What exactly IS nasal congestion anyway?

What exactly IS nasal congestion anyway?

Whether it comes from allergies or a cold, nasal congestion is never fun. It can make everyday activities like exercising and sleeping frustrating to say the least and can often feel like it will never end. If you have chronic nasal congestion, you know it—but what exactly causes it?

What is nasal congestion?

Nasal congestion occurs when the tissues and blood vessels inside the nose swell up with excess fluid. Sometimes there’s a “discharge” that accompanies nasal congestion (otherwise known as a runny nose), but that’s not always the case.

What can cause nasal congestion?

Nasal congestion can be caused by virtually anything that irritates the nasal tissues, including dry air, allergies, a cold, a deviated septum, pregnancy, and even stress. While there hasn’t been a lot of research into the symptoms of nasal congestion itself, allergies—one of the main reasons people deal with nasal congestion—have been studied quite extensively. An interesting fact around nasal allergies is that in the last couple of decades, more and more people seem to suffer from them, which may mean that nasal congestion is also becoming more common.

How to ease nasal congestion

Sometimes the only way to fully rid yourself of nasal congestion is to deal with the underlying health issue (like treating cold or allergy symptoms). There are a few treatments that may help ease nasal congestion and postnasal drip (which can co-occur with nasal congestion and is when mucus accumulates in the back of the throat). Nasal sprays are often used to help relieve nasal congestion resulting from a cold or allergies. Avoiding obvious irritants like cigarette smoke or big humidity shifts and doing your best to help thin nasal secretions by drinking plenty of fluids also helps.

Breathe Right^® Nasal Strips are an effective and completely drug-free way to help ease nasal congestion. Once you apply the strip, it helps to open the nose and provides instant relief from nasal congestion commonly caused by colds, allergies, or even a deviated septum. Breathe Right^® nasal strips open your nose up to 38% more and they can be used every night, helping you breathe better and sleep better when you’re suffering from nasal congestion.

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