How to Cut Congestion

Blocked nasal passages can make breathing very troublesome especially when sleeping, and also affect your sense of taste and smell. Nasal congestion (stuffy nose) occurs when nasal tissues and blood vessels become swollen with excess fluid, causing a "stuffy" feeling. A virus, dirt, smoke or numerous other factors irritate or attack the nasal passages. Although there is no guaranteed instant cure for congestion, there are several things you can do to speed up the recovery process.

Things You'll Need

• Congestion medication
• Multivitamin
• Vitamin C supplement
• Saline nose spray
• Vaporizer or humidifier

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Instructions

• 1

  Medication. Take a daily medication like Pseudoval or Medicidin-D . Read the directions and take the amount recommended for age or weight.

• 2

  Fluids. Drink plenty of fluids and eat soups that contain chicken broth to help prevent your body from becoming dehydrated. Take a daily multivitamin and vitamin C supplement. Vitamin C helps the body's immune system fight off infections and viruses.

• 3

  Nasal spray. Buy a medicated saline nasal spray. Apply the spray to the nostrils several times daily according to the package instructions. Saline works to help calm swollen nasal tissue lining and thin out thick mucous. Saline nose spray or other saline products should not be used for more than a few days. Stop and see a doctor before continued use after two to three days.

• 4

  Humidifier. Run a humidifier through the night to help ease congestion while you sleep.

• 5

  Elevate your body. Place a couple of pillows against your bed headboard. Stack the pillows and place a lightweight blanket over them. Lay the upper half of your body on the pillows so that it is slightly elevated. Laying flat on a bed can cause complete congestion of the nasal cavities at night; therefore, sleep in a semi-elevated position until the symptoms subside.