With the flu and colds descending, stuffy noses seem to be everywhere you go. If you aren't suffering from one yourself, you probably know someone who is. Because a stuffy nose is so common, pumping yourself full of medicine is probably not the first thing you want to have to do.
Thankfully, you have options that work! You can combat a stuffy nose before having to resort to going to the doctor and taking all kinds of medication. Check out the 6 home remedies below and find out which ones work and which don't.
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Those that work
1. Moisture. The Mayo Clinic and WebMD say that you can often find temporary relief from your stuffy nose by inhaling either steam or water vapor. Jump into a hot shower, soak in a steaming tub, make a cup of hot tea and inhale the steam or turn on a humidifier. Any of these will help.
2. Rinse. Another great option is to use a nasal rinse. WebMD recommends using a Neti pot to irrigate your nasal passages. Often, it will come with a rinse to use in the pot itself.
3. Eucalyptus oil. The pungent scent of eucalyptus opens the sinuses right up. Medical News Today recommends using eucalyptus oil in a pot of water and allowing the steam to be disseminated into the air. If you don't have the oil, you can drop some leaves into the pot of hot water and let it simmer away.
4. Warm compress. Another recommendation by the Mayo Clinic is to take a wash cloth or towel and soak it in warm water. Wring it out and place it on the face over the sinus passageways. The heat from the compress may help alleviate the discomfort you're experiencing and open up the passages.
Those that don't
5. Spicy foods. Some people recommend eating spicy foods to open the clogged passages. Horseradish and cayenne pepper are two of the recommended foods to try. Proponents of horseradish recommend you add it sandwiches or mix it with some olive oil and lemon and put it on a cracker. For the cayenne pepper, some recommend making tea out of 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 8 ounces of hot water. According to Medical News Today, no evidence is available to prove that these methods work. Feel free to try them, though, and see if you can find relief.
6. Apple cider vinegar. Another remedy is to mix 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar with 1 tablespoon honey and 8 ounces hot water to make a tea. Drink it for six days to find relief. According to WebMD, however, insufficient evidence is available to say that this actually works. It won't hurt you to try it, though.
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Make sure you keep the mucous fluid by drinking plenty of fluids. If you can't clear things up, be sure to see a doctor; but for the minor stuffy nose, feel free to try the above and find relief.