The inflamed blood vessels can lead to swelling of the internal tissue lining, and this is known as nasal congestion. When the body is attacked by foreign particles like bacteria, viruses, germs, or dust, the body gets inflamed in that portion in response to that foreign particle. Similarly, when this thing occurs inside the nose, a congestion nasal problem occurs. It is basically the response of the nose to cold allergies, environmental dust particles, allergies, or sinus infections. Here, we will learn about the aspects of nasal congestion- what is nasal congestion, what are the symptoms of nasal congestion, treatments, symptoms, medicines complications, and various other related aspects.
There are different nasal congestion treatments that can be performed at home itself. However, if this problem occurs, it gets treated within a week or so unless the problem gets serious. If the problem lasts more than a week or two, you should go for a medical consultation and treat your problem appropriately.
Nasal Congestion Symptoms
The nasal congestion problem has multiple symptoms, and some of the important ones are listed below.
- Stuffy and runny irritating nose.
- Sneezing
- Loss of smell.
- Itchy nose.
What Causes Nasal Congestion?
The most common nasal congestion causes are listed below.
- Sinus infection.
- Flu
- Common Cold.
- Environmental dust particles.
- Allergic reactions.
Flu and the common cold are indeed widespread, and they are caused due to the spreading of the viruses in the air. When people sneeze or cough, they spread the virus, which is then transmitted to different other people. Since these viruses irritate the nasal passage, they cause inflammation of the nasal lining and lead to severe nasal congestion.
Sinus is another common nasal congestion cause. Sinus happens over a period due to fluid accumulation in the sinus. This fluid can also lead to the growth of bacteria and viruses, thereby irritating the nose to a greater extent.
Apart from these, several other causes can lead to a congested nasal problem.
- Inflammation might take place inside your nose when allergens enter your nose.
- If your body does not suit the nasal congestion spray, it can lead to swelling of the blood vessels inside the nose and result in further congestion.
- Polyps are non-cancerous inflammations inside the nose. It might grow and result in a nasal blockage.
- Pregnancy is a major nasal congestion cause. Pregnant women might face nasal congestion during their pregnancy phase. It can happen due to the increase of fluids inside the body due to pregnancy which can lead to the inflammation of the nasal lining.
How to Alleviate Nasal Congestion?
The cause of the nasal congestion issue determines how the problem will be treated. So many options can help treat nasal congestion and let us see them in detail.
- Doctors recommend oral or topical antibiotics as congestion nasal medicine if the cause is any bacterial infection.
- Corticosteroid nasal congestion spray.
- Medications for the thinning of mucus.
- Immunotherapy and corrective surgery.
Home Remedies for Nasal Congestion
There are some ways that you can also try at your home to clear your nasal congestion. Some of them are:
- Keeping yourself hydrated all the time.
- Bathing under warm water.
- Inhaling hot water vapor by keeping a towel overhead.
- Maintaining an elevated head level while sleeping at night.
- Consuming over-the-counter medications as a treatment for nasal congestion.
- A nasal rinse is an effective home remedial treatment option for congested congestion.
- If you have a sinus problem and facing pains in certain areas, you can apply the cold compress for treating nasal congestion.
- Sometimes, immunity-boosting supplements like zinc sulfate, Vitamin C, echinacea, and geranium extract can help treat chronic nasal congestion.
What are the Risk Factors Involved with Nasal Congestion?
If you leave chronic nasal congestion untreated for a very long time, it can lead to severe problems and can lead to more severe conditions.
- Polyps: Polyps can become serious if it grows in size. Although they are non-cancerous but nasal polyps can lead to problems in breathing.
- Unknown allergies are another risk which is related to untreated nasal congestion.
- Non-allergic rhinopathy is a condition when an outside triggering impulse, which is not any kind of allergen, can lead to symptoms like dizziness, coughing, and runny nose. Triggers for non-allergic rhinopathy include dust particles in the air, intense emotions, pollution, strong odors, or any kind of medication.
- Inherited problems can also lead to complications.
- Inherited disorders.
- A weak immune system of the body.
Sometimes, a long-term nasal congestion problem can also lead to various other issues in your daily life. Some of them are:
- Problems in concentrating on a particular thing.
- Challenges with sleep like sleep apnea. In this issue, you might face difficulty breathing while sleeping at night.
- A feeling of depression or fogginess.
- Problems in breathing through the nose.
If the symptoms and complications of nasal congestion increase, then you must contact a physician or your family doctor soon for a nasal congestion remedy.
How does a Nasal Congestion Problem gets Triggered?
There are many external agents which can trigger the nasal congestion issue. The nose is the first thing that faces all the harmful dust particles and allergens when it comes to protecting your body. Your nose tackles all the dirt and dust particles that come toward you. When these intruders enter your nose, there are tiny hairs on the inner lining of your nose, which, to protect your hair, send them to the nostrils. This is when your internal system reacts against the outside intruders, and in reaction to them, you sneeze.
Sneezing is among the common nasal congestion symptoms, which eliminates all the external intruders from your nose. When the inner lining of your nose cannot receive and react to all the intruders coming towards you, it begins to get inflamed and swells up. During this time, your nose starts releasing mucus that is done to wash away all the dust particles and allergens from your nose. The mucus and your swollen nasal tissue work together to block your nose from the entry of external invaders. This is when you begin to face difficulty and face problems in breathing.
Are there any Tests to Get Rid of Nasal Congestion?
When you visit a doctor to seek a remedy for nasal congestion, they will most likely request you to go for an allergy or infection test.
- Allergy tests can be done using your skin. The doctor will put allergens on your body to check its reaction against your skin. Besides, allergy tests can also be performed using a blood test.
- Blood tests can be done to test bacteria, viruses, and other chronic nasal congestion.
- Endoscopy is done where a thin tube, attached to a camera, is inserted inside your body through a natural opening to check for any complications in your internal system or the organs.
- Sputum or mucus culture can be done.
- Sinus and chest X-rays.
- Throat culture.
When to Visit a Doctor for a Congested Nasal Problem?
Sometimes, it becomes crucial to go to the healthcare providers for solutions to your infected nasal congestion.
- Swelling of cheeks, eyes, forehead, or on the side of the nose.
- A hazy vision.
- Any kind of throat ache or yellow or white spots on your throat.
- An unusual discharge from your nose that is neither white nor yellow.
- Discharge from only one side of your nose.
- A head injury with a nasal discharge.
- Numbness of the forehead or your cheek.
- Fever and persistent nosebleeds.
How to Prevent Nasal Congestion Problems?
There are several nasal congestion causes. You might not be able to relieve the condition, but you can reduce the frequency of the occurrence.
- If you have problems with specific seasons, ask your doctor about seasonal allergies. Study about them and know how to prevent them or take precautions against that kind of allergens.
- Protect yourself from common illnesses like the flu and the common cold.
- You can try essential oils for Sinus Congestion
Summing it Up
A nasal congestion problem occurs when the inner lining of your nose gets inflamed and blocked to protect the allergens from entering inside. Some of the nasal congestion symptoms include an itchy nose, runny nose, headaches, sneezing, and sometimes loss of smell. Sinus pain, flu, and the common cold are the most common nasal congestion causes, and however, they can be easily treated with home remedies for nasal congestion.
However, there are some complications. Suppose your congested nasal problem includes head swelling, severe headache, prolonged nasal discharge, hazy vision, non-white and non-yellow nasal discharge, or prolonged fever. In that case, you should contact your general physician to get yourself treated. Leaving them untreated for a long can lead to severe complications.
