From the Guidelines
Non-pharmacological methods to relieve nasal congestion include steam inhalation, saline nasal irrigation, staying hydrated, and elevating your head while sleeping, which can help thin mucus, improve drainage, and reduce inflammation. These methods are particularly useful for relieving symptoms of viral rhinosinusitis (VRS), a self-limited disease characterized by cough, sneezing, rhinorrhea, sore throat, and nasal congestion 1.
Some effective techniques for relieving nasal congestion without medications or a dehumidifier include:
- Steam inhalation: breathe in steam from a bowl of hot water or take a hot shower to moisturize nasal passages and thin mucus
- Saline nasal irrigation: use a neti pot or nasal spray to flush out irritants and excess mucus, mixing 1/4 teaspoon of salt with 8 ounces of distilled water for a homemade solution
- Staying hydrated: drink plenty of water to thin mucus secretions
- Elevating your head while sleeping: use an extra pillow to reduce mucus pooling in nasal passages
- Applying warm compresses: apply warm compresses to your face for 5-10 minutes several times daily to ease sinus pressure
These non-pharmacological methods can be used alone or in combination to provide relief from nasal congestion, and are recommended as supportive therapies to improve quality of life for individuals with VRS 1.
From the Research
Non-Pharmacological Methods for Relieving Nasal Congestion
- Nasal saline irrigation is a widely used method for relieving nasal congestion, as evidenced by studies 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- The use of saline nasal irrigation has been shown to be effective in reducing the severity of symptoms associated with acute upper respiratory tract infections 3, 4.
- Saline nasal irrigation can be performed using various devices, such as nasal douches, neti pots, or sprays, with isotonic and hypertonic saline solutions being recommended 2.
- The effective rate of saline nasal irrigation in relieving nasal congestion and runny nose symptoms has been reported to be significantly higher compared to control groups 3.
- Positioning the head at a 90° forward tilt during nasal saline irrigation may aid in delivering the saline solution to the nasal cavity, as demonstrated by computational fluid dynamics simulations 6.
Tricks for Positioning and Irrigation
- Using a squeeze bottle or neti pot with a larger volume may increase surface coverage on the contralateral side of irrigation, but may reduce flow and shearing rates 6.
- Reducing the jet diameter may aid in directly targeting a specific region at the side of irrigation by preventing impingement of the jet to the nasal passage surface and redirection of the flow 6.
- Cleaning the nasal douche thoroughly and using the proper salt concentration (2-3.5%) is essential to prevent infections 2.
- Nasal saline irrigation has been shown to be safe, with minor nasal discomfort and/or irritation being the only reported side effect in some studies 4.