What Causes a Chronic Stuffy Nose?

A stuffy nose can be an annoyance when you have the cold or the flu, but when the dripping and sniffing doesn't seem to go away, there could be another underlying cause. Finding the cause of your stuffy nose is the first step in finding relief.

Hay Fever

• Hay fever is probably one of the most common causes of a chronic stuffy nose. It is the common allergy that many people get during certain times of the year when the pollen count in the air is particularly high. Spending a lot of time outdoors and sleeping with open windows can contribute to the problem. Many prescribed and over-the-counter medications are available that may ease symptoms.

Other Allergies

• In many people, simple allergies are to blame for a chronic stuffy nose. This is often the problem when allergies run in the family. The situation can become worse in the winter, when more time is spent indoors around pets and dust. Allergies can also cause colds to last longer and be more severe, and they increase the chances of a cold turning into a sinus infection. There are many allergy tests available to determine what kind of allergy the patient has. The results of the test can help the doctor recommend a course of treatment, whether it be a medication or elimination of the irritant.

Smoking

• Cigarette smoke is often the culprit in a chronic runny nose. The person with the problem doesn't even necessarily have to be the smoker. People who live in the same house as a smoker are exposed to the second-hand smoke and can reap the consequences. Second-hand smoke is especially harmful to children, whose underdeveloped nasal passages are easily clogged and irritated. The best way to avoid nasal congestion due to second-hand smoke is to limit smoking to outdoors.

Sinus Infection

• Chronic sinusitis is a condition in which sinus discomfort and irritation lasts for long periods of time due to bacterial and fungal infections and other causes. A bacterial infection is much more common and can usually be treated with antibiotics.

Nasal Polyps

• Nasal polyps are small benign growths of tissue inside the nasal cavity. They can grow in clusters and cause a myriad of annoying health problems like headaches, snoring, breathing problems and chronic stuffiness. This condition in more common in adults over the age of 40 and can be accompanied by other conditions like sleep apnea, cystic fibrosis, sinusitis and asthma.

Airborne Fungus

• Hirohito Kita, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic conducted a study to test the effects of airborne fungus on people with chronic nasal stuffiness. The results of the study found that certain people's immune system reacted adversely to the fungus. These people were the ones who exhibited the nasal stuffiness. Ninety percent of the participants in the study showed a specific response to a fungus called alternaria. Another fungus called cladosporium caused similar responses. These types of fungi are found all over the U.S. and could be a major cause in a lot of patients with unexplained chronic stuffiness. This discovery could help scientists find a treatment for the problem.