When blowing your nose, do it gently, otherwise you risk damaging the delicate nasal/sinus tissues and/or rupturing a small blood vessel. Always use a soft tissue while blowing as it will prevent irritation, redness and chafing from occurring on the end of your nose and around your nostrils. Alternatively, consider blowing your nose into a sink without using tissue. While bending over your bathroom sink, cover one nostril and blow, then switch and do the other side. Wash the sink out when you’re finished.
Boil an electric kettle on the floor and sit in a chair next to it with a towel draped over your head. Bend over and position yourself so the steam rises up into your face and try to take deep breaths through your nose for between five to 10 minutes. Alternatively, take a long hot shower and breath in the warm humidity through your stuffed up nose while facing away from the water. After about 10 minutes, try blowing your nose a few times. You can also get some sinus relief by placing a warm, steamy facecloth over your face for a few minutes or until the cloth cools down. Although not as quick, placing a humidifier in your room at night can help decongest your nasal passages because healthy mucus membranes are meant to be moist.
Boil some distilled water and then add some sea salt while it is cooling down (about a teaspoon of salt per 8-ounces of water and maybe a pinch of baking soda too). Add the saline mixture to an empty, clean spray bottle. While holding your head back, spray the saline solution into your nostrils then snort it up into your nasal passages. This may cause you to sneeze. Give two to three sprays per nostril and repeat three to five times daily until the congestion fades away. If you have a sore throat in conjunction with the nasal congestion, then spray the saline solution into the back of your throat.
Once the Neti pot is filled with warm saline solution, tilt your head sideways over the sink at a 45º angle and place the spout into your top (higher) nostril. Gently pour the solution into that nostril and let it drain out the other side. Spit out any solution that runs into your throat and then blow your nose before doing the other side. Neti pot nasal irrigation can be done three to five times daily, just make sure to thoroughly clean it after every use. The Neti pot has been used for centuries in India and Asia, but its becoming much more popular in the U. S. As such, it can now be found at most drugstores and pharmacies. Always use filtered or distilled water in your Neti pot. If you use tap water, you must boil and/or filter it before use.
Approximately three to four drops of concentrated menthol, eucalyptus or camphor oil added to a humidifier is usually enough to last a few hours or so. The closer you are to the spout/vapor, the more effective it will be for relieving your congestion. Other plant-based aromatherapy products to consider for sinus congestion are rosemary, peppermint or lemongrass.
For appropriate dosages, read labels carefully. Ask the pharmacist or your doctor is you’re unsure about dosages. Decongestants also tend to dry out the mucus membranes of your nasal passages and sinuses, so make sure to drink lots of water — aim for eight 8-ounce glasses daily. Decongestants can cause some unwanted side effects such as insomnia (trouble getting to sleep), increased blood pressure, headaches and sinus pain.
Do not drive or operate heavy machinery when you take antihistamines that cause drowsiness, such as brompheniramine (Dimetapp Allergy, Nasahist B), chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), clemastine (Dayhist, Tavist) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl). If you don’t want to get drowsy, then consider using desloratadine (Clarinex), fexofenadine (Allegra) or loratadine (Alavert, Claritin) instead. [9] X Research source For best results, antihistamines should be taken before congestion from an allergic reaction gets well established. The sooner the better.
Corticosteroid sprays work best when used every day, without interruption, for a preset number of days (such as one to two weeks). Nasal corticosteroid sprays are considered safe for all adults, but not all are recommended for children, so make sure to ask your doctor. Corticosteroids can lead to a variety of side effects, such as: dryness, burning or stinging in the nasal passages, sneezing, nosebleeds, throat irritation, headaches and increased risk of sinus infections.
