7 Home Remedies to Get Rid of a Stuffy Nose + Essential Oils

Nasal congestion is a medical condition where you have trouble while breathing. Nose stuffing with mucus is generally the result of cold virus infection. It increases the mucus secretion inside nose as virus infects the natural secretion process. You might find best medicine for stuffy nose over the counter which can be ointment or nasal drops. While you can always find some natural ingredients in your kitchen to clear stuffy nose with home remedies.

Why you should consider to clear up stuffy nose fast? because if you leave it untreated for long time, then you are risking your self to get sore throat with frequent coughing. The virus can cause ear infection by travelling from blood vessels. Hence either go to a doctor or take natural remedies as first aid to relieve a stuffy nose instantly. The effects of such home treatments will show results according to your health condition. If you are having a really stuffy nose which is running down your lips then you must act fast.
Common cold or seasonal allergies are major causes of blocked nose, sore throat, throat pain and headaches. Worst stuffiness comes when you have inflamed sinuses and nasal passage which makes you sniffle and snuffle. Such seasonal allergies will persist until you inhibit virus infection from spreading. Keep your self clean and avoid sneezing in public.

7 Home Remedies To Get Rid of Stuffy Nose Fast

How to Get Rid of a Stuffy Nose

Home remedies are excellent in clearing nasal congestion by removing mucus and reducing its secretion rate significantly. Here are some simple yet effect ways to get rid of a stuffy nose at home.

1. Saline Drops

When you mix water and common salt then you made the best remedy to clear stuffy nose fast. Yes saline drops are an excellent way to clean nasal passage from mucous and reduce sinuses inflammation. Salt is potent anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial natural agent. It can inhibit virus from spreading to more people and shrink them and kill them to help you breathe better(1).
Saline solutions are best remedy because it trigger osmosis effect. When you increase the salt accumulation on one part of tissue then water is passed to another side to maintain the balance. This process stops virus and heal inflammation and runny nose.
Hot to make Saline Drops to relieve a stuffy nose

• You need 1 tablespoon of sea salt and distilled water.
• If distilled water is not available then boil one cup of water for 5 minutes and use it once cooled down.
• Boiling will remove impurities from the tap water.
• Add 2 teaspoon of sea salt in one cup of water.
• Stir well until the salt is completely dissolved.
• Blow as much mucous as you can before taking saline drops.
• Fill a sterile dropper with this saline water.
• Put the dropper head in your nostril, make sure not to stuff it to deep.
• Put 2-3 drops inside your nasal passage and keep it for 10 minutes.
• It might sting initially and after 10 minutes blow your nose.
• Repeat this twice a day. Try taking this treatment once before going to bed so that it can work overnight for fast results.

2. Steam Decongestant

Clearing your sinuses will help you in getting rid of stuffy nose. Loosening mucous with steam therapy help you get instant relief and prevent swelling inside your nose. It works as a decongestant for nasal passage. One can use essential oils or natural herb like chamomile to prepare the steamy bowl of home cure(2).
How to make steam decongestant

• Fill a big bowl with hot steaming water and add 2 tablespoon of chamomile herb leaves.
• Use dried leaves of chamomile herb.
• Cover the bowl for 2 minutes then place your head above the bowl.
• Inhale the steam regular throughout the day to get relief from moving mucous.
• Do this twice a day  or when ever you start feeling trouble in breathing.
• Pick essential oil such as tea tree oil or oil of oregano for their health benefits.

3. Homemade Humidifier for Stuffy Nose

Keeping moisture in the air helps you flush out nostril to reduce stuffiness. If you don’t have industry grade humidifier, then we can make it At-Home with simple tricks. Make sure to keep them away from children to avoid burns. Humidifiers can be a boon for you to clear stuffy nose and help you with discomfort associated with nasal congestion. It works as decongestant and reduces inflamed sinuses or inner nose bridge swelling(3).
How to make humidifier at home for stuffy nose

• Fill a pot with water and bring it to boil.
• Open the pot cap and let the vapor mix with room air.
• Keep heating the pot once vapor stops coming out.
• This is an excellent way to get rid of nose congestion.
• Keep the homemade humidifier in your room for few hours or in evening hours.
• Do this until your breathing becomes normal.

4. Warm Compress

Steam and humidifier help loosen mucous so that you can blow your nose to get relief from stuffiness. While warm compress on nose can be an excellent alternative. Warm compress will help you reduce symptoms such as inflamed nostril or congestion caused by moving mucous(4).
How to perform

• Soak hand towel in warm water and squeeze out extra water.
• Place it over your nose and cover it entirely.
• Hold for 1 minute then blow your nose and remove mucous.
• Repeat this 3 times a day for best results.
• Alternatively, you can add 5 drops or oil of oregano in warm water.
• Soak towel in this warm water and compress it over stuffy nose.

5. Nasal Irrigation

You can use nasal irrigation with saline water to make mucous thin and flush them out to get relief from stuffiness of nose(5). It wash away the mucous, irritants, bacterial colonies and dirt from your nostril, making more space inside for air passage. It relieve a blocked nose and also prevent welling of sinuses.
How to do nasal irrigation to relieve a stuffy nose

• You will need two ounce of saline water and a neti pot.
• To make saline solution, mix 2 teaspoons of sea salt with one cup of water (two ounce).
• Fill your neti pot with saline water and stand in front of a sink.
• To clear sinuses, tilt your head and using neti pot, put saline solution from upper nostril and let it flush out from other nostril.
• It might sting as saline water will trigger osmosis effect inside your nose.
• Change the side and fill your nostril with solution and let it drain from other nostril.
• Do this 2 times and then rinse irrigate your nose with clean water with neti pot.
• Repeat this 2 times a day to get rid of really stuffyy nose.

6. Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper is highly effective natural remedy for stuffy nose and blocked sinuses. The capsaicin, an active compound found in cayenne pepper is natural decongestant. Due to its presence it relieve blocked nose and provide relief from stuffiness caused by nasal congestion.
It cure symptoms like inflammation of sinuses, thick mucous accumulation and discomfort caused by not able to breathe properly.
How to use cayenne pepper for stuffiness of blocked nostril

• Mix 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder with 2 teaspoon of honey.
• Put this cream on a plate and sniff it 5-10 times.
• It induces runny nose to flush out mucous from nostril.
• Alternatively, you can eat this paste 4 times a day.
• Spicy nature of cayenne pepper induces running nose, blow it out one it started.
• It might cause burning sensation inside stomach.
• To sooth stomach burning sensation, drink half cup of milk after 30 minutes of eating cayenne paste.
• Do this daily until your stuffiness and runny nose stops.

7. Hot Shower

Taking hot shower can help you relieve a stuffy nose and prevent them from spreading it to more people. Hot shower thins mucous which you can blow out easily. The warmness also soothes inflamed sinuses and reduce swelling of nostril. If you are having slight fever or headache due to nasal congestion then hot shower will also take of such symptoms.

Hot Shower for Stuffy Nose

• After using any home remedy from above list simply take a hot shower.
• Make sure to set the temperature to be warm enough to produce steam.
• Don’t use a temperature which can burn your skin.
• Alternatively, you can fill your bathtub with warm water and soak your body inside.
• Stay inside the warm water tub for 10-15 minutes then take a hot shower.
• Do this daily as addition alternative trick to increase healing speed.

Essential Oils for Stuffy Nose

Essential oils are boon to mankind as they just don’t make your food tasty but also cures many ailments caused by bacterial or virus(6). Here are some essential oils which can help you with runny and congested nose.

8. Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Eucalyptus oil is an essential oil used in Ayurvedic medicines to cure virus and bacterial colonies from our respiratory system. The oil is extracted from eucalyptus tree leaves using cold compress method. It’s vapor can reduce swelling of nasal lining and sinuses to help you breath easier than before.
Hot to use eucalyptus essential oil for stuffy nose relief

• Take one bowl of hot steaming water.
• Add 10 drops of eucalyptus oil and stir well.
• Put your head above the wall and cover this posture with towel.
• Inhale eucalyptus oil vapor to soothe moving mucous.
• Repeat this 2 times a day to help with feeling of stuffiness while breathing.

9. Tea tree oil

Nasal congestion caused due to allergies rhinitis or virus infection can be treated by tea tree oil. This essential oil is powerful antiviral, antibiotic, and strong natural astringent agent. It kills sinuses infection and reduce inflammation of nostril lining. It helps you fight back from seasonal allergies and cold viruses.
How to perform therapy

• We are again using the steam therapy.
• Mix 10 drops of tea tree essential oil in one bowl of hot water.
• Inhale the steam coming out  from the bowl.
• Repeat this remedy 2 times a day for fast healing.

10. Oregano oil

Commonly known as oil of oregano is an essential oil, used to clear stuffy nose fast. This essential oil has anti-inflammatory properties which can sooth inflamed sinuses and thins mucous. You an blow you nose to get relief from stuffiness and problem of breathing at once.
How to use it

• Mix 15 drops of oil of oregano in hot water bowl and inhale the vapor.
• It will induce runny nose and flush out mucous from nostril.
• Alternatively, you can add 5 drops of oil or oregano in one cup of saline solution.
• Use neti pot for nasal irrigation to clear blocked and stuffy nose.
• Do this remedy daily until your condition improves.

How to sleep with a stuffy nose

Sleeping with blocked and nasal congestion is tough as you can breath properly. This sniffling and snuffling feeling don’t let your sleep at all. There is only one way to sleep while having stuffy nose it to blow mucous out of nostrils.
The best alternative for that it to take hot shower before going to bed. Hot shower will sooth your sinus and thins mucous. Lose moving mucous can be easily blown out.
If you have really stuff nose caused due inflamed sinus then try to use thick pillow. Place a thick and high pillow below your head to get proper breathing. If your one nostril is blocked while other is not, then sleep on the other side. Sleeping on opposite side of blocked one nostril will help you breathe easily.

Why is my nose always stuffy

If you are suffering  from recurring stuffy nose then you might have some sinus problem or weak immune. To understand the reason behind frequent stuffiness you must know what causes stuffy nose in first place.

Causes of a Stuffy Nose

• Viral infection: cold viruses are common for secretion of excess mucous inside nostril to block your breath. If your immune is weak then you may have recurring blockage of nostril preventing you from breathing freely.
• Atrophic Rhinitis: This is a medical condition where you suffer from thinning and hardening of mucous membrane. Such changes can block your nostril and prevent air passage. As a result you sense something is stuck inside your nose.
• Allergic Rhinitis: Seasonal allergies are strange as there can be many reason for you to get caught by such ailments. Allergic rhinitis occurs when your body(immune system) overreacts the inhaling of not harmful substances such as pollen. It can cause nasal congestion, itchy eyes, headaches, cough, fever, and upset stomach. You can try check out our list of home remedies for allergic rhinitis to know best cures and home treatments.

If you can figure out what is causing your nasal congestion then you will know the reason behind your stuffy nose. You might have used vapor rubs to clear nostril but basically they don’t provide relief from nasal congestion. If your stuffiness persist for more than 2 weeks then immediately consult a doctor for proper diagnosis. Try some best and effective essential oils and natural home remedies to get rid of stuffy nose fast. Share your home treatments in comments with us.

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