The feeling that your nose is blocked is often referred to as nasal obstruction, a stuffy nose or nasal congestion. Patients are affected by nasal obstruction in different ways. Click here to find out more.
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The feeling that your nose is blocked is often referred to as nasal obstruction, a stuffy nose, or nasal congestion. Patients are affected by nasal obstruction in different ways.
Nasal congestion is when you have a blocked or stuffy feeling in your nose.
On the inside of your nose, there are tiny hair-like structures that prevent dirt and allergens, including pollen, dust mites, and pet dander, from entering.
Sometimes, particles might get past the hairs in your nose, causing the tissue lining the inside of your nose to become swollen and inflamed.
When your immune system eventually kicks, your nose is flooded with mucus to wash away contaminants – but this, combined with swollen nasal tissue, can block your nose.
The way nasal obstruction affects patients can vary – some may find a mild nasal blockage causes them trouble, while others can live with quite severe nasal congestion without significant impact on their daily activities. This will be taken into account by your consultant when developing a treatment plan.
A blocked nose occurs when the tissues lining it swell due to irritation and inflamed blood vessels, causing the nasal passages to narrow.
When this happens, it can make it difficult for you to breathe through your nose – meaning you have to breathe through your mouth.
If your nose is stuffy, you may also have mucus running from your nose (also known as a runny nose).
In some cases, a blocked nose is a sign that your body is fighting a viral or bacterial infection. Though rare, tumours and polyps can also be linked to nasal congestion.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the symptoms and causes of nasal congestion.
There are several symptoms that indicate you have a blocked nose, including:
A runny nose – fluid can run or drip from the nose or down the back of the throat.
Coughing – excess mucus running down the throat can cause a sore throat and sometimes a cough.
A sore throat – when mucus drips from the nose, it can irritate the throat and cause a sore throat and hoarse voice.
A loss of smell or taste – nasal congestion can affect how your senses work, reducing your sense of taste and smell.
Sneezing – this is usually more severe if you have allergies.
Fatigue – when your nose is stuffy and breathing becomes difficult, you can feel dreary and fatigued.
Nasal obstruction can be caused by swelling of the lining of the inside of the nose or problems with the shape of the inside of the nose.
Swelling of the lining of the inside of the nose
The lining of the nose is a thin mucous membrane which can sometimes swell, causing blockage.
Doctors refer to this swelling as ‘rhinitis’ and it is also a symptom of the common cold in which the lining swells as a response to viral infection.
Rhinitis may also be caused by a bacterial infection in the nose and sinuses, allergy, or overuse of nasal decongestant medication. It is possible for the mucous membrane to occasionally swell enough to cause nasal polyps to form.
Problems with the shape of the inside of the nose
This can be caused by twisting of the nasal septum (the middle partition of the nose) or weakness of the outside of the nose.
Nasal obstruction can also sometimes be caused by other structures becoming enlarged, such as the adenoids (glands in the roof of the mouth).
Diagnosis of a blocked nose will begin with your doctor asking questions about your symptoms to narrow down the cause. They will then examine your nose with a headlight or, if necessary, an endoscope (a thin tube with a light and/or camera on the end). This should not be painful but may cause slight discomfort.
There may be some occasions on which your doctor will carry out other tests such as blood tests, skin tests (for allergies), or a CT scan.
Nasal obstruction may be accompanied by other symptoms like:
Rhinorrhoea (nasal discharge that drips from either the front of the nose or into the back of the throat i.e. catarrh)
Facial pain
Loss of sense of smell (anosmia)
Sneezing
Itching
Crusting
If so, this could help with the diagnosis of certain conditions.
Treatment will depend on the cause and severity of your symptoms. In mild cases, you may not need to see a doctor for treatment for your nasal obstruction.
An over-the-counter medication, such as a decongestant nasal spray, can be used to treat symptoms that only last for a few days or up to 2 weeks. However, these should not be used as a long-term solution.
Other options can be to breathe in steam or vapours such as menthol and eucalyptus. Thick sticky mucus in your nose can be washed away using saline drops or sprays available from your local pharmacy.
If your symptoms are caused by a seasonal allergy, antihistamine tablets may help, or if you decide to visit your GP you may be prescribed a steroid nasal spray.
Intranasal steroid spray, antihistamines, or decongestants may also be prescribed by your doctor if the cause of your symptoms is found to be rhinitis. It may be necessary to take the prescribed medicine for several weeks to achieve an improvement in symptoms. Your doctor may arrange to follow up at an Ear Nose Throat (ENT) Clinic with you after several weeks or months to monitor your progress.
An operation may be recommended in cases where the nasal obstruction cannot be treated by, or does not respond to, medication.
Operations include:
Septoplasty to straighten the nasal septum
Rhinoplasty to straighten the outside of the nose
Turbinate surgery to reduce the swollen folds of mucous membrane
Sinus surgery for blockages caused by persistent or recurrent infection
Adenoidectomy for removal of enlarged adenoids
Removal of polyps
The method of surgery chosen will depend on the cause of your blocked nose.
All our private ENT specialists at OneWelbeck in London are leaders in their sub-specialities, providing the highest quality treatment to ensure you receive the best available care.
If you’re suffering from a blocked nose and want to know more about the treatment options available and how you can ease your symptoms, get in touch today.
Unfortunately, medication can take a while to get into your system and provide relief.
However, if you want to unblock your nose instantly, there are a few things you can do, including:
Apply a warm compress (either a towel or flannel) to your sinuses
Take a hot shower or inhale steam from a bowl of water
Drink plenty of fluids to reduce pressure in your sinuses
Saline nasal sprays can flush out excess mucus and irritants
Use a humidifier to thin the mucus in your sinuses
For colds, consider decongestant tablets or liquids containing pseudoephedrine hydrochloride
For more tips on how to ease a blocked nose quickly, contact the team at OneWelbeck.
Nasal congestion is often caused by common colds, flu, sinus infections, or allergies and will usually go away by itself within a week to 10 days.
Nasal congestion caused by a common cold typically improves in 5-7 days but may take as long as 2 weeks in babies and young children.
If the underlying infection causing a blocked nose in children is sinusitis or bronchitis, it may take 3 weeks to clear completely, whereas flu should take little more than a week.
If your blocked nose lasts longer than 10 days, it may be a sign of infection or an underlying medical condition – so it’s worth contacting a doctor as soon as possible.
Either book a consultation at our ENT clinic online or email us at info@onewelbeck.com, and we’ll be in touch soon.
If you have a stuffy nose as a result of the inflammation of blood vessels in your sinuses, there are several things you can do to ease your symptoms of nasal congestion.
This includes taking a hot shower. The steam from the shower may thin the mucus in your nose, helping to reduce the inflammation and allowing you to breathe easier (at least for a short while).
If your nose is blocked, it’s also important to stay hydrated. This too can thin the mucus in your nasal passages – reducing the pressure in your sinuses and, in turn, easing the inflammation and irritation.
Saline sprays are a great way to increase the moisture levels in your nostrils, helping to clear nasal obstructions. However, these should not be used for more than 3 consecutive days as these could make your symptoms worse.
If your blocked nose is caused by allergies, make sure you take prescribed antihistamines or allergy medication. Both types of medication will bring the swelling down in your nasal passages and unclog your sinuses – but you must read the label carefully.
For more tips on blocked nose relief, talk to our specialists today.
Nasal congestion usually clears up on its own in around a week in adults.
However, we highly advise consulting a doctor (preferably a blocked nose specialist) if you have:
Symptoms for more than 10 days
Green, yellow, or bloody mucus coming from your nose
Difficulty breathing
A fever
Nausea
Sinus pain
Facial pain
If a child has nasal congestion and isn’t feeding or breathing as a result of it, we also urge you to contact our experienced ENT doctors.
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All our private ENT specialists at OneWelbeck in London are leaders in their sub-specialties, providing the highest quality treatment to ensure you receive the best available care.