Nasal washing using saltwater or saline spray is the most recommended way of keeping your nose clean. A salt and water solution is effective in clearing out mucus, crusts, germs, and other pollutants from your nose.
Sinus rinsing can remove dust, pollen and other debris, as well as help to loosen thick mucus. It can also help relieve nasal symptoms of sinus infections, allergies, colds and flu.
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.
Nasal irrigation is a safe and easy way to rinse your sinuses. It can help relieve symptoms related to a sinus infection, allergies, a cold or other upper respiratory conditions. Neti pots, rinse bottles and pre-filled containers are all excellent options if you want to try nasal irrigation.
This pattern happens when there is more blood flow to the structures inside the nose, such as the turbinates, which are the round masses that you may see if you look into the nostrils. Increased blood flow causes congestion in one nostril for about 3 to 6 hours before switching to the other side.
Whether it's from a hot shower or piping hot cup of tea, steam can thin mucus and help it drain from your nose. For faster relief, pour boiling water into a large bowl. Cover your head with a towel, lean over the bowl, and breathe in the steam. You can do this three to four times a day.
A stuffy nose will usually go away in about a week. But if it doesn't, or you get congested at certain times of year or when you're around pets or smokers, your doctor can help you find out if you have allergies and get you the right treatment to make any allergies less of an annoyance.
It's common and usually clears up on its own within 2 to 3 weeks. But medicines can help if it's taking a long time to go away.
The best position to sleep with a stuffy nose is typically on your back with your head slightly elevated13. A blocked nose at night often feels worse as your body position causes more blood to flow to your nose, increasing the swelling14. It also means your body can't drain mucus properly15.
According to Dr. Leann Poston of Invigor Medical, “Elevating your head before bed can increase drainage and decrease congestion.” That's why the best position to sleep with a stuffy nose is on your back with different types of pillows elevating your head and neck.
Flushing your sinuses can be done using a neti pot, a saline spray or rinse, as well as saline drops followed by suctioning with a bulb syringe. Infants, children, and adults may all benefit from this drug-free approach to managing sinus congestion and nasal debris.
Blowing the nose can worsen the feeling of congestion due to pressure build-up within the nostrils, which may shoot up the mucus into the sinuses instead of ejection through the nose.
A healthy person ingests around 1.5 litres of nasal secretions a day, so sniffing and swallowing isn't harmful. Any pathogens within the phlegm will be easily neutralised by gastric secretions.
A sinus infection is diagnosed in a physical exam by a primary care doctor, who will look inside your nasal cavity and check for sinus pressure or tenderness by gently touching or feeling your face.