What Is a Stuffy Nose?
A stuffy nose is a full feeling in your nose or face, and you may have fluid running from your nose or down your throat. Many things can cause a stuffy nose, ranging from a cold or flu to irritants in the air like smoke or dust. But there may not be a known cause of your runny nose. Doctors call this nonallergic rhinitis or vasomotor rhinitis.
How to Get Rid of a Stuffy Nose
From chicken soup to neti pots to over-the-counter (OTC) medications, there are all sorts of ways to help clear a stuffy nose. Call your doctor if you've been congested for more than two weeks. If not, use these tips to breathe easier.
Nasal wash
Rinse the inside of your nose with a nasal irrigation kit or neti pot to soften, loosen, and wash out mucus and instantly relieve your stuffy head. A neti pot looks like a mini teapot. You can buy it at your local drugstore. While you're there, pick up some saline solution. Or make it yourself at home. Mix 1 cup of warm bottled, distilled water, a pinch of baking soda, and half a teaspoon of salt. Use the nasal wash one to two times a day for best results.
Steam
Steam, whether from a hot shower or a piping hot cup of tea, can thin mucus and help it drain from your nose. For faster stuffy nose relief, pour boiling water into a large bowl. Cover your head with a towel, lean over the bowl, and breathe in the steam. Repeat three to four times a day.
Chicken soup
Hot broths, like chicken soup, are a long-time stuffy nose remedy. They can help loosen mucus and make you feel less stuffy. But chicken soup is a short-term remedy that briefly eases symptoms, not a cure.
Devices
A bioelectronic sinus device is available OTC to ease sinus pain and congestion. It uses microcurrents on nerve fibers to help reduce symptoms of inflammation, such as pain, headache, and congestion.
Decongestants
Why do you feel stuffy when you're sick? Because the blood vessels inside your nose swell and block your airways. OTC decongestants can shrink these vessels and help you breathe easier. Check the label for the ingredients phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine. Decongestant nasal sprays work the same way. But be careful! Your nose can get even stuffier if you use them for more than four or five days in a row. Sometimes, these products can make you nervous or irritable.
Peppermint
Peppermint and its main active ingredient, menthol, are natural decongestants and may even thin out the gunk in your chest. You'll find them in many chest rubs and cough drops. You can also drink peppermint tea. Buy it from the store or make your own: Steep one teaspoon of dried peppermint in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Drink a cup up to five times a day.
Best Medicine for Stuffy Nose
The best medicine to clear a stuffy nose is a nasal decongestant. You can buy them at your local pharmacy in two forms: a decongestant alone or one combined with a pain reliever, antihistamine, or both. Nasal decongestants include:
- Afrin® Nasal Spray, Zicam® Nasal Spray (oxymetazoline)
- Sudafed 12/24 Hour®, Children's Sudafed Nasal Decongestant® (pseudoephedrine)
Combination nasal decongestants include:
- Advil Cold and Sinus® (ibuprofen and pseudoephedrine)
- Claritin-D® (loratadine and pseudoephedrine)
- Tylenol Sinus Severe Congestion Daytime® (acetaminophen, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine)
- Zyrtec-D® (cetirizine and pseudoephedrine)
Newborn Stuffy Nose Treatment
If your baby has a stuffy nose, here are some steps you can take to give them relief:
- Use a couple of drops of a saline nose solution in each nostril to clear away mucus, then use a rubber suction bulb.
- Use a humidifier or sit with your baby in a warm shower.
- Wipe away mucus with a wet cotton swab.
Stuffy Nose At Night: What to Do
Daytime triggers can lead to a stuffy nose at night. They include:
- Pollen
- Pet dander
- Dust
- Mold and fungi
- Cigarette, stove, or fireplace smoke
- Cleaning products
- Car fumes
- Scented products
Changes in blood flow when you lie down can worsen nasal congestion. Try elevating your head with a couple of pillows to relieve a stuffy nose at night.
Stuffy Nose and Sore Throat
If you have a stuffy nose and a sore throat, these could be symptoms of a common cold, the flu, or COVID-19. Visit your doctor to get a diagnosis and treatment plan, which could include prescription and OTC medication. They also probably suggest rest and drinking plenty of liquid.
Stuffy Nose and Headache
Many conditions can cause a stuffy nose with a headache, including an infection of the sinuses (sinusitis), a cold, COVID-19, allergies, respiratory syncytial virus, an ear infection, migraine, and nasal polyps. Schedule an appointment with your doctor to help pinpoint what's causing your symptoms and the best treatment.
Takeaways
A stuffy nose is a feeling of fullness in the nose or face, often with mucus running from the nose or down the throat. It can be caused by colds, the flu, allergies, or irritants like smoke and dust, and sometimes, there is no clear cause (called nonallergic rhinitis). To relieve a stuffy nose, try nasal washes with a neti pot, inhaling steam, eating chicken soup, or using decongestants. OTC medicines like Sudafed or nasal sprays can also help, but avoid using nasal sprays for more than a few days.
