A stuffy nose or nasal congestion is caused by another common or minor health condition. It is usually caused by common cold, but there are several other things that can lead to it as well. Nasal congestion can become extremely uncomfortable, which makes it important to take measures for relief.

Treatment for nasal congestion
People often choose home remedies over prescribed medications when it comes to finding relief from nasal congestion.

Some common home remedies

• Drinking lots of warm fluids and keeping the body hydrated
• Nasal saline spray to keep the nasal passages from drying
• Neti pot or nasal irrigator to flush out the nasal passages

While there are plenty of home remedies available to help find relief from nasal congestion, people can also take over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to treat the condition faster.

Decongestants are medicines that improve the nasal passage condition by easing the stuffiness and sinus pressure. These medicines come in the form of sprays and pills. Additionally, antihistamines, a drug class, is used to treat allergies if they are the cause of nasal congestion.

While home remedies and over the counter medicines is all it takes to find relief from nasal congestion, there can be instances when it could be a symptom of a serious underlying medical condition. In such cases, it is important to visit the doctor for professional help.

Underlying conditions that may cause nasal congestion
When none of the treatments and remedies work towards finding relief from nasal congestion, it could be some other conditions that one may not be aware of.

Underlying conditions:

• Chronic sinus infection
• Acute sinus infection
• Nasal polyps
• Rhinitis
• Enlarged adenoids
• Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection

Although nasal congestion is not a life-threatening condition, it can cause some difficulty and can be detrimental to one’s health. If the underlying conditions are not medically addressed in time, it can lead to serious health problems.

Prolonged nasal congestion can also cause sinusitis, otitis media, and obstructive sleep apnea. In such cases, patients can opt for treatments that include decongestant pharmacotherapy, nasal dilation devices, antiallergy measures, and certain surgical procedures.