Nine Natural Ways to Decongest Your Nose

Reading Time: 4 minutes

A congested nose can be very annoying. You get a funny voice when you talk, your nose drips, and you may even get a headache! Most of the time, a stuffy nose is a result of too much mucus in the nasal passage, but a congested nose can also be caused by inflamed blood vessels. These vessels are triggered by things like the flu, allergies, colds, or even infections.

A congested nose can leave you feeling tired and dull, but doubling on medicines can be dangerous and cause side effects in the long run. Drinking warm water or using powerful ingredients like garlic or salt can be effective during congestion. There are various home remedies or natural ways to decongest your nose.

Regardless of the reason for your congested nose, there are easy natural ways to relieve it. If your nose feels dried out or dehydrated, or you want to decrease the severity of your stuffy nose, the following natural remedies can be helpful for you.

Here are nine remedies you can try right now to feel good and breathe better.

1. Use a warm compress

Using a warm compress can help you unclog your stuffy nose. It opens the nasal passage from the outside. You can easily make a warm compress by soaking a towel in warm water. Squeeze the excess water out of the towel, fold it, and then place it on your forehead and nose. You can also microwave the towel to make a warm compress.

The warm compress will help relieve the inflammation in the nostrils and will provide you some comfort. You can repeat the process until you find some relaxation. You can also apply hot or cold packs on the bridge of your nose. This is a temporary solution by reducing nasal inflammation. You can use frozen peas or vegetable bags for cold packs.

2. Have warm soups and teas

Many people prefer drinking hot liquids like tea or warm soups to help relieve their congested nose. According to research conducted among people with the flu and blocked nose, those who drank hot liquid reported greater relief from symptoms.

To naturally relieve a decongested nose, try hot teas like green tea or chamomile or hot soups like chicken noodle soup or hot and sour soup.

3. Include herbs and spices in your diet

Having spicy foods is one of the most common ways to open up the decongested nose. Herbs and spices such as garlic, ginger, and peppers can cause gustatory rhinitis, which causes a runny nose.

Also, spicy foods cause the body to produce more mucus and hence, a runny nose. Some spices like turmeric have anti-inflammatory properties that give relief to the congested nose. So, if you have a stuffy nose, add some ginger, turmeric, or chili pepper or other herbs and spices to your meal.

4. Inhale garlic steam or eat garlic

Garlic is full of antibacterial and anti-fungal properties that are helpful in treating various problems including nose congestion due to sinus or cold. Studies have shown that people who have garlic supplements during the cold season suffer from fewer colds and flu than those who didn’t take garlic supplements.

If you are someone who is not fond of the pungent smell and taste of raw garlic, you can saute it with your pasta or salad. Inhaling the steam can also be very useful to relieve a stuffy nose. Simply slice up a few garlic cloves and put them in a cup of water. Boil it and inhale the steam at arm’s length.

5. Stay hydrated

Drinking a lot of water and fluids will help in relieving the symptoms of the decongested nose. The mucous membranes get inflamed during congestion and by staying hydrated, you can help the membrane function correctly.

6. Use essential oils

There are quite a few essential oils like eucalyptus, oregano, peppermint, and rosemary that help in relieving the nasal congestion. When essential oils are combined with carrier oils like jojoba, coconut, or olive oil and are applied to the skin, it provides relief to the inflamed nostrils. You can also use essential oils as a diffuser or aromatherapy. It soothes nerves and helps with relaxing.

7. Use a Neti pot

A Neti pot is a pot designed to flush the fluids and mucus out of the nasal passage. It is FDA approved and is recommended to be used with distilled or sterile water instead of the normal tap water.

To use a Neti pot, stand near your sink. Take the Neti pot and place its spout in one nostril of the nose and tilt the pot until the water enters the nasal passage. Once the water passes through the nostril, it comes out of another nostril. Do this for a minute for one side and then switch sides.

Neti pots are easily available and are cheap. A few research studies have shown that they work great to relieve nasal congestion.

8. Boost your immune system

Though Vitamin C does not directly affect the nasal congestion, it reduces the duration of a cold and also helps in decreasing the severity of the flu. If you have a stuffy nose due to virus or flu, popping some vitamin C supplements may help you get over your cold more quickly.

9. Use a humidifier

The quickest, easiest, and most effective way to relieve a stuffy nose and reduce the sinus pain is using a humidifier. Humidifiers convert water into moisture and increase the humidity of the room. The cold and flu can make you dried out and dehydrated and humidifiers may provide you some relief. The moist air can soothe the irritated nostrils and swollen blood vessels in your nose. It also helps in thinning the mucus and helps you get a runny nose so you can breathe normally.

Both cool mist as well as warm mist humidifiers are useful to help you with a congested nose. It is advisable to run the humidifier while you sleeping. It will open up your congested nasal passages and will help you sleep more comfortably and have better quality sleep.

Conclusion

Congestion can be caused by a variety of things, such as allergies, flu, sinus, cold, etc. It happens due to inflamed nasal passages. A stuffy or congested nose is always very uncomfortable, but these few at-home remedies or natural remedies may help you clear out your nostrils and nasal passages. You can rely on these remedies along with taking any necessary over-the-counter medications.

Author picture

Vishal Khot is a freelance blogger and has written multiple articles for websites including reviews.in. He also likes to write product reviews about home, sports, and fitness. On weekends you can find him playing football or riding a bike. He also likes to travel.

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