Nasal congestion or impaired nasal breathing

Nasal congestion (impaired nasal breathing) is the symptom of mucous accumulation in the nasal cavity.

Often, other symptoms occur, such as:

Contents

What are the causes of nasal congestion?

Allergic reactions
Allergic 
reactions lead to:

  • increased blood circulation,
  • swelling of the mucous membranes,
  • impaired nasal breathing,
  • Itching.

Climate change is one of the main causes of these nasal complaints, especially the transition from cold to warm (spring).
In this case, nasal congestion can last for more than a month and often persists throughout the day.

Non-allergic rhinitis
This disease is an inflammation of the mucous membrane in the nasal passages without allergy and other recognizable causes.
Symptoms include:

  • impaired nasal breathing,
  • runny nose,
  • itching,
  • Sneeze.

Like allergic rhinitis, this condition can become recurrent (always recurring), but without treatment, symptoms do not improve over time.

Cold and influenza
Every time a cold or influenza makes itself felt, the following may occur:

  • sore throat,
  • nasal congestion.

The cause is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract.
As with an allergy, the immune system responds to the infection by releasing histamines into the blood.
The consequences are:

  • dilation of blood vessels,
  • Infection of the nasal mucous membranes.

Nasal congestion without a cold

Many people grow up with nasal congestion in the morning, even if they don’t have a cold.
In some cases, the nose remains closed throughout the morning or even throughout the day.
Possible reasons for this are:

  • sinusitis (sinusitis),
  • nasal septum curvature (septal deviation),
  • Nutrition.

Acute and chronic sinusitis
A bacterial infection of the paranasal sinuses is a cause of nocturnal nasal congestion.
Usually, acute sinusitis is accompanied by runny nose.
Symptoms include:

  • headache – especially in the forehead area,
  • feeling of pressure,
  • Mucus formation.

These symptoms may worsen after:

  • rapid head movements,
  • Activities such as swimming training.

Septal deviation
A constantly closed nose is often caused by a structural anomaly. A handicappednasal breath caused by the nasal septum may affect only one or both nostrils.
Other structural problems that can cause chronic obstructed nasal breathing include:

Nutrition and diet
Many people do not know what effect diet has on our body and think that it only affects intestinal activities.
According to various theories of natural medicine, diet is the cause of the problem.
If the nose is blocked in the morning, you should consider which foods you have eaten the night before.
According to hygienists Shelton and Ehret, excessive mucus is caused by a diet rich in:

  • meat and animal protein,
  • milk and dairy products,
  • processed foods (desserts, sauces, etc.),
  • stimulating drinks (tea and coffee).

According to this theory, the nose becomes clear again when the diet is based on:

  • Potatoes
  • Fruit
  • Vegetable
  • nuts and almonds.

According to the blood type diet, some foods may cause symptoms in people of a certain blood type, but may be harmless to others.
Regardless of the blood group, the nose can basically become congested when consuming:

  • gluten-containing cereals (bread, pasta, pizza, biscuits, etc.),
  • milk and dairy products,
  • Pork.

Other causes of nasal congestion

Drug side effect
This cause is especially true in adults.
Some medicines can:

  • change blood circulation,
  • increase blood flow in the vessels.

This causes inflammation of the nasal mucosa, increased mucus formation and congestion of the nasal passages.

Psychosomatic meaning
Psychologists say that a stuffy nose and a runny nose indicate the need for crying.

Nasal congestion in children

Nasal congestion in children can be caused by:

  • cold,
  • Influenza
  • allergic rhinitis (hay fever),
  • narrowed nasal passages,
  • sinusitis,
  • exposure of irritants,
  • vasomotor rhinitis,
  • excessive use of some nasal sprays and nasal drops.

Infants have an undeveloped immune system. That is why they are more susceptible to colds.
In the first year of life, children have 4 to 10 times cold episodes.

Is nasal congestion dangerous?

In the first months of a child’s life, nasal congestion affects the following:

  1. Nutrition
  2. rest period (the child snores),
  3. Hearing
  4. Language.

Nasal congestion in infants should not be underestimated, as it can lead to serious breathing disorders.
It is usually not a serious problem, but obstructed nasal breathing can cause an ear infection (otitis) or pneumonia.

If the child suffers from a runny nose and a runny nose, it should be checked whether there are other symptoms that require immediate treatment.

Take the child to the doctor in the following cases:

  1. fever above 39°,
  2. for red and swollen eyes,
  3. if dizziness occurs,
  4. dry or productive cough for over a week,
  5. in case of blood admixtures in mucus.

Nose always closed in the morning

Experts believe that nasal congestion in the morning is caused by untreated sinusitis.

The human skull has small air-filled chambers called sinuses, which are located in the following places:

  1. behind the forehead,
  2. above the upper jaw,
  3. around eyes, nose and cheeks.

In the sinuses are small hairs (called cilia) that:

  • ensure the outflow of mucus,
  • serve air circulation.

Sinusitis is provoked by bacteria that live in the air or water and can provoke:

These bacteria reproduce in the cilia of the paranasal sinuses and reduce the circulation of mucus in the nasal passages.
The stagnation of mucus leads to:

  • nasal congestion,
  • Infection of the paranasal sinuses (sinusitis).

Sinusitis persists throughout the day and worsens during the night because the body is in a horizontal position.

What to do? Medication for nasal congestion

Over-the-counter anti-allergy pills
Also due to an allergy you can suffer from a stuffy nose.
There are over-the-counter medications for allergies, for example:

There are medications that contain paracetamol and chlorphenamine for allergy, such as Grippostad C. These capsules prevent allergic reactions and nasal congestion.

One should avoid contact with the allergen in order not to get these complaints.

Mucolytics
The doctor may prescribe mucolytics, such as acetyl cysteine as a nasal spray (rhinofluimucil).
These drugs help loosen the mucus sitting in the nasal cavities.

Decongestants
There are medicines that open nasal congestion for a short time, such as naphazoline (Rhinex).
With prolonged use, nasal congestion can worsen.

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