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Avamys Nasal Spray from £20
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Advice for Nasal Congestion
Nasal congestion is a condition where your nasal passages close up due to inflammation in the tissues lining them, with the result being mucus production, a stuffy nose, sinus pain, and difficulty breathing. It will usually clear up by itself if you wait long enough, but you may want to seek treatment if it’s bothering you significantly and preventing you from everyday activities.
Nasal congestion is often called rhinorrhea or rhinitis. But the terms are different. Rhinorrhea involves a thin, mostly clear fluid running from the nose. Rhinitis involves irritation and swelling inside the nose.
The inflammation that causes it is typically triggered by your immune system responding to a threat like the common cold or a sinus infection. It can also stem from an allergy, which is why it so often troubles people in the spring when pollen levels rise.
Nasal infections that result from coughs and colds can cause a runny or blocked nose. Nosebleeds are often caused by a bump to the nose or dry air. Sinusitis and rhinosinusitis is when the sinuses or nose is inflammed. It is often caused by infections or allergies.
In some instances, nasal congestion can result not from inflammation but from the appearance of nasal polyps, benign growths that can develop in nasal passages. Standard nasal congestion treatments may be able to shrink polyps, but in more serious situations they can need surgery.
Nasal congestion is a condition that will affect almost everyone at some point in their life, and it is relatively easy to diagnose due to the resulting symptoms. If you’re suffering from difficulty breathing through your nose due elevated nasal mucus production, it is usually due to nasal congestion.
Nasal congestion usually is just an annoyance for older children and adults. But nasal congestion can be serious for children whose sleep is disturbed by their nasal congestion, or for infants, who might have a hard time feeding as a result.
In terms of treatment, the cause of the nasal congestion will usually need to be treated. However, usually nasal congestions get better on their own without the need for treatment. Either way, there are a number of nasal congestion treatments which improve a blocked or runny or stuffy nose, and make you feel better. These all tend to work for a short period of time and need repeating until the cause has gone away. At Pharmacinta, we have prescription medication (Nasonex spray and Avamys spray) to help relieve your symptoms.
Most nasal congestion symptoms will be familiar to anyone who's suffered from hay fever or had a bad cold. If you develop a congested nose, you can expect at least some of the following:
- Excess nasal mucus
- Blocked or runny nose
- Frequent sneezing
- Itchy nose
- Difficulty breathing through your nose
- Louder snoring
- Loss of taste and/or smell
- Pain in nearby areas
- A sore throat
- Watering eyes
If you're prone to nasal congestion and believe the symptoms are imminent, though, you can start treatment early so it can take effect sooner.
Common causes of non-allergic nasal congestion include:
- A cold
- Sinus infection
- Changes in temperature or humidity
- Exercising
- Smoke
- Alcohol
- Spicy food
- Over using decongestant nasal sprays
Common causes of allergic rhinitis include:
- Allergies
- Hay fever
- Nasal polyps
- Chemical exposures
- Environmental irritants
- Chronic sinusitis
- Anatomic variants e.g. deviated septum
- Enlarged adenoids
In the case of a common cold, the discharge from the nose may be clear, yellow or green. It may be very watery, or may be thick and sticky that results in the feeling of being unwell or tired, and developing a headache, cough or a temperature.
Flu, which is a viral infection, can also cause sneezing and nasal congestion. It tends to make people feel more unwell than a common cold, with high fevers, exhaustion, aches and pains.
Sinusitis is when the sinuses are small, air-filled spaces inside the cheekbones and forehead which drain into the nose. It basically means the inflammation of a sinus. Most bouts of sinusitis are caused by an infection. Most cases of sinusitis are acute which can last 1-4 weeks, but some may go on to a more persistent or chronic sinusitis.
Hay fever is caused by an allergy to pollen, and is a common cause of nasal congestion or stuffy nose. It is usually accompanied with itchy, watery eyes and sneezing. Depending on which pollen you are allergic to, you will have nasal congestion symptoms for one particular part of each year. In the UK, this is typically late spring to early summer.
Rhinitis is swelling and inflammation of the tissues lining the inside of the nose. It can be due to allergies or other causes. In addition to pollen, other allergies can cause nasal congestion.
Nasal polyps are non-cancerous swellings that grow inside the nose or sinuses and can cause nasal congestion.
Other causes of nasal congestion include a deviated septum in the nostril. It can be the result of injury or just the shape into which your nose has grown since you were born.
Steroid nasal spraysare anti-inflammatory medicines that you spray into your nose to help relieve the symptoms of nasal congestion by reducing the inflammation and swelling of the nostrils. They can be used to treat a range of conditions, including hay fever, sinusitis, non-allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps.
Some steroid nasal sprays are available over the counter to buy, but here at Pharmacinta, we provide prescription only steroid nasal sprays (Nasonex and Avamys sprays) which are usually prescribed if the over the counter sprays have not been helpful. Steroid nasal sprays can be used as a long-term treatment or just when they're needed.
Medications used to treat nasal congestion include:
- Oral antihistamines to treat allergies e.g.loratadine and cetirizine
- Nasal sprays that contain antihistamines e.g.azelastine
- Nasal steroids e.g. budesonide,, fluticasone
- Antibiotics
- Decongestants e.g. pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine
Saline nasal sprays can clean your nasal passages, clearing out irritants and reducing dryness, with Sterimar Isotonic Nasal Spray being a good choice.
Home treatment should focus on keeping your nasal passages and sinuses moist to prevent further irritation. This may include the use of a humidifier or vaporizer. Adding moisture into the air can prevent your nose from drying out and stuffiness. You can also linger in a hot shower or put your face over a bowl of hot water with a covering over your head to loosen the mucus in your nose.
Salt water (saline) may be helpful to clear a blocked nose for a short time. There are also saline sprays and solutions which aim to wash out the passageways of the nose. These all make the gunk blocking the nose more liquid, so that it drains out more easily.
There are many products which contain ingredients such as menthol or eucalyptus oil, which you can buy over the counter for nasal congestion. The most well known of these are Vicks® and Olbas® but there are many others which work in the same way. They are available as vapour rubs, which you rub on your chest so you breathe in the vapour, and oils which you add to hot water for steam inhalations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nasal congestion is often worse at night because the effect of gravity makes mucus pool at the back your throat when you lie down. Try to sleep with your head propped up, if necessary using an extra pillow. Steam inhalations just before you go to bed may be beneficial for nasal congestion. Some people find they are affected by dry air; using a humidifier in the bedroom may help.
If you have nasal congestion, often you won't need any tests. Your doctor can often determine the cause by asking questions about your symptoms and by examining you. Sometimes, a referral to an ENT specialist is necessary. You may then have skin prick tests for allergy, or blood tests. The ENT specialist may also look further into the back of your nose with a flexible telescope (nasoendoscopy).
If you have a common cold with no complications, or hay fever, you can often manage this yourself. A pharmacist may be able to help advise if you need some over-the-counter medication to help with the symptoms. Some reasons that may warrant seeing a doctor includes: Your nasal congestion is not getting better after a week or two despite trying the remedies; You have any blood in the discharge coming from your nose.; Only one side of your nose is blocked; You or your child are unwell with a high temperature (fever) as well as having nasal congestion.
Nasal obstruction can result in nasal congestion, nosebleeds, headaches, facial pain, postnasal drip, loud breathing, snoring, and sleep apnea. The most common causes of nasal obstruction are deviated nasal septum, nasal turbinate enlargement, and nasal polyps.
The two sides of the nasal cavity are separated by a combination of cartilage and bone. This is called the nasal septum. A deviated septum occurs when the septum is bent or misaligned. A deviated septum can be present at birth or caused by a nasal fracture. To relieve symptoms, your doctor may recommend a septoplasty which involves making incisions within the nasal cavity to remove the bone and cartilage causing the obstruction.
The nasal turbinates are structures lining the sidewalls of the nasal cavity. They help warm and moisturize the air that moves through the nose. As they do so, the turbinates react by swelling and enlarging. This swelling can also occur as a reaction to irritants and allergens. Excessive enlargement of the turbinates can cause nasal obstruction. Sometimes nasal sprays can be used to reduce the swelling.
Nasal obstruction can often be caused by nasal polyps — small, non-cancerous inflammatory tissue that can grow in the nasal cavity and sinuses. When a polyp blocks the sinus drainage ducts, chronic sinus disease can result. Nasal polyps can often be controlled with steroid sprays, but they sometimes need to be removed through endoscopic surgery.
The sinuses are air-filled spaces inside the bone around your nose. The sinuses are connected to the nasal passages by small tubes or channels. Generally, the sinuses help clean the air breathed through the nose.
When the sinus drainage pathways are inflamed or obstructed, a sinus infection can occur, causing facial pain and pressure, congestion, fatigue, fever, and yellow or green nasal discharge. Your doctor may prescribe nasal decongestants and antibiotics.
The most common cause of a nosebleed is picking at the delicate nasal membranes. When air is especially dry, this can happen more often, as the membranes themselves dry out and become more fragile. Other causes of nosebleeds include allergies and infections, fractures of the nose, and tumors.
<p>Most nosebleeds can be stopped by following these steps: </p><p> 1. Sit upright and lean forward so that you will not swallow blood. </p><p> 2. Pinch the soft parts of the nose together between your thumb and index finger to close the nostrils. Breathe through your mouth. Continue holding the nostrils closed for 5 – 10 minutes. </p><p> 3. Soak a cotton ball with a decongestant nasal spray. Place the cotton ball in the nostril, press the nostrils closed, and hold for about 5 minutes. </p><p> 4. Try applying ice to the nose and cheek areas. </p><p> If your symptoms worsen or bleeding doesn’t stop, call your doctor. </p>
