Stuffy Nose - Causes And Remedies

Nasal congestion or "stuffy nose" occurs when nasal and adjacent tissues and blood vessels become swollen with excess fluid, causing a "stuffy" feeling. Nasal congestion may or may not be accompanied by a nasal discharge or "runny nose."
Nasal congestion usually is just an annoyance for older children and adults. But nasal congestion can be serious in infants, who might have a hard time nursing or breathing as a result.

Causes

Nasal congestion can be caused by anything that irritates or inflames the nasal tissues. Infections — such as colds, influenza or sinusitis — allergies and various irritants, such as tobacco smoke, may all cause a runny nose. Some people have a chronically runny nose for no apparent reason — a condition called nonallergic rhinitis or vasomotor rhinitis (VMR).

A stuffy or runny nose is usually just an annoyance. But it can be a sign of a more serious problem, and it may be serious in infants.

Call your doctor if:

• Your symptoms last more than 10 days.
• You have a high fever, particularly if it lasts more than three days.
• Your nasal discharge is green and is accompanied by sinus pain or fever. This may be a sign of a bacterial infection.
• You have asthma or emphysema, or you're taking immune-suppressing medications.
• You have blood in your nasal discharge or a persistent clear discharge after a head injury.

Call your child's doctor if:

• Your child is younger than 2 months and has a fever.
• Your baby's runny nose or congestion causes trouble nursing or makes breathing difficult.

Self-care
Until you see your doctor, try these simple steps to relieve symptoms:

• Sniffing and swallowing or gently blowing your nose.
• If the runny nose is a persistent, watery discharge, particularly if accompanied by sneezing and itchy or watery eyes, your symptoms may be allergy-related, and an over-the-counter antihistamine may help. Be sure to follow the label instructions exactly.
• For babies and small children, use a soft, rubber-bulb syringe to gently remove any secretions.

Try these measures to relieve postnasal drip — when excess mucus accumulates in the back of your throat:

• Avoid common irritants such as cigarette smoke and sudden temperature changes.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Use a humidifier.
• Try nasal saline sprays or rinses.

Home remedies

When you’re stuffed up, you need to focus on keeping your nasal passages and sinuses moist. Although people sometimes think that dry air might help clear up a relentlessly runny nose, it actually has the opposite effect. Drying out the membranes will irritate them further.

So to keep your nasal passages moist, you can:

• Use a humidifier or vaporizer.
• Take long showers or -- very carefully -- breathe in steam from a pot on the stove. 
• Drink lots of fluids, which will thin out your mucus and may help prevent your sinuses from getting blocked up. 
• Use a nasal saline spray – simple unmedicated salt water – to help prevent your nasal passages from drying out. 

To further ease your nasal congestion and sinus pressure, here are some other things you can try at home.

• Irrigate. It may seem odd, but the time-honored technique of flushing out nasal passages with salt water has some good scientific evidence behind it. The water washes out mucus and other debris – including allergens or germs – while keeping your nasal passages moist. There are many different approaches. You could just use a syringe, a neti pot, or one of the more elaborate and expensive nasal irrigators available in stores. Use distilled, sterile or previously boiled water to make up the irrigation solution. It’s also important to rinse the irrigation device after each use and leave open to air dry.
• Use warm compresses on your face. Sitting with a warm, wet towel on your face may relieve discomfort and open your nasal passages.
• Prop yourself up. At night, lie on a couple of pillows. Keeping your head elevated may make breathing more comfortable. 
• Avoid chlorinated pools. Although you might think the moisture will help, the chlorine in pools can irritate the mucous membranes in your nasal passages.

References :

•  mayoclinic.org 

•  webmd.com