages and makes it difficult for you to breathe.
Apart from drugs, such as decongestants, there are several other ways to relieve nasal congestion.
Turn off the air conditioner and fan
Warm and humid air is the fastest way to deal with colds and stuffy nose.
Breathing in moist air can relieve inflammation and relieve swelling of blood vessels in the nose, as well as thinning mucus in the sinuses.
Alternatively, you can do facial sauna. The trick, lean your face until it is above a bowl of hot water, hang a towel over your head to make a curtain that traps steam from the bowl, then breathe steam for about 10 minutes. Repeat 2-3 times a day until you can breathe freely.
Drink lots of water
Warm water can help thin mucus in the nasal passages and relieve pain due to a stuffy nose. For variety, you can drink ginger, mint or lemon tea and warm honey which contain natural antiseptic and decongestant agents to facilitate breathing.
Eucalyptus oil
Eucalyptus oil, also found in many ointments and balms, can help thin mucus due to a stuffy nose. How to lean your face until it's above a bowl of hot water that has been added with a few drops of eucalyptus oil. Hang a towel over your head to cover the bowl, breathe in steam for about 10 minutes.
Eucalyptus oil is scientifically proven as a home alternative that can kill several types of bacteria that cause nasal congestion, such as sinus infections.
Saline spray
Saline sprays provide extra moisture needed by a stuffy nose. Saline solution will thin the mucus and relieve inflammation of the blood vessels in the nose.
Saline sprays are sold freely at pharmacies. Some saline spray products also contain decongestant drugs. But before using this type of saline spray, discuss it first with your doctor. Saline sprays containing decongestants run the risk of carrying side effects if used with other drugs, can also worsen the symptoms of nasal congestion if used for more than three days.
Chew garlic
Garlic contains antibacterial and antifungal agents that are useful as a cure for various health problems, including nasal congestion due to fever and flu.
The findings from a study in the United Kingdom showed that participants who were given garlic supplements for 12 consecutive weeks during the flu season were less likely to experience the flu than participants who did not take garlic supplements.
Maybe chewing raw garlic sounds scary to you. To work around this, saute 1-2 cloves of garlic and add pasta or vegetables. Or, you can add a few slices or collide a clove of garlic into a bowl of hot water to steam your face for 10 minutes.
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