Stuffy nose

Who one stuffy nose and thereby a obstructed nasal breathing doesn't necessarily have to have a cold. The cause can also lie elsewhere - for example in a malformation of the nasal septum, in polyps or an allergy, as a result of which the nose swells up.

What is a stuffy nose?

It is clear, however, that a blocked nose can in turn become the cause of illnesses. Long-term obstructed nasal breathing can have numerous health consequences.

A stuffy nose is a nose that allows little or no normal nasal breathing. Obstructed nasal breathing can arise from various causes. The stuffy nose ensures that you breathe through your mouth instead.

This makes the organism more susceptible to infections. In most cases, therefore, obstructed nasal breathing is treated in an acute case. Anyone who has a blocked nose and obstructed nasal breathing for more than 14 days should consult an ENT doctor.

causes

There are numerous causes of a blocked nose and obstructed nasal breathing. The simplest one is a cold. Under various circumstances, this can lead to sinus infections and bronchitis. You can also have middle ear problems. A nasal congestion can also occur along with a laryngitis.

If there is a general susceptibility to infection, the nasal congestion can become permanent. It can lead to snoring with or without pauses in breathing or affect the sense of smell and taste. As a result, it can gradually lead to high blood pressure in the pulmonary circulation. Obstructed nasal breathing may lead to a lack of oxygen in the brain. A stuffy nose can also develop with polyps. Headaches, memory disorders or erectile dysfunction can result.

Crooked nasal septa, allergies or badly healed nasal fractures can result in impaired nasal breathing. In rare cases, enlarged tonsils and tumors in the nasal region also cause nasal congestion. In young children, obstructed nasal breathing and nasal congestion can be due to objects that were accidentally inhaled or placed in the nostril.

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Diseases with this symptom

• Nasal polyps
• allergy
• Curvature of the nasal septum

• Sinus inflammation
• bronchitis
• hay fever

• Otitis media
• Laryngitis
• Wegener's disease

Diagnosis & course

In order to get a diagnosis of obstructed nasal breathing and nasal congestion in the case of a non-cold-related disorder, an ENT specialist is required. This examines the inside of the nose with specific instruments and can then outline the likely course of the disease.

The nasal congestion is usually clearly due to a cause that can be remedied with medication or surgery. It is important that the obstructed nasal breathing is eliminated in the long term. The diagnosis of nasal congestion determines therapy.

Obstructed nasal breathing can usually be resolved quickly in the course of treatment. If the nasal congestion is due to chronic runny nose or allergies, the symptoms can be alleviated at least temporarily.

Complications

A stuffy nose is caused by various causes, which can lead to different complications. This often occurs as part of a cold or a runny nose. Due to the swelling of the nasal mucosa, the passages to the paranasal sinuses are partially closed completely.

This allows the pathogen to spread unhindered in these and infect them, which can result in an inflammation of the sinuses (sinusitis). The pathogen can also spread towards the middle ear and cause inflammation there (otitis media). Sinusitis itself also causes nasal congestion. If left untreated, the disease can return again and again and take a chronic course.

In some cases, the disease can spread to the airways through the throat, causing bronchitis or laryngitis. Inflammation of the frontal sinus can break through the bone and spread to the eye. Impairment of vision and eye movement are possible, which can even lead to blindness.

The disease can also spread to the brain and meninges and thus trigger inflammation (encephalitis or meningitis). The affected person usually suffers from stiff neck and migraines. In addition, paralysis and epileptic seizures can be triggered. If pus forms, an abscess can form in the brain and worsen the symptoms.

When should you go to the doctor?

If you have a blocked nose, you don't need to see a doctor immediately. As a rule, there is already a significant improvement after three to four days. However, a stuffy nose can quickly develop into a flu-like infection that may require medication. A stuffy nose is caused by bacteria and viruses that settle in the lining of the nose.

Under certain circumstances, these pathogens can spread throughout the body, so that further side effects can occur. These include a high temperature, dizziness, nausea or vomiting. As soon as the first signs of these side effects appear, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible. The individual symptoms can be effectively alleviated with appropriate medication. However, if you do not seek treatment by a doctor at this point, you run a risk.

There is a high probability that the individual clinical pictures will worsen considerably, leading to a serious flu illness. So the following applies: A blocked nose is definitely not a disease that must be treated by a doctor. However, if there is no significant improvement after a few days, drug treatment is advisable.

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Treatment & Therapy

Often times, the treatment of nasal congestion is the use of nasal sprays. Most nasal sprays are harmful if taken continuously, and some are addicting. A nasal congestion can be treated better with seawater sprays, saltwater inhalations or homeopathic nasal sprays.

If the obstructed nasal breathing is due to an allergy, the nasal congestion can be remedied with antihistamines or cortisone drugs. Laser therapy can treat nasal congestion caused by enlarged turbinates. A septoplasty or sinus surgery will also clear up a blocked nose.

Impaired nasal breathing can now also be cured by sinuplasty. Pharyngeal tonsils, polyps in children and nasal polyps in adults must be removed if they result in obstructed nasal breathing. Acute nasal congestion must be distinguished from chronically obstructed nasal breathing.

Outlook & forecast

A stuffy nose is usually an infection that should usually be cleared up within a week. In many cases, a stuffy nose is accompanied by other cold symptoms, such as fever, chills, dry cough and a general malaise.

Anyone who refrains from treatment entirely must expect the individual symptoms to worsen considerably. Breathing through your nose will be immensely restricted. The entire healing process can be very tedious and difficult without appropriate treatment. However, if you take countermeasures at the first signs of a blocked nose, you can get a quick and effective improvement with the right medication.

Anyone who uses a nasal spray should be careful. Under certain circumstances, a medical nasal spray can dry out the nasal mucous membranes immensely, so that the skin becomes very irritated. Thus, such a spray can delay full recovery in some cases. Alternatively, a purely herbal nasal spray can be used in this context. In particular, nasal sprays that contain sea salt also ensure that you get better soon. This means that a blocked nose should have subsided within three to four days.

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prevention

As a preventive measure against a nasal congestion caused by colds, one can train the immune system by hardening it. You should always keep your nose warm and moist, because it can then fight off cold viruses more easily. Obstructed nasal breathing due to other circumstances can hardly be prevented - except by not dragging on a cold.

The acute sinus infection is painful and can be prevented in advance. However, if the nasal congestion is due to a chronic sinus infection, the obstructed nasal breathing must be treated by a doctor.

You can do that yourself

A stuffy nose is usually harmless and should go away on its own after a few days. If the symptoms persist for a longer period of time, a doctor should be consulted. At the same time, the nasal cavity can be cleared of mucus and bacterial pathogens with some home remedies.

First of all, it is advisable to drink enough and to humidify the room air, because the mucous membranes need moisture in order to remove deposits and pathogens. Nasal rinses and nasal sprays are an easy way to rinse out the nasal cavity without overexciting the sensitive mucous membranes. Alternatively, the nose can also be cleaned with essential oils or medicinal herbs from nature. Appropriate preparations with eucalyptus or lavender can be inhaled or applied to the chest in the form of an ointment or lotion. One remedy from the kitchen is a raw onion, the juice of which can also be easily inhaled. Other home remedies for a stuffy nose include horseradish toppings, manuka honey, and a mustard meal foot bath.

In addition, measures such as bed rest, an elevated sleeping position and the consumption of herbal teas and hot meals apply. Chronic constipation can also be resolved with acupuncture or acupressure.