6 Natural remedies for a stuffy nose: breathe freely again
We all know this all too well, especially when the cold season arrives: the unpleasant sensation of a stuffy nose is not good for anyone, we have to breathe heavily through the mouth and suddenly we can only speak in a strangely nasal voice. In short: a stuffy nose is anything but sexy.
Do you find yourself struggling with the annoyance of a stuffy nose? Instead of resorting to expensive nasal sprays, you can rely on simple home remedies that will prove super effective. Unlike pharmacy nasal sprays, natural home remedies will gently reduce the problem.
In this video below, we also give you some tips on foods that help fight colds!
Stuffed nose: what are the causes?
In addition to the classic viruses, there may be other causes behind a cold and stuffy nose. These include, for example, allergies to house dust or animal hair. In this case we speak of a so-called allergic rhinitis. Other reasons for increased mucus formation in the upper airways can be smoke, dust, dry air, and some irritants.
In addition, regular and excessive use of nasal sprays can also lead to permanent blockage of the nose. Therefore, nasal drops or sprays should be used for up to seven to ten days.
Now is the time to reveal the 6 best home remedies to get rid of a stuffy nose.
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1. Suffumigi
Dedicating yourself to the inhalation of hot steam is one of the classic home remedies for a blocked nose. The steam helps to dissolve the mucus and moisten the nasal mucosa. If you add salt or essential oils such as eucalyptus, thyme, anise to the water for the vapors. or peppermint, inhalation will have an even greater effect against colds.
The rules for effective fumigating are simple: one of them is to breathe in correctly.
To inhale, you can fill a pot or bowl with hot water and then start with a towel over your head. However, the risk of getting burned is very high, it is good to be careful and keep your eyes closed so that they do not come into contact with the hot steam.
A safe option in this regard are therefore steam inhalers.
Equipped with a practical mask that will deliver the healing steam directly to the nose and mouth without damaging the eyes. As in the classic version with bowl and towel, fill the appliance with hot water, add salt or a few drops of essential oil and you can start.
Inhalation with salt water is gentler than essential oils. To get the perfect homemade saline solution, dissolve 1 gram of table salt in 100ml of hot water.
Important: asthmatics and children should never be treated with essential oils, as these can cause asthma attacks and even breathing difficulties.
2. Nasal washes to clear the nose
Nasal washing with salt water can also effectively help clean the nose. In this way, pathogens or even pollen are completely eliminated from the nasal cavities.
To easily perform nasal washes at home, here's what to do:
- tilt your head to the side over a sink.
- fill one nostril with lukewarm water and let it flow out of the other.
- if the nose is very congested, try again several times until the mucus is dissolved
- be careful and don't exert too much pressure.
3. Drink lots of water
It may seem trivial, but increasing the daily water dose during a cold helps a lot. If you are able to drink a lot, it will be easier for the body to excrete excess mucus. Peppermint tea, for example, has an expectorant effect due to its high menthol content. Other types of herbal teas can also be effective natural remedies for a blocked nose.
4. The role of Vitamin C
Getting enough vitamin C will make us feel better right away. Although it is not scientifically proven, how and why foods containing vitamin C shorten the duration of the disease, the result is decisive. Therefore, a cup of hot water with lemon and honey is absolutely recommended.
Tip: do not pour boiling water over the lemon and honey, but let it cool briefly, this will prevent the heat from damaging the active ingredients of the ingredients.
5. Garlic and onion to breathe again
It may seem a little strange at first, but there are those who swear by this home remedy: if you have a stuffy nose, you can cut an onion into pieces, put it in an open container and put it next to your bed at night, in the morning. "height of the head.
In addition to onions, you can do the same with fresh garlic. Smelling a freshly cut onion may also be helpful. If the pungent smell of the onion causes a few tears to shed, the smell can loosen the mucus in a blocked nose.
If you can't stand the smell of onions and garlic, you can also put some cotton wool balls soaked in mint essential oil and keep them next to the bed in a container overnight.
6. Keep the nasal mucosa moist
If your nose is often plugged, it may also be due to the environment being too hot or too dry. Making sure about the humidity in the rooms you are in can help counteract this phenomenon. Dry air in a bedroom can be made more pleasant by regularly ventilating the room and hanging wet towels near the heaters.
Taking a warm bath can also relieve a stuffy nose and moisturize the mucous membranes. Especially for colds there are many specific bathroom products that help you breathe freely again. Particularly suitable are those based on mint, eucalyptus, thyme or spruce needles and sea salt.
Important: in case of high blood pressure or fever, it is advisable to refrain from bathing, because the hot bath stimulates circulation and is not good for the body in these conditions.
Better to take a cold bath instead. The water temperature should be between 32 and 36 degrees. Lie in the tub for 15-20 minutes. For a full bath, take a teaspoon of vegetable oil or honey and add a maximum of 10 drops of essential oil, mix well. Since the oils evaporate quickly, add them to the water just before taking a bath.
In place of the oils you can also use herbs for the cold bath, which are a little milder. Boil a liter of water and add 1 fennel tea bag, 1 peppermint tea bag and 1 teaspoon of anise. Leave the infusion in a pot for about 10 minutes. Pour the herbal mixture into the bathtub.
What about nasal sprays?
Nasal sprays with active ingredients such as Oxymetazoline or Xylometazoline have a decongestant effect and therefore help very quickly against a stuffy nose. The effect lasts several hours. However, this type of medication should not be used for more than a week, to avoid even serious damage to the entire nasal cavity.
The reason: if used too often, the nasal mucosa gets used to the drug. The consequence: you get to spray even more frequently and a kind of vicious circle develops. To get rid of that addiction or addiction, the only way to get rid of it is to completely abstain.
Stuffed Nose: When to Go to the Doctor?
In general, a stuffy nose is not a cause for concern. However, if your symptoms do not improve within a week despite medications or home remedies, or if you have fever or sinus pain, you should see a doctor so that they investigate further with a thorough examination.
