Stuffed Nose Remedy

Stuffed noses can be an insufferable nuisance, clogging your breathing passages and making it difficult to think about anything else. They're usually created when the mucus membranes in your nose swell up due to a cold virus, allergy or some similar irritation. You can purchase a number of decongestant medications over the counter to cure your stuffed nos, or use home remedies for those times when you don't want to take a pill.

Humidity

• Warm, moist air can help loosen the mucus in your nose and allow you to breathe more easily. This is one of the reasons why chicken soup is often prescribed for a cold: the steam from the soup provides humidity for your nasal passages. You can also expose yourself to humidity by taking a hot shower, running a humidifier or filling a bowl with hot water and leaning over it while draping your head in a towel. (When using a humidifier, be sure to use distilled water to keep spores and mold from spreading.)

Spicy Foods

• Spicy foods create runny noses, which in turn break up the congestion of a stuffed nose. Indian dishes or anything which uses a lot of peppers both make good options. Alternately, you can simply eat a few hot chili peppers raw and wait for your nose to start running. Or sniff an onion; the fumes provide a sense of irritation which helps unclog the passages.

Saline Spray

• Saline sprays for stuffed noses are available over the counter, but you can make your own using common ingredients found at home. Add 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt to 8 ounces of water, then mix it until they have completely dissolved. Use a spray bottler or a nose-dropper to irrigate your nasal passages with the mixture, then give them time to moisten your membranes.

Water and Exercise

• Hydration helps moisten the sinuses, which prevents blockage and keeps the mucus flowing. Similarly, the release of adrenaline--such as when you are exercising--shrinks blood vessels in the body, which also reduces your swollen mucus membranes. Exercise isn't advisable if your stuffed nose is the result of a cold, but drinking water or juice is.

Neti Pot

• A Neti pot comes from India, and while it was originally used in yoga exercises, it can also help unclog a stuffy nose. It looks like a small ceramic version of a teapot, with a long thin spout on one end. Fill it with lukewarm water, along with 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of baking soda. Gently insert the spout up one nostril and tilt your head at a 45-degree angle, then carefully pour the solution into your nasal cavity. Let the entire mixture run through (it should emerge out the other nostril, though you may swallow a bit as well), then blow your nose. Refill the Neti pot and repeat the process with the other nostril.