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X Watch the video on youtubeThe stuffy nose (or nasal congestion) is a common symptom in many respiratory tract diseases.
The stuffy nose can depend on flu illnesses, allergies, nasal polyposis, rhinitis and pregnancy, or appear following the administration of some drugs.
What to do
- Drain the mucus using a saline-based solution (nasal irrigation), to be instilled directly into the nose. The remedy is particularly suitable for small children with a stuffy nose who cannot blow their nose on their own
- Sleep with the headboard slightly raised (place a pillow under the mattress, in line with the point where the head rests): by doing so, the patient with a stuffy nose can rest better, and breathing is favored
- Blow your nose often, preferably using disposable paper tissues
- Treat the cause that arises at the origins of the stuffy nose
- Drink lots of fluids, especially hot ones
- Make use of the help of nasal vaporizers or humidifiers, useful for favoring the fluidization of the mucus, therefore the release from the stuffy nose
- Consult your doctor immediately if the patient with a stuffy nose is a child under the age of 2 months and has a high fever
- Avoid temperature changes
- Cover the nose and throat with a scarf before going out
What NOT to do
- Drive or carry out dangerous work after abundant administration of antihistamines: drowsiness is one of the side effects of these drugs
- Take antihistamines / corticosteroids without a prescription
- Take anti-histamines for the care of the stuffy nose in case of hypertension or cardiac arrhythmias: the administration of these drugs increases the heart rate and raises the blood pressure
- Use corticosteroid drugs for long periods
- Take antihistamines for long periods
- Sleeping in a prone position (on your stomach)
- To smoke
- Swallow the mucus
- Blow your nose continuously into the same handkerchief
What to eat
- Hot liquid foods are particularly suitable for facilitating the dissolution of mucus, thus freeing the nose: broth, hot milk, tea, herbal tea, infusions, etc.
- Take plenty of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C, useful for strengthening the immune system and guaranteeing optimal body efficiency
What NOT to Eat
- There is no scientific evidence that relates the food to the worsening of the symptoms associated with the stuffy nose
Natural Cures and Remedies
Among the natural remedies for the stuffy nose, the fumigations play a prestigious role: the fumigation technique consists in the reduction of a substance in steam, for purely therapeutic purposes. The fumigations promote the inhalation of steam, ensuring an immediate perception of comfort. The most suitable natural drugs for accelerating a stuffy nose are:
- basil ( Ocimum basilicum L.) → used, in this case, for its anti-inflammatory properties
- eucalyptus ( Eucalyptus globulus Labill) → anti-inflammatory, expectorant, balsamic properties
- lavender ( Lavandula officinalis ) → antiseptic properties
- lemon (Citrus limon) → antiseptic and antioxidant properties
- rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis ) → balsamic, expectorant, antioxidant properties
- bitter orange ( Citrus aurantium L. var. amara ) → disinfectant, anti-inflammatory, decongestant properties
- sodium benzoate: expectorant action, which facilitates the elimination of mucus
- Ephedrine (extracted from Ephedra sinica ) → decongestant properties, used as a decoction (especially in Chinese folk medicine)
Pharmacological care
The most suitable treatment for a stuffy nose depends on the cause:
- Cold / flu dependent closed-nose medication: paracetamol (eg tachypirina, efferalgan), clarithromycin (eg Biaxin, Macladin, for a stuffy nose dependent on Haemophilus influenzae), Amantadine (eg Zitrobiotic, antiviral drug), ibuprofen (eg brufen, moment) etc.
- Drugs for the treatment of the stuffy nose due to allergies / rhinitis: corticosteroids such as fluticasone sprays (eg avamys, fluspiral), antihistamines such as desloratadine (eg neoclarityn, azomyr, aerius) and decongestants like Oximetazoline hydrochloride (eg Vicks sinex).
Prevention
- Prevention from the stuffy nose is essentially to strengthen the immune system: the flu and cold, in fact, are the expression of viral / bacterial insults to the immune system.
For this purpose we recommend:
- Avoid sudden changes in temperature
- Follow a diet rich in antioxidants (vitamin C and vitamin E)
- When the stuffy nose depends on the enlargement of the adenoids, the optimal treatment consists in the surgical removal of the same
- The plastic of the nasal septum ( septoplasty ) consists in the correction of the deviation of the nasal septum, a possible cause causing the blocked nose
Medical treatments
In most cases, the stuffy nose tends to self-clean itself within a few days; Generally, no specific medical treatment is needed to keep the stuffy nose out
