Make a tea with mint leaves and regular black or green tea. Inhale the fragrance of mint into the nose. Then, drink the tea. It should relieve nasal congestion in children and adults. Mint soothes the lining of the nose which might have been irritated by dust, pollen or any such material.
Take a clean handkerchief. Put 3 - 5 drops of peppermint essential oil. Then keep it close to your nose. Inhaling from this handkerchief relieves a nasal congestion in no time. The smell stays strong for hours, so you don't have to put peppermint essential oil for like 4 hours. It works for many people.
It doesn't get better than this. Vapor rub is a powerful home remedy against any kind of congestion. For nasal congestion, apply a small amount just beneath the nose and at the base of nostrils. Do not apply it up close to the eyes. The menthol in it will lead to tears falling like an ocean. It stings in the eye.
But, when close to the nose, it cools the incoming air. This subsides swollen blood vessels. As space is created inside the nostrils, air begins to seep in and person experiences considerable relief.
4. Humidifier
A major component of air is its water content or humidity. When the air is too dry, protective lining inside the nose feels the pressure. Similarly, very high humidity is also problematic. One can install a humidifier. Its an appliance which regulates humidity in home environment.
Set the humidifier at a humidity level at which you are comfortable. This makes air more tolerable to the sensitive nerve fibers inside the nose.
( Photo credit : easement )
5. Carom seeds
Put a handful of carom seeds in 2 glasses of water. Boil this water and strain out the liquid. Drink this when lukewarm. Carom seeds are really helpful in reducing nasal inflammation.
6. Warm Compress
You can create a warm compress using a heated sock or a washcloth dipped in warm water. Apply it on your cheeks and over the nose. This helps in draining the sinuses which provides nasal congestion relief.
7. Nasal Irrigation
Performing a nasal rinse is a great way to unclog a nose. It works almost every time. However, you cannot do it every now and then.
- Ingredients
Neti pot
Distilled and pure water ( boil it again )
Salt
- Directions / How to use
Add some salt to water and then boil it. This kills all the pathogens. Then perform nasal rinse using neti pot. Keep a towel below you to catch all the discharge. Do not plug at the nostril, let it drain. This provides instant relief from nasal congestion.
Caution - Make absolutely sure that the water you are using in this home remedy is clean and sterilized. If contaminated water is used, then it can carry infection to the sinuses, which is jeopardising your health.
( Photo credit : data_op )
8. Eat Raisins
Munching down a handful of raisins seems to do the trick for many people. It is simple and nutritious as well. Raisins are good source of Iron. You have the option of eating sun dried raisins, or the wind dried raisins.
( Photo credit : stuart_spivack )
9. Take Some Cold Air
If the weather outside is cold, and a breeze is blowing, then only it works. And this is the remedy I go to all the time.
Well, for me, nasal congestion probably occurs because of low oxygen content air inside. As soon as I step outside, and the weather is not hot and sultry, it helps.
In fact, cold actually helps to constrict blood vessels, allowing the severe nasal congestion to subside. It is counter intuitive though, that excessively cold and dry air on the other hand can worsen it.
So, just give it a shot. Opening the windows would not do it. You need to soak it all in.
( Photo credit : pavdw )
10. Tomato Tea ( what's this ?
One can use tomato to make warm tomato soup or a nice tomato tea. Tomato in this form helps in nasal congestion.
The Tomato Tea recipe
This is how you should prepare tomato tea.
- Ingredients
Tomato juice
Water
Garlic
lemons
Chili pepper
- Directions / How to use
Add 1/2 cup tomato juice to about 500 ml water. Then start boiling the water with constant stirring. Then add juice of 2 lemons, 4 garlic cloves crushed and 1 teaspoon chili pepper (yep, its going to be spicy ). Keep stirring the liquid till it starts to become a little creamy. That's it, the tomato tea is made. It is tart, spicy and it opens up congestion like nothing else !
Drink your tomato tea to good health.
( Photo credit : T Tseng )
11. Garlic smell
Garlic has an uncanny smell. Take just 1 clove of garlic. Slice it into 2 equal pieces. Hold the sliced section close to the nose and inhale this smell. It helps in opening up a congested nose.
12. Eliminate milk consumption
Many times, people can develop nasal congestion due to milk. Children particularly are quite prone to milk related issues. Milk leads to production of more phlegm too. If an elimination of milk improves the condition, then it means that the person is not able to tolerate milk properly. However, other milk products like buttermilk, yogurt, butter and cheese are generally well tolerated and do not normally play a role in nasal congestion.
Apparently, in many cases, the allergy is only to cow's milk. So, if you have nasal congestion due to cow's milk, you can still drink goat or buffalo milk, if you like. Or try milk alternatives like soy milk, rice milk, nut milk etc.
13. Do Some Exercise
Performing some cardio or weight training can pump blood better throughout the body. When the body is in larger need of blood, it drains away excess blood pooling in the nostrils. This way, the swelling and congestion fade away.
Caution - Avoid exercising in very cold environment. It can lead to exercise induced asthma, which can worsen nasal and sinus congestion instead.
14. The Black Pepper Sniff
Put half a teaspoon of powdered black pepper in your palm. Now, sniff it with one nostril, keeping the other closed. This triggers strong, involuntary sneezing which relieved nasal congestion for some time.
In some people, this remedy may backfire as it actually irritates the nostrils. So, take your chance. If it works, then you have got a home remedy for nasal congestion that literally takes seconds to perform.
15. Pillow Power
Take a clean cotton cloth. Pour just 2 drops of lavender oil and 1 drop of eucalyptus oil on the cloth. Place it behind the pillow so that it at least a foot away from the face of the person. Over night, he or she would inhale the vapours of these essential oils. This treatment can be done during the time of cold to get lot of relief from nasal congestion.
It induces sleep as well, so you kill two birds with a pack of lavender oil.
16. Lemongrass tea
Most of us have seen this herb. Lemongrass is used as a flavoring agent for tea. Make lemongrass tea and drink it everyday to get relief from nasal congestion.
Nasal congestion relief is a major objective for many people who suffer from chronic congestion. It is often worse at night, right at the time when you lay in the bed for sleep. This is frustrating and interferes with sleep. People with chronic nasal congestion can understand the irritation it gives you when you have been trying to sleep without being able to take in air through the nose. Finally, people give up and start breathing through the mouth, which puts the respiratory tract vulnerable to infections.
Causes of chronic nasal congestion are sinusitis, long standing cold and anatomical causes like a deviated septum or enlarged adenoids. These things need medical treatment.
Nasal congestion is a big concern in infants. In some kids, nasal congestion seems to be chronic in nature. One can also try some
remedies for stuffy nose . However, much long lasting relief can be obtained by using these more powerful home remedies for severe nasal congestion.
Nasal congestion in a toddler can be relieved by giving him or her a steam bath. You can also use the Garlic smell. Make sure that the baby gets quality natural air with the right humidity, not too high and not too low. If there are symptoms of any other condition, then take the toddler to a doctor.
