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Nasal Allergy Congestion Relief

Your allergies are acting up again, and it's driving you crazy. Your nasal passages are so congested that you're having trouble functioning normally--and you feel like a bother to your co-workers and friends. There must be relief! Let's take a look.

  1. Air Filters

    • You may find that your nasal allergies disappear--along with the congestion they bring--soon after setting up a HEPA air filter. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air, and HEPA filters remove up to 98 percent of all allergens in the air they service. To obtain a filter of appropriate size, look at its clean air delivery rate (CADR); if the number is at least two-thirds of the desired room's square footage, the filter will likely do the trick. Remove the allergens--and you remove the allergies, finally finding relief.

    A Welcome Mat

    • That's right--put out a welcome mat to prevent irritants from entering your house or office. Mold, dust mites, pesticides, wood smoke and other irritants get carried into your home and office on people's shoes. A welcome mat encourages people to wipe their shoes. The best option, of course, is for people to leave their shoes at the door.

    Salt Water

    • For immediate relief (though this isn't a lasting solution), try using warm salt water. Put the saline solution in a syringe, a beaker or some sort of rinse bottle. Tilting your head over the sink, pour or gently squirt a little bit of the liquid into one of your nasal passages. Let it drain out. Repeat in the other nostril. This act of irrigating your nasal passages with salt water can greatly reduce nasal allergy symptoms. A variety of nasal sprays also can do the trick.

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