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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II: Stuffy Nose

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Stuffy Nose

It doesn't take much to get a stuffy nose. With every breath you take, you subject your nasal membranes to everyday irritants such as pollen, dust, cat dander and particles of air pollution--all of which can clog things up faster than rush-hour traffic. In fact, just about any substance in the air can stuff a sensitive nose. And of course you already know what a cold can do to block up your nasal passages. Did you know that you come face-to-face with more than 100 different cold germs daily?

Well, breathe easy--or at least easier. Because there are plenty of ways to unblock that stuffiness. Here are some of the most effective.

Sniff an onion. "Basically, the only thing you get from rubbing on menthol or other decongestants is some irritation that stimulates the nose to run and unblock the stuffiness," says Venice, Florida, otolaryngologist Hueston C. King, M.D., visiting professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. "You can get the same effect from smelling an onion."

Go heavy on the spice. The cure for a stuffy nose is to make it runny, and few things make it run faster than spicy meals. "Hot and spicy foods trigger a reflex response to make your nose runny," says Gordon Raphael, M.D., an allergist and a former researcher at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland. "Eat some hot chili peppers and your nose will immediately start running." This running helps break up congestion and remove irritants that may be causing the stuffiness, adds Dr. King.

Try Mom's chicken soup. Or any other hot liquid taken from a cup. When you drink anything hot, the steam of the liquid helps unclog nasal passages, and the fluid itself helps dilute mucus in the nose and makes breathing easier, says Varro E. Tyler, Ph.D., professor of pharmacognosy at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and author of The Honest Herbal. Besides soup, hot tea with lemon and even hot water are excellent decongestants.

Hit the showers. Breathing the steam from a hot shower is probably the easiest way to cut mucus and keep it from getting thick--a common cause of stuffiness, says Douglas Holsclaw, M.D., professor of pediatrics and director of the Pediatric Pulmonary and Cystic Fibrosis Center at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Run a humidifier. A humidifier certainly helps put moisture in the air, but it can be counterproductive if it also spreads water impurities, spores and germs. "Use distilled water to fill the humidifiers and you won't have impurities," advises Alvin Katz, M.D., an otolaryngologist and surgeon director at Manhattan Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital in New York City. And clean the unit weekly by circulating a solution of half water, half white kitchen vinegar. The solution should be run through the unit for 10 to 15 minutes near an open window to avoid the persistence of a vinegar odor. Then discard the vinegar solution and fill the unit with fresh distilled water. The unit can run for up to, a week without cleaning again. Keeping open pans of water near the stove and radiators can also help humidify, but the water needs to be changed frequently.

When to See the Doctor

Stopped-up nasal passages can harbor sinus infections. "The question is not if a blocked sinus will get infected but when," says Gailen D. Marshall, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor and director of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Division at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Once infection does occur, he points out, you'll have to make a trip to the doctor.

What are the warning signs of sinus infection? Before the infection hits, you'll feel pain radiating from your nose to the blocked sinuses, either under the eyes or beneath the forehead. You may even think it's a headache. If the sinuses remain clogged, you may develop a fever, a nasty taste in your mouth or bad breath.

"Any of those three symptoms may lead to the conclusion that you have a full-blown sinus infection," Dr. Marshall says.

If you use a decongestant spray, use it sparingly. You should use a decongestant spray no more than twice a day for a maximum of three or four days in a row, according to Gailen D. Marshall, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor and director of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Division at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Then take an equal amount of time off the medication. When the relief it provides begins to wane, or when you notice that its effectiveness lasts for a shorter time, "there's a good chance you're becoming dependent, and it's time to stop," says Dr. Marshall.

Over-the-counter nasal spray decongestants are among the most potentially addictive of all drugs, Dr. Marshall says. "Person after person innocently gets hooked on them."

Among other effects, the sprays can also damage the cells lining the nose, says Stephen Goldberger, M.D., an otolaryngologist at the Grand Forks Clinic in Grand Forks, North Dakota. "The sprays can cause these cells to lose their microscopic hairs, or cilia, which are crucial for keeping the normal mucous coating in the nose moving," he says.

"It's difficult to wean yourself from nasal sprays, because the resulting congestion is so bad," Dr. Marshall says.

Spritz with saline. Unlike decongestant spray, nasal saline spray may be used indefinitely, according to Dr. Marshall. With saline versions, you just moisten the membranes in your nose, which helps you breathe easier. And you don't need to buy the spray at a pharmacy: You can mix a batch of home brew by dissolving 1/4 teaspoon of table salt and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in about eight ounces of water. With a small atomizer or nosedropper, spritz one or two droppers of the solution up your nostrils as often as necessary.

Although saline soothes, it doesn't provide extended relief. It'll moisten and clean out things that are aggravating the congestion," Dr. Marshall says. But the saline itself doesn't clear up congestion.

Swallow some relief. Any of the over-the-counter oral decongestants usually are fine to take for a stuffy nose. But they should be used with caution by people with heart problems, high blood pressure or urinary tract problems, Dr. Marshall warns. Oral decongestants may aggravate an irregular heartbeat and can counteract medications to reduce high blood pressure, he says. And people with urinary tract problems may find themselves having difficulty urinating if they take an oral decongestant.

A Stuffy Nose Makes for a Stressed Baby (and Parent)

When a newborn gets a stuffy nose, it can be particularly irritating for both parent and child. "Babies under three months are what we call obligatory nose breathers, which simply means they won't breathe through their mouths. So when a baby gets a stuffy nose, it's inordinately stressful," says Douglas Holsclaw, M.D., professor of pediatrics and director of the

Pediatric Pulmonary and Cystic Fibrosis Center at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia.

"Many parents come rushing into the emergency room or their pediatrician's office because their baby won't eat or sleep and is cranky all the time. It's because the baby's nose is stuffed. A baby cannot suck on a bottle or feed if he can't breathe through his nose."

To relieve an infant's stuffy nose, first use a bulb syringe or nasal aspirator to clear the nose of as much mucus as you can. Then fill a medicine dropper with saline solution. Holding the baby in your arms, positioned so that his head is slightly below the rest of his body, drop the saline into each nostril. You're doing it right if the saline hits the top of the baby's mouth, says Dr. Holsclaw. Immediately after spraying, hold the baby upright. Be sure to give one quick squirt in each nostril--so you don't "flood" the baby's nose with the saline.

Keep booze in the bottle. Substances in fermented alcoholic beverages can clog your nose as easily as they cloud your mind. "Almost anyone who gets recurrent colds or sinus problems has congestion problems when he drinks wine, beer and cordials," according to Alexander C. Chester, M.D., clinical professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. But they may be able to tolerate scotch, gin or distilled spirits, he notes.

Watch out for milk ... and wheat. A number of people have an allergy to milk that is different from lactose intolerance: It congests the ducts in the nose. If that's causing your discomforts, you can see a fairly dramatic response to the elimination of milk products, Dr. Chester says. "Probably about 10 percent of the people can feel enormously better." A sensitivity to wheat may also cause congestion.

Treat it with zinc. "Zinc seems to have a specific effect on the nose," says Dr. Chester. Zinc supplements have been used to treat people whose sense of smell has diminished, and zinc may improve congested sinuses as well. Take a 50-milligram supplement daily, Dr. Chester suggests. Continue to take the supplement if you notice an improvement.

Get relief with vitamin C. Vitamin C has been advocated for the common cold, but it could spell relief for people with stuffed-up noses in general, whether or not they have colds. "Vitamin C in varying doses may bring relief to a congested nose," Dr. Chester says. But you shouldn't take more than 500 milligrams daily without a doctor's consent.

Raise the head of your bed. Lying on your back tends to build up the pressure of nasal fluid, according to Dr. Chester. Try raising your head by placing a few books under the bedposts or sleeping on more than one pillow. "Both help the nose to drain," he says. And don't lounge around in bed when you're congested. That gives mucus more of a chance to pool in your head rather than drain, according to Dr. Chester.

Work out to work it out. "Exercise is a natural decongestant for common nasal stuffiness," Dr. Chester says. Walking helps: When you walk, you stimulate better breathing and better blood circulation. Walking also helps shrink nasal membranes, and besides, you get a good breath of fresh air.

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