Everyone gets a stuffy nose but why does it happen?

Come rain or shine, something always gets up your nose and cloggs it: what happens when you get congested

You feel blocked up, breathing through your nose is a challenge and despite the efforts of blowing it repeatedly, nothing comes out; the familiar nuisance of a stuffy nose.

We usually associate this bunged up feeling with excess mucus which can be the result of a cold or an allergic reaction.

To understand what really happens we need to go deeper inside the nasal passages and to explore our sinuses, the series of cavities around our nose  which fill up with air and which purpose is largely unknown. What we do know however, is that sinuses are responsible for mucus production, which works as a nose flush system, to try and get rid of unwanted substances or bacteria.

When we have a cold, or an allergic reaction, the immune system responds by increasing blood flow to our sinuses which in turn produce higher amounts of mucus and become inflamed. This is known as nose congestion and even without excess mucus this inflammatory reaction narrows our nasal passages and a stuffy nose is the result.

To get relief from the symtoms of congestion a few home remedies can help: and old but gold method is breathing in the steam of hot water and oils of eucalyptus or menthol, a instantly nose clearing effect, though temporary.

Medical help is at hand too, for there are many decongestant nasal sprays which quickly clear our nose allowing you to breathe comfortably; the downside of these is that they should not be used for longer than three days as our system may become dependent on them and in the long run the situation could worsen.

When a stuffy nose is the result of an allergic reaction, the solution is to use a nasal filter; SinuSet have created an easy to wear nasal filter which fits the nostrils of adults and children and effectively shields the nose from unwanted substances!