Nose blocks can be dreadful. They make breathing difficult, sleeping almost impossible on a number of occasions, and can make normal functioning just unbearable. And it doesn’t help that they occur at random times for seemingly no reason. Well, there are reasons, but you cannot identify them immediately. Dr Jummy Rajkarnikar, otolaryngologist at Kirtipur Hospital, spoke to The Week about nose blocks in length. She talks about the agents that lead to stuffy nose, some things you can do to prevent them and discusses exactly what it is that most people get wrong about treating nose blocks.
How do nose blocks primarily occur?
Our nasal passages are lined with tissue called mucous membrane and nose blockages are essentially mucous membrane getting swollen and inflamed. There are a number of reasons that cause inflammation. When you have a cold and your nose is constantly running, your mucous membrane will swell and feel stuffy. Allergies may also cause nose blocks, especially the pollen of the flowers, dust and other environmental factors. Most often than not, you get nose blocks because of an allergy you have yet to identify. For children, most cases of nose blocks are because of foreign bodies. Worsening of adenoid tonsils is another reason. In more severe cases, nasal septum deviation can cause nose blocks as well. This condition is the dislocation of the nasal septum (the cartilage that separates the right and left airways in the nose) and, needless to say, it makes breathing difficult.
For short-term relief, what are some immediate measures that can be taken?
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Nose blocks right before sleep can make it difficult for one to fall asleep and breathing from the mouth is always discouraged. If you have a block in one nasal pathway, sleep on the side opposite to the pathway. There isn’t medical evidence to back it but it does work on a number of occasions. Our breathing is mechanized in a way that a full night’s sleep (say an eight hour sleep) is split between four hours of inhalation and four hours of exhalation. And for that both passageways work equally. When one is blocked it won’t be long until the other is too. In such cases hot water steam works a miracle. There is significant research and practice to testify that it really works. When taking a steam don’t be forceful with your breaths because the blocks are keeping you from taking in air. They will gradually clear away. And as they clear, take in long breaths so that you feel the hot steam on the walls of your nose. You may also use a drop of oxymetazoline.
You could also try a warm compress Take a hand towel (or a piece of cloth close to a hand towel in size) and soak it in some hot water. And, the hotter the water the better. Squeeze out the water and press the piece of cloth to your forehead and nose. The heat will help with the inflammation. Or take a hot shower. Hot steam always helps especially when you want to unclog your nose and lessen the inflammation. And add an extra pillow when you go to bed. Prop up your head so that it is above your heart. This will keep the mucus from building up in you sinus and unclog your nose.
What are some things people get wrong about nose blocks?
It’s the medication that people get wrong. People in Nepal have the tendency to visit a pharmacy and pick up whatever medication they are told will work and use it. If you have severe nose blocks that make sleeping, talking difficult then you must visit a doctor. It isn’t just a prolonged cold you’re suffering from. In extreme cases, even surgeries may be required. Your nasal congestions may be a reaction to an allergy you never realized you had so it is even more necessary that you visit a doctor. For medication, oxymetazoline is frequently bought and used. And while they work almost immediately, they shouldn’t be used for more than three days. Frequent and excessive use of this solution may worsen your condition.
To prevent these blocks altogether, what are some things that can be done?
Identifying the reason to these blockages is the necessary first step. Keep your allergies in check. See if there are minute changes you can make in your daily life to prevent contact with agents that trigger your allergies. If it’s dust or even animal dander, see what you can do to minimize contact. Do not go overboard with your medication either. The prescribed doses for stuffy noses are always limited so abide by that. If the doses don’t help, fix an appointment with your doctor immediately. Drink hot water at regular intervals throughout the day, even during summer. This will prevent any possible chances of flu, sinus infection that can lead to a blocked nose.
