Table of Contents
Overview
Many people often lack of what exactly nasal congestion is. Nasal congestion, also known as stuffy nose, is a symptom of an illness. Actually, it is the blockage of the nasal passages that results from inflamed blood vessels in your sinuses [1][2].
Causes of Nasal Congestion
Nasal congestion is usually caused by numerous events that mainly focus on three kinds of factors:
- Air pollution
- Changing weather
- Weak resistance
Symptoms of Nasal Congestion
Nasal congestion is often related to a cold, the flu, allergies, or a sinus infection. The patient may experience many symptoms such as: runny nose, sore throat and tiredness.
Nasal congestion is not only annoying, but also easily lead to respiratory infections because patients must breathe through the mouth. Even it can interfere with the hearing and speech. The patient may lose their sense of smell completely and their voice sound funny when they talk.
For these reasons, nasal congestion should be early treated as soon as possible.
Here are some quickly effective home remedies for congestion that we highly recommend for you to apply at home for a relief.
1. Ginger Tea
The winter season always makes you suffer from respiratory illnesses, including common colds, runny nose and nasal congestion. Therefore, drinking ginger tea will work to help you relieve fatigue and curb a stuffy nose [3][4].
The way to make ginger tea: put rushed ginger and pour water into a saucepan and boil it. After that, scoop out the pulp ginger. To get a best result, you can add honey and lemon to the tea. You should drink warm ginger tea regularly until mucus in the nose flows easily.
Besides ginger tea, you can use other kinds such as green tea or mint tea. These teas are not only warm the body, increase resistance but also support your nose and reduce the symptoms of arthritis. Read more: Home Remedies for Pneumonia.
2. Garlic
Garlic is one of the most common ingredients that you can easily find in the kitchen. It is especially useful in curbing a stuffy nose thanks to its antifungal and antibacterial properties [5][6][7].
Method: you can eat some fresh garlic cloves directly or with vegetables and pasta. If not, you can prepare a garlic soup and enjoy it.
Always keep garlic in your pantry since it is often used not only in culinary but also to make effective treatments for health problems such as Home Remedies for Shingles.
Read also: Top 20 Home Remedies for Sleep Apnea
3. Onions
As well as garlic, onion is not only effective in cooking but also a cheap and effective remedy that can treat nasal congestion. In fact, many people feel uncomfortable with quite warm scent of onion. However, as many studies show, onion can repel stock stuffy quickly without any side effects [8].
Method: You just simply chop onion, wrap it in a thin towel and use it to sniff several times a day until the situation is improved.
4. Eating Spicy Food
Spicy foods such as chili, pepper, mustard and so on act relatively important in helping reduce discomfort when being stuffy. That is simply because when you eat spicy food, mucus in the nasal cavity will speed movement, help repel stock stuffy easily.
You only need to add pepper or chili into your dishes to eat. It is great if you are the person who also likes spicy food. So enjoy your dishes and get rid of congestion quickly.
5. Steam Inhalation
Steam measures not only effective when you have a cold, but also very effective as nasal congestion. Instead of steaming your whole body, you just need to steam your face to eliminate the discomfort congestion.
Method: Heat up water, pour into a small bowl and then give a little menthol or eucalyptus on it. You should use a thick cotton towel to cover both your head and the bowl and try to sniff the steam until the water in the bowl becomes cool. Nasal inhalation therapy will be effective in reducing congestion, meaning that you will breathe easier. If you are suffering from sneezing, steam is one of the best solution for this problem. Read on: Home Remedies for Sneezing
Also, read more: Home Remedies for Migraines.
6. Using Saline Solution
This is relatively easy measure that is common in use. You can buy saline solution at pharmacies or prepare at home by yourself. However, when making the brine processing at home you must ensure clean salt (pharmaceutical grade salt is recommended).
Method: Mix 1 teaspoon salt in 2 glasses of boiled water and dissolve it, then use this solution to spray in your nostrils for several times in a day. Make this process for 3-4 days until you feel its effects. Salt water will help fight bacteria as well as congestion quickly.
7. Taking A Warm Bath
Warm bath is a method of treatment that is still used very widely today.
Right from the start there are signs of fatigue, shortness of breath due to a stuffy nose, you should take warm shower or soak in a warm bath with essential oils such as menthol, or simply with warm water mixed with crushed ginger.
This method is simple but very effective, the more you apply early, the more stuffiness and cold are quickly defeated.
Don’t forget to use ginger as one of top natural home remedies for wheezing
8. Tomato Juice
Tomato is very useful in helping the body eliminate annoying stuffy proof thanks to the moisturizing ingredients like vitamin C, vitamin A, etc. Tomato juice will be more efficient when it is hot [9].
Method: Heat up the tomato juice, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, small minced garlic and drink 2 times per day. Nasal congestion will be removed quickly.
9. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is always used to reduce the symptoms of nasal congestion by helping thin the mucus. In addition, it is very good for your overall health and immunity because it contains several nutrients.
Method: simply mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with one tablespoon of honey in a cup of warm water. You should drink this mixture two or three times a day and continue for a few days later, until you find your state better.
Read also: Home Remedies for Croup
10. Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus oil is commonly sold in pharmacies. People, who are suffering from nasal congestion can highly benefit from the using of eucalyptus oil thanks to its decongestant [10][11].
Whenever having trouble breathing because of a stuffy nose, you can put a few drops of eucalyptus oil in a small container and occasionally open up and breathe deeply several times. In another way, you can add about 10-15 oil drops in bath water. And remember to take a deep breath in the shower to get the best performance.
11. Lemonade with Honey
Take a spoonful of honey and a few drops of fresh lemon drop into a glass of warm water. Stir well and drink 3 cups a day. Honey will quickly remove nasal congestion and cough effectively.
Not only health problems, honey is also effective in dealing with beauty issues. You can take a look at How to Get Rid of Blemishes to find out more.
12. Hot Towel
This is a trick that many people often use. Before going to bed, you get hot water soaked towel placed on either ear for about 10-15 minutes. It will reduce the nasal congestion. The reason is in the ear, there are many tiny nerves that regulate blood flows in the nose. While having high temperature, blood vessels will dilate and help through the nostrils.
13. Moistening Indoor Air
The atmosphere that lacks of moisture is also the cause of your stuffy nose, especially during the fall and winter. Therefore, you should keep your room with a reasonable moisture rate. According to experts, this rate should be among 35 – 70% that is better to prevent stuffiness.
14. Massaging Nose
This is a physical method. Take your thumb and index finger or two index fingers and gently stroke your nose. Doing like that several times a day until you can breathe easy.
15. Drinking Lots of Water
Water is best to prevent dehydration of the body. After entering in the body, water will dilute the mucus of the nose and enhance resilience. Every day you should drink 8-10 glasses of water, especially hot water as possible.
Medicines can be used to treat congestion quickly but you must be very careful or it can be dangerous because of many side effects. The natural home remedies are not only safe and easy to apply but also inexpensive and effective to fight against uncomfortable stuffy nose.
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