7 Ways to Relieve a Stuffy Nose at Home (2024)

Having a stuffy nose is common, and there are many self-care remedies that you can try from home. Many people are familiar with getting enough fluids, using steam, and flushing nasal passages with saline. But you can also try some lesser-known strategies for nasal congestion.

This article discusses home remedies for a stuffy nose, treatments for kids, and when to see a healthcare provider.

Drink Plenty of Fluids

Hydration is one of the key instructions healthcare providers often give to people with a stuffy nose, cold, or other respiratory illness. Staying hydrated has the following benefits:

• Reduces mucus viscosity (thickness)
• Replaces losses due to fever
• Supports immune function
• Helps counteract blood thickening

Reach for water, tea, juice, or an electrolyte drink like Gatorade or Pedialyte.

Breathe in Steam

Inhaling steam is a long-standing remedy for relieving sinus pressure. While there is a lack of evidence proving its effectiveness, it remains a prominent recommendation.

It can be soothing to use steam for nasal congestion. Although there is a risk of steam burns, some people choose to lean over a steaming bowl of water with a towel draped over their heads and the bowl, breathing in the vapor.

A safer alternative—and one that should only be used with children under adult supervision—is sitting in a steamy bathroom, away from the running water. Run a hot shower and sit on the floor in the bathroom for 15 or 20 minutes.

Flush Nasal Passages

Saline nasal irrigation is a common low-risk treatment for nasal congestion. You can flush your sinuses with the following:

• Saline nasal sprays: Saltwater solutions sold over the counter that you inhale as you spray into each nostril
• Nasal nebulizers: A fine-mist machine with which you breathe in through a mouthpiece or mask
• Squeeze bottles: Requires filling a squeeze bottle with a solution of distilled or previously boiled and cooled water and a rinse packet that you squirt into one nostril at a time while bending over a sink, allowing the water to drain out the other nostril
• Neti pots: A device that looks like a small teapot and works in a similar way as squeeze bottles, but the water is slowly poured into one nostril at a time and drains out the other

Nasal irrigation thins mucus, clears the airways and reduces swelling in the sinuses. Regardless of the type of device you use, they all generally work the same. To keep your device hygienic, do not share it with anyone, and wash it thoroughly between uses.

Try Nose Strips and Elevate Your Head in Bed

Nose strips and head elevation are other natural methods of helping you breathe easier in bed. Elevating your head may help your nose drain while you sleep, making breathing easier.

Nasal strips usually treat snoring, but some people use them for a stuffy nose since they widen the nasal passages. Research shows nasal strips can alleviate sleep-related symptoms by lowering nasal resistance and reducing nighttime awakenings.

Sleep With a Humidifier

Sleeping with a humidifier could ease your stuffy nose symptoms. Humidifiers can help with colds and other respiratory illnesses by increasing moisture in the air. Some studies have found that humidification can reduce the spread of the flu.

Humidifiers come in cool mist or hot vapor options. Cool mist is safer and preferred in most situations, especially with young children since it prevents the risk of steam burns.

Use a Bioelectronic Sinus Device

TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulators) is a bioelectronic sinus device that uses electronic impulses. One type of TENS machine can help clear sinus congestion. It is recommended for moderate to severe sinus congestion in adults but not in children.

You should not use an electrical nerve stimulator in the following situations:

• You have a pacemaker, a DBS (deep brain stimulation) device, or hearing or visual implant devices (cochlear implant, auditory brainstem implant, retinal prostheses).
• You have active implanted metallic devices in your cheek, nose, or brow bone.
• You have abnormal cranial nerves or other neurological findings.
• You have other concerning symptoms that require medical attention.
• You have a suspected or diagnosed heart disease.
• You have a wound along the treatment area.
• You wear facial piercings or metal jewelry.

Speak with a healthcare provider before using a bioelectronic sinus device to ensure it is the right treatment for you.

Try Over-the-Counter Medications

Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines can be just the thing to unblock your sinuses at home. Some OTC options for congestion are:

• Decongestants: Sudafed (pseudoephedrine), Afrin (oxymetazoline)
• Nasal steroid sprays:Flonase (fluticasone) orNasonex (mometasone)
• Antihistamines: Allegra (fexofenadine), Claritin (loratadine), Zyrtec (cetirizine), Benadryl (diphenhydramine)

While Sudafed is available OTC, it is kept in a locked case because it contains pseudoephedrine, an ingredient some people misuse to manufacture methamphetamines.

Risks associated with pseudoephedrine include cardiovascular and neurological adverse events and what's known as rebound congestion, in which nasal congestion gets worse after getting better. Use decongestants judiciously, with the guidance of a healthcare provider.

Nasal steroid sprays and antihistamines may be good options for those experiencing a stuffy nose due to allergies.

The Best Home Remedies for a Stuffy Nose in Children

When it comes to a child with a stuffy nose, options include:

• Raising the head of their bed to keep their head elevated while they sleep
• Drinking extra fluids
• Using a cool mist humidifier overnight (be sure to clean and sanitize daily)
• Steaming up the bathroom and sitting in there with your child
• Using a gentle saline nasal spray (do not use in children under 2)

Depending on your child's age, you can remind them to blow their nose or help them do it. You may need to suction a baby's nose with a bulb syringe.

When to Contact a Healthcare Provider

If your stuffy nose does not improve, you may have a sinus infection. While you don't always require antibiotics for a sinus infection, a healthcare provider can help determine if it's the right course of action.

Experts recommend seeing a healthcare provider in the following situations:

• Severe headache or facial pain
• Symptoms that get worse after getting better
• Symptoms that last longer than 10 days
• A fever lasting longer than three or four days

Summary

Many treatments are available for a stuffy nose. At-home remedies include drinking plenty of fluids, breathing in steam, flushing out the nasal passages, trying nose strips, and sleeping with a humidifier.

OTC medications, such as decongestants, nasal steroid sprays, and antihistamines, can help relieve a stuffy nose. Many people find at-home methods relieve symptoms until their cold or infection passes.