5 ways to relieve congestion from a blocked nose

Is there anything more unpleasant than nasal congestion? When the nose is blocked, for many people it feels like the nose is half functioning. Breathing, we know, is one of our vital functions, and if it cannot be done as naturally as usual, life seems difficult: less oxygen comes in, we have to inhale more often and we let’s get tired more quickly.

The worst part is that even if you blow your nose as hard as you can, your nose will continue to feel clogged, as if a wall of mucus has built up in its cavities. Is there an effective way to decongest it and breathe again?

“The nose is an organ that prepares and filters the air before it enters directly into the lungs,” explains Santiago Ibacache, head of the otolaryngology department at Clínica Santa María. “How much and how much the nose has to work will depend a lot on environmental conditions.”

The best air for our noses to function well, as the specialist describes, is moist, clean and hopefully relatively warm. “The worst is dirty, dry and cold air, because that’s where the nose has to work the most,” he emphasizes.

What exactly is the problem with the nasal passages? Its role is to humidify the air that enters before it reaches the posterior nasal region and then its final destination, which is the lungs.

Specifically, Ibacache claims that the pits manage to add up to 90 percent humidity to the air we breathe and heat it to almost 37 degrees Celsius, which is ideal for the lungs. “If the physical environmental conditions are more difficult, such as too cold or too dry, the nose will become clogged to achieve this goal,” he warns.

According to the specialist, there are other conditions that directly affect the condition of the nasal mucosa. Colds are the most common. “Viral rhinitis will inflame and block the nose,” explains Ibacache.

Any virus with respiratory symptoms, such as rhinoviruses, which are the most common colds, is capable of stripping nasal cells of their hair, even before we experience symptoms.

“Each nasal cell has small hairs on the surface, which produce a high-frequency tremor and send mucus to the posterior region for swallowing; It’s normal. But as soon as the virus enters, these threads are lost and the mucus stagnates in the nose,” specifies the doctor. The inflammatory state resulting from the immune response also produces more mucus, “so the nose fills with mucus, which can lead to a greater risk of superinfection, congestion and even rhinosinusitis.”

Another story is that of allergic rhinitis, the second most common case, characterized by an inflammatory state resulting from an immunological response to an allergenic agent.

“The most common agents are dust or pollen. If we do not treat them correctly, we add an additional condition which will facilitate congestion, the production and stagnation of mucus and, secondarily, a possible infection,” he explains.

Other possible causes of congestion are environmental pollution, environmental dirt, smoking or environmental hazards “which obviously also facilitate a chronic inflammatory state of the nasal mucosa,” explains Ibacache.

Congested peoples of the world: all is not lost. Several measures can be taken to prevent or alleviate this discomfort.

But before proceeding to the following list, Doctor Mauricio Bonilla, public health specialist at the Saluta platform, specifies that if the nasal congestion is severe or persistent (preventing breathing for long periods), or if it is accompanied by Other symptoms such as fever, facial pain or difficulty breathing, it is important to consult a doctor to rule out other pathologies.

If the situation is not that serious but still annoying and unpleasant, here is a list of actions that could alleviate it.

When you have a cold or virus, drinking water will always help. “Drinking plenty of fluids, especially water, helps thin the mucus and makes it easier to eliminate,” says Bonilla.

“Adequate hydration is beneficial for any organ,” explains Ibacache: both the circulatory system, the pulmonary system, the neurological system and the skin. The nose, of course, is another organ that is also managed based on bodily fluids. Therefore, “adequate systemic hydration is always beneficial.”

Nasal washes are another strategy you can adopt when experiencing congestion, as they are helpful in cleaning the nasal passages and removing excess mucus. They can be done with physiological serum, available in all pharmacies.

Bonilla says there are some nasal wash kits that include a pre-shaped nozzle, which can make applying the saline solution easier.

“In general, there are bottles on the market prepared to carry out an adequate nasal wash, useful in any inflammatory condition of the nose, even in the event of a cold,” adds Ibacache. If you cannot access one of these products, it is possible to do it in a more artisanal way: it must be a salt water solution that is as aseptic or clean as possible. Bonilla’s recommendation is that it be cooked water brought to body temperature, “similar to the water we use to prepare a bottle”, he analyzes.

While it may seem a bit obvious, it never hurts to reiterate that “getting enough sleep and rest helps the body recover and fight off the infection or allergy that’s causing congestion,” says Bonilla. To deal with discomfort, it is advisable to sleep with your head slightly elevated, as this helps reduce swelling and nasal congestion.

Nasal congestion, especially at night, largely depends on the position of the head. This is why if you are congested and sleep in your usual position (with your head at a fairly flat height), you may wake up blocked. The main thing is to include this inclination with cushions, so as not to suffocate at night.

As Bonilla explains, using a humidifier or air vaporizer increases humidity in the environment, which helps thin mucus and relieve congestion. “A very dry environment can irritate the nasal passages and make congestion worse,” he explains. If you are considering purchasing a machine with this function, it is essential to consider the size of the room you want to humidify, in addition to following the instructions of each manufacturer.

The feeling when we have a cold and we take a hot shower, with lots of steam, is simply wonderful. Ibacache explains that this happens because “by feeling that the air is humid and clean, nasal congestion and vasocongestion decrease, so that they free up breathing a little and give a feeling of relief.”

“In one state of illness, the cases are favored, but in more chronic pathologies its less effective, only the symptoms disappear for a short period of time and they do not attack the cause, which may be an inflamed inflammation,” says the doctor of Otorhinolaryngology of the Clinic Sainte Marie.

Another important point is to avoid exercising on congested days, take medications depending on the diagnosed condition, and drink plenty of water.

“It should be borne in mind that beyond an untreated cold or allergic rhinitis, when congestion persists beyond 10 to 15 days, or is associated with other factors such as ailments headache, toothache, facial pain, loss of vision, smell or feeling of fever, you obviously have to go to a medical service to rule out a major complication or other pathologies that cause congestion,” warns Ibacache.