Nasal congestion without a runny nose - causes and treatment

Nasal congestion during a cold is a phenomenon, although not very pleasant, but quite understandable. Breathing becomes difficult, the patient suffers from a runny nose, and then there is an increase in body temperature and a deterioration in overall well-being. Such symptoms are familiar to many. But what is the cause of nasal congestion if there are no clinical manifestations of a cold? There can be many provoking factors of this condition.

A phenomenon in which a runny nose is absent, and the nose is blocking, is observed in the inflammatory process and swelling of the nasal mucosa. Congestion, which can be described as dry, poses a great danger when compared with intensive discharge of fluid from the nose. And the incorrect and not started timely treatment of this problem can cause secondary inflammatory processes of the nasopharynx, which turned into a chronic form, and other dangerous consequences.

Causes of nasal congestion without a runny nose

Factors that can lead to nasal congestion include the following:

1. Dry air. People who spend most of their time indoors with dry air are familiar with the problem of shortness of breath.
2. Developing disease. Often a day before the main symptoms of a catarrhal disease appear, a person has a stuffy nose. Other clinical manifestations occur later, therefore, it seems that nasal congestion appears without any reason.
3. Smoking and alcohol abuse. Bad habits have a detrimental effect on the functioning of all body systems, including respiratory. Especially harmful is tobacco smoke, which affects the tissues of the nose.
4. Small age. Many have noticed that babies are sleeping, opening their mouths. This is due to the fact that the nasal mucosa of the infant has not yet adapted to external conditions. Typically, this phenomenon goes away with time on its own. However, if the problem remains after the crumbs are two months old, you should show it to a specialist.
5. Congenital malformations of the respiratory system. Typically, such defects include a curvature of the nasal septum. It happens that such a phenomenon is not noticeable, and in some cases it can be seen with the naked eye.
6. Damage. This category includes any type of trauma to the respiratory organ - fractures, bruises. Such a manifestation as nasal congestion can remind of itself and old damage, even when the bruising and swelling have already passed.
7. Frequent use of nasal sprays and drops. Drugs that have a vasoconstrictive effect can be addictive. If a person uses them for a long time, and then abruptly refuses them, he begins to experience difficulty breathing.
8. Dehydration. If the body suffers from a lack of fluid, the mucous membrane of the nasal passages dries out.
9. The presence of a foreign object. Often a provoking factor in nasal congestion is wearing a piercing on the nose or other small items.
10. Improper use of drugs. First of all, the nose can be blocked if the medicine used contains a substance that the patient is allergic to. In addition, nasal congestion may result from overdosing. Also, the phenomenon may be a side effect of drug therapy.
11. Drying of the nasal mucosa. This can happen when inhaling harmful gaseous substances.
12. Allergy. It’s quite easy to recognize, because it causes symptoms such as swelling, a rash on the skin, sneezing, and poor health.
13. Adenoids. This is a pathologically enlarged tonsil in the nasopharynx; when it grows, it is difficult for a person to breathe with both his nose and mouth.
14. Polyps. These are small protruding growths on the surface of the nasal mucosa, due to which it increases in size. In the early stages, nasal discharge can be observed, however, when the formation grows, there is only constant nasal congestion.
15. Pathology of the internal organs. Diseases of the cardiovascular system have an adverse effect on the functioning of the respiratory organs. In such a situation, in addition to nasal congestion, symptoms such as bleeding and pressure surges are observed.
16. Diseases of the nose. Sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, sinusitis - diseases, one of the clinical manifestations of which is the fact that the patient constantly stuffs his nose, while no discharge is observed.
17. Recovery period after surgery. If a person has a stuffy nose after rhinoplasty - this is considered a normal condition. After the procedure, the doctor reports this, and talks about how long it can last. If a similar symptom does not disappear after the specified period, you will need to contact a specialist. As a rule, this happens due to the individual characteristics of the body or if the operation is carried out poorly.
18. Abuse of foods containing high amounts of sugar. Because of this, hormonal disorders and, as a result, swelling of the nasal mucosa can occur in the body.

How to determine the cause of persistent nasal congestion

Diagnosis includes the following activities:

• examination of the ENT;
• blood test;
• Ultrasound of the nasal sinuses;
• back sowing from the nose;
• microscopic examination of nasal sinus discharge;
• X-ray

How to treat

There are some standard types of remedies that help eliminate nasal congestion:

1. Ointments. An excellent drug is the Asterisk known to all. In addition, effective means in the form of ointments Travisil, Dr. Mom. Before starting treatment, you should familiarize yourself with the instructions, which indicate the method of application.
2. Nasal drops, dilating blood vessels - Tafen, Fornos, Xylen. These drugs are highly effective. In addition to them, many other similar products are presented at the pharmacy counters. Before buying, you should carefully study the composition. It is better if the product contains oil. Such components provide protection against mucosal drying. Use drops only when necessary.

These are standard medications for treating nasal congestion. However, it should be borne in mind that therapeutic measures will depend on the cause of this phenomenon. The following are methods of treatment for various provoking factors.

1. Defects in the structure of the nose, polyps, adenoids. You can get rid of these diseases only with the help of surgery, the lesions are removed, the septum is straightened.
2. Allergic reactions. Antihistamines are used - Suprastin, Zyrtec, Zodak. Such medicines must be used in accordance with the instructions.
3. Cardiovascular disease. Treatment should be prescribed by the attending physician, while taking into account the nature of the pathology and severity.
4. Excess dosage or misuse of medication. In this case, a suspension of medication will be required, even if necessary, to conduct a course of therapy. Often, excess dosage is accompanied by intoxication. In this situation, you should drink activated carbon.

Treatment with folk remedies

If the doctor has nothing against treatment with traditional medicine, you can use one of the following recipes:

1. Hot foot baths. Pour heated water into a bowl, drip a little essential oil (fir, lemon, eucalyptus). The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes.
2. Aloe juice. Squeeze the juice from a fresh agave, mix it with boiled water in a ratio of 2: 1. To drip in a nose 2-3 times a day.
3. Warming up. There are several ways to carry out such a procedure. The first is to boil a chicken egg and, without cooling, apply it to the wings of the nose. The second is to warm the sea salt, put it in a rag and attach it to the nose.
4. Honey compress. You need to take a tablespoon of fresh honey, warm it in the microwave or in a water bath. Drizzle some lemon essential oil. The composition is put on cheesecloth. Apply to nasal wings for 15 minutes.
5. Mustard compress. The procedure will require clean wool socks that need to be warmed up on the battery. Next, bags of cellophane are taken, dry mustard is poured into them. Bags are worn on legs and warmed socks on top. Compress should be left overnight.
6. Kalanchoe juice. The tool is used in the form of drops, dripping it in its pure form 4-5 times a day. The main thing is that the juice is fresh.
7. Salty water. Dissolve sea salt (1 tablespoon) in 250 ml of clean boiled water, add iodine (2 drops). When instilling the drug, swelling of the mucosa is eliminated. Use as needed.
8. Chamomile infusion. 2 tsp 250 ml of boiling water are poured over the flowers. Next, you need to strain and cool. The tool is washed in the sinuses twice a day.
9. Therapeutic tea. Pour dried linden leaves (1 tablespoon) with 250 ml of boiling water. Strain, put a tablespoon of fresh honey and the same amount of raspberry jam. Drink a mug of drink three times a day.
10. Bow. To prepare a remedy for nasal congestion, you should take two large onions, grind them with a grater. Hold the resulting mixture for 10 minutes in a water bath. Then form a cone out of cardboard and breathe onion vapor through it. It is better to use ordinary white onion for these purposes.

Ways to increase the effectiveness of therapy

Some rules should be taken into account, observing which, you can quickly solve such a problem as nasal congestion:

1. Humidification of indoor air. If the air is too dry, you can use a home humidifier in the room. Sometimes it is enough several times a day to carry out airing in the room.
2. Strengthening immunity. It is recommended to use vitamins to increase the effectiveness of therapy and improve health.
3. Protection against injuries and hypothermia. During therapy, cold and nose damage should be avoided.
4. Full rest. During treatment, it is advisable not to be subjected to excessive physical exertion. However, long walks in the fresh air are very useful.

In conclusion, it should be said that such a thing as constant nasal congestion cannot be ignored, since this can cause serious complications, which include the appearance of snoring, loss of smell, migraine due to lack of oxygen, ENT disease, and impaired brain functioning.

Video: how to relieve nasal congestion without drops