A person experiences nasal congestion when something irritates or inflames their nasal tissue. Some of the common reasons include colds, flu, sinusitis, and allergies. However, there are also external factors, such as dry air, alcohol, and spicy food, that could cause this condition to occur. Due to the number of possible causes, knowing how to clear a blocked nose is essential, especially if you experience it often.

Despite its numerous possible causes, there are also plenty of ways to clear your nasal passages. Fortunately, most of these wouldn’t require you to visit an ENT specialist in Singapore. However, you should head over to a clinic if you’re experiencing other symptoms, such as fever, blood in your nasal discharge, or if it has lasted more than 10 days.

With that being said, these 6 tips on how to clear a blocked nose should be helpful if you are experiencing it due to minor causes, such as low temperature, allergies, and colds. Continue reading this article if you want to know more about them.

6 Tips on How to Clear a Blocked Nose

1. Use a Humidifier

Aside from allergies and colds, dry air is also one of the possible reasons why you have nasal congestion. When your surroundings have low humidity, it irritates your sinuses and causes them to become dry.

Fortunately, having a humidifier is a quick solution to increasing the humidity in your house, providing you relief from nasal congestion. It converts water into moisture and releases the vapour into the air. Over time, it prevents you from inhaling dry air.

If you’re living in areas where there is low humidity, buying a humidifier is a must since it offers a quick solution on how to clear a blocked nose.

2. Take a Warm Shower

Aside from using a humidifier, taking a warm shower is also an effective solution when you are experiencing nasal congestion. As you spend more time taking a bath, you inhale steam which thins out your mucus and reduces inflammation. However, it is worth noting that this method offers temporary relief.

Aside from taking a warm shower, here are some of the other ways you can provide your nose with steam:

  • A hot cup of tea or coffee
  • A hot bowl of soup
  • A bowl full of hot water

Since inhaling steam is temporary when talking about how to clear a blocked nose, you can do any of these methods multiple times a day. However, refrain from taking a shower more than once as it could be bad for your skin.

3. Drink Plenty of Water

There is a reason why your parents told you to drink plenty of water whenever you had nasal congestion. As your body loses water through sweat or urine, your mucus also begins to thicken. The longer you spend the day without drinking enough water, the thicker it becomes, eventually leading to a clogged nose.

Staying hydrated, especially when you have the flu, pushes fluids out of your nose and reduces the pressure on your sinuses, meaning less inflammation and irritation.

Although drinking water is an effective solution on how to clear a blocked nose, you should consult your physician before assuming the recommended daily intake since there are health conditions, such as kidney problems or if you’re undergoing dialysis.

4. Use a Neti Pot

While it can be uncomfortable, using a neti pot is an effective way to cleanse your clogged nostrils. Don’t worry about the weird sensation, as you’ll become familiar with it over time.

When using a neti pot, it is advisable to go for either distilled or sterile water over the tap. If you don’t know how to use it, here’show to clear a blocked nose with it:

  • Position your head in such a way that it is over the sink.
  • Place the neti pot in one of your nostrils.
  • Tilt the neti pot until water enters your nose.
  • Once water enters your nostril, it will exit through the other one.
  • Repeat the process for 1 minute, then switch to the other nostril.

5. Have a Warm Soup or Drink

As mentioned before, having a warm soup or drink provides you with steam that could decongest your nasal passages. If you want to feel better and get a delicious meal, cooking chicken soup is an effective way to clear a clogged nose.

As one of its primary ingredients, chicken contains cysteine, an amino acid that aids in breaking down mucus.

However, if you’re looking for alternative food choices, you can look for recipes that use chilli peppers, garlic, or mint.

However, consult your ear, nose, and throat specialist in Singapore as chilli peppers may affect your sleep and make you restless.

6. Purchase Over-the-Counter Medications

Lastly, OTC medications are available to provide relief and unclog your nose. However, it is advisable to consult your pharmacist to get a better understanding of which brands or products you need.

However, head over to your ENT specialist if your condition doesn’t improve or if you start experiencing other symptoms, such as fever.

Conclusion

Learning how to clear a blocked nose is crucial if you are prone to nasal congestion. These 6 tips should be able to help find relief. After all, breathing is difficult when you have a clogged nose.

However, although these tips may improve your situation, it is worth noting that you should be on the lookout for possible complications. Moreover, it is also possible that some of them may not work. Consider seeing the appropriate medical practitioner, such as a sleep specialist in Singapore, if you notice your condition is worsening.

But for usual cases of nasal congestion, these six tips should prove to be sufficient in helping you unclog your nose.

If you start experiencing other symptoms like fever, check out Dr Gan EngCern to get the necessary treatment. Aside from nose problems, they are a licensed ENT specialist in Singapore capable of thyroid surgery, helping children, and solving issues concerning the ears and throat. Visit their website for more information.