Home Remedies For Nasal Congestion
Severe nasal congestion and/or nasal polyps might, in part or whole, be caused by an allergy to cows milk. To test, completely eliminate cows milk for 12 weeks including prepared foods that contain milk, casein, lactalbumin, whey, or powdered milk. Its important to cut cows milk completely. You can use soya milk as a substitute. Inalation of a saline solution should help the healing process. Mix one quarter of a teaspoon of salt into a mug and inhale into one nostril while closing the other. Repeat. Also decreasing intake of omega-6 (fatty acids found in processed foods, margarine, polyunsaturated vegetable oils) and increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids (oily fish, walnuts, fish oil supplements) will help long term. Also take daily garlic (or garlic supplement) as this safe but potent antifungal agent will combat sinus infections particularly if patient has been taking decongestants or steroids.
One of the most popular remedies for nasal congestions is a saline spray. There are several different recipes for a homemade saline nasal spray, but essentially they require boiling table salt and baking soda in a pan of water and storing the cooled contents in a sanitized bottle. A rubber nasal syringe or dropper can be used to apply several drops of saline directly into the nasal passages. The saline is believed to shrink affected membranes and encourage natural drainage. A similar recipe using 3% hydrogen peroxide and colloidal silver in solution is also believed to have some positive effects.
Take out the top washcloth and tear a piece of plastic wrap big enough to cover the washcloth on your face. Then, lie down, place the washcloth where it hurts and cover it with the plastic wrap (of course, being careful not to cover your nostrils or mouth!) Close your eyes, breathe slowly and deeply and relax until the washcloth cools down.
Hit the showers. Breathing the steam from a hot shower is probably the easiest way to cut mucus and keep it from getting thick–a common cause of stuffiness, says Douglas Holsclaw, M.D., professor of pediatrics and director of the Pediatric Pulmonary and Cystic Fibrosis Center at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia.
