A stuffy nose can get in the way like nothing else can. One day you are breathing in and out in peace, with no cares in the world, unaware of the misery about to strike you. And then, bam! One cold coffee with french fries later, you have a sore throat that becomes a fever which goes on to become a blocked nose and then you wish you were dead. Well, with no good amount of oxygen reaching your insides, you might just get your wish.
Even worse is when you go to sleep with a blocked nose. Oh God, the terror. I, for one, always get scared: what if I die in my sleep? No? Just me then? Okay.
But there are easy ways for you to battle (or try to battle) a stuffy nose at home. Here are some things you can try in the hope that your nose will clear up and life will be wonderful again.
Take a hot water bath
You will think I am crazy to suggest this but many people swear by it because the steam opens up the nostrils. The moisture and the heat is good way to calm the cold down and ease the inflammation inside the nostrils. You can also use an air humidifier or inhale steam off a pot of hot boiling water.
Use a hot towel, or a warm compress over your nose
That same pot of boiling hot water? Yeah, dip a washcloth inside it, squeeze out the water and put it across your nose, leaving the nostrils open. Listen to some calming music while you do that and keep wetting and re-applying the cloth if you feel it getting cold. The benefit might take some time to show.
Use a saline nasal spray
Another way to bolster moisture inside your nostrils is to use a saline spray, easily available at the chemists. It flushes out mucus by thinning it and reduces the inflammation inside your nose thereby making passing of fluids easy. Speak to a doctor before using a saline nasal spray.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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