Five Stuffy Nose Home Remedies

No one likes having a stuffy nose. While not a serious condition, being unable to breathe air in through your nostrils can be downright annoying. When you have a stuffy nose, you have to breathe through your mouth, which could cause dry, chapped lips. And, for some people, having a stuffy nose can make it hard to sleep at night.

What causes a stuffy nose? Cold and ‘flu are the first things that probably come to mind. But a stuffy nose can be caused by many other things, like allergies, physical exertion, stress, and air pollution. Some medications, like diuretics, birth control pills, and even nasal decongestants (when used for more than two or three days) can cause a stuffy nose.

Steam will unclog a stuffy nose.

One way to relieve a stuffy nose is with steam. Steam from a shower, a kettle, or even a cup of chicken soup can help. But, if you really want to get rid of your stuffy nose, try this method.

Boil a pot of water, and remove the pot from the stove. Drape a towel over your head, and then lean over the pot. The towel will form a tent over your head and the pot that will concentrate the steam. This should unclog your stuffy nose in about ten or fifteen minutes. But don’t lean your face too close to the hot water, or you might risk scalding your skin. And, if things feel too hot under the towel, let the water cool off for a minute or two.

Soothe your stuffy nose with aromatherapy.

You can use essential oils to help relieve a stuffy nose. When using the steam method above, you can add two or three drops of eucalyptus oil to the water. Adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil to a humidifier, vaporizer, or diffuser can also help your stuffy nose.

What you drink can affect your stuffy nose.

Drinking fluids like water, tea or juice will thin mucus, which will help alleviate your stuffy nose. But avoid beverages that contain caffeine, because they will only make your stuffy nose worse.

Try breathing strips to unclog your stuffy nose.