Home remedies for a blocked nose (2024)

Having a blocked nose can leave you feeling miserable. Sinus congestion can have various causes but the most common ones include:

  • Allergens

  • Bacteria

  • Viruses.

While the symptoms of sinus congestion can be uncomfortable, there are some potential sinus relief home remedies you can try.

Most remedies will focus on relaxing your nasal passageways and reducing any swelling, so you can breathe through your nose more easily. Here are 7 home remedies for sinus congestion and blocked noses you can try.

7 potential home remedies for a blocked nose

1. Use a humidifier

Keeping the air inside your home moist is an excellent home remedy for sinus congestion. A humidifier converts water to moisture and slowly releases it into the air, which helps to increase the humidity in a room. The moist air is gentler on your airways and can soothe irritation and swelling in your sinuses.

Humidifiers can also help to thin the mucus in your sinuses, which can aid the drainage of fluids from your nose and return your breathing to normal. Putting a humidifier in your room to ease the inflammation causing your congestion can also help relieve your symptoms, so you can hopefully sleep better at night.

2. Take a hot shower

Ever noticed that your blocked nose feels a little better after a hot shower? That's because the steam may help with congestion. It can help thin out the mucus in your nose and reduce inflammation in your blood vessels, giving you some relief from your symptoms.

You can get the same effect by breathing steam from a bowl or sink full of hot water. Just place your head over the bowl or sink and cover with a towel. This will help the steam build up so you can take deep breaths. Be careful not to get too close, so you don't burn or scold your face.

3. Drink plenty of water and liquids

Staying hydrated is a great way to help your body recover and fight congestion. Some of the best options include:

Good hydration can help to thin the mucus in your nasal passages, making it easier to drain and reducing the pressure in your sinuses. The less pressure, the less inflammation and irritation you should feel.

If you're also experiencing a sore throat alongside your blocked nose, warm tea and soup can help.

4. Try a warm compress

You can try treating the swelling caused by sinus infections with a warm compress. The heat from a compress can help unclog a blocked nose by opening the nasal passages from the outside. All you need to do is:

  • Soak a towel or flannel in warm water.

  • Squeeze the water out of the towel so it doesn't drip.

  • Fold and place it gently over your nose and forehead.

The warmth from the towel or flannel can help to provide relief from pain and inflammation in your sinuses.

5. Elevate your head

Keeping your head elevated helps to drain the mucus from your nose and prevent it pooling in your sinuses. This can help relieve sinus pressure too. Try sleeping with an extra pillow to prop your head up when you go to bed at night.

Find out more about how to sleep with a blocked nose.

6. Essential oils

Some essential oils are thought to work as potential sinus home remedies. Some examples include:

  • Peppermint

  • Eucalyptus

  • Oregano

  • Rosemary.

You can add your chosen essential oil to a diffuser or the water in your humidifier.

7. Using herbs and spices

Eating spicy foods could help to open your airways and relieve some of the symptoms of sinus congestion. Turmeric is often used in home remedies for sinus congestion as the spice has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help with the swelling in your nasal passages.

Over-the-counter medication

If the above home remedies aren’t working, over-the-counter medications like nasal sprays and decongestants can help to relieve congested sinuses and clear your nasal passages.

Nasal spray

Using a nasal spray can help to thin out the mucus in your nasal passages and reduce the stuffy feeling of your blocked nose.

SUDAFED® blocked nose spray contains a decongestant to help reduce swelling inside your nasal passages. It offers rapid relief, getting to work in minutes and helping to clear your nasal passageways.

To use a nasal spray always follow the labelling instructions.

Over-the-counter decongestants

Decongestant tablets are available over the counter without a prescription and can help reduce swelling. They can also ease the discomfort associated with irritated nasal passages. Our tablets use the active ingredient pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, which can narrow swollen blood vessels to help you breathe through your nose more easily.

Home remedies for a blocked nose (2024)

FAQs

How can I unblock my nose fast? ›

Three Tips for Sinus Congestion Relief
  1. Avoid common irritants. Cold sufferers with nasal or sinus congestion should avoid irritants such as smoke and strong perfume.
  2. Drink water. ...
  3. Take a decongestant as directed. ...
  4. Take a hot shower. ...
  5. Use a humidifier. ...
  6. Relax with a warm compress.

What is the most powerful natural decongestant? ›

  • Eucalyptus Oil: Eucalyptus oil is known for its antiseptic and decongestant properties. ...
  • Peppermint Tea: Like eucalyptus, the menthol found in peppermint helps loosen mucus in the lungs, and shrink inflamed membranes that make it difficult to breathe. ...
  • Apple Cider Vinegar:
Sep 16, 2022

What to do if I can't breathe out of my nose? ›

Use a humidifier or vaporizer.

Adding moisture into the air can prevent your nose from drying out and stuffiness. You can also linger in a hot shower or put your face over a bowl of hot water with a covering over your head to loosen the mucus in your nose.

What can I press to unclog my nose? ›

Place your index finger from both hands at the outer edge of each eye. Slide your fingers down until you can feel the bottom of your cheekbones. This area should be about level with the lower edge of your nose. Press on these points at the same time or one at a time.

How to unblock nose at night? ›

Up-to-Date
  1. Avoid Congestion-Causing Triggers Before Bed.
  2. Elevate Your Head.
  3. Try Nasal Irrigation.
  4. Wear Adhesive Strips.
  5. Try Steam or a Humidifier.
  6. Drink Enough Fluids During the Day.
  7. Consider Medications.
  8. When to Talk to Your Doctor About Congestion.
Apr 27, 2023

Where to put Vicks for a stuffy nose? ›

If you have a stuffy nose, using VVR may make you feel as though you can breathe better. However, it does not relieve nasal congestion. You can apply VVR to the chest and throat area in a thick layer. But to relieve a stuffy nose, you may find more success with other remedies.

How do you unclog a stuffy nose without medicine? ›

8 Ways to Naturally Clear Up Your Congestion
  1. Humidifier.
  2. Saline spray.
  3. Neti pot.
  4. Compress.
  5. Herbs and spices.
  6. Elevated head.
  7. Essential oils.
  8. Hydration.

How to remove sinus mucus plug at home? ›

Mucus buildup can become thick, so it may take time to clear up. To help thin out thickened mucus, try using medicated or saline nasal sprays. An irrigation device called a neti pot can also flush out thick mucus. A hot steam shower can also help moisten your nasal passages and relieve congestion.

How do you make homemade nasal decongestant? ›

Or make it yourself at home. Mix 1 cup of warm bottled, distilled water, a pinch of baking soda, and half a teaspoon of salt. Use the nasal wash 1 to 2 times a day for best results.

What is the fastest home remedy for congestion? ›

Here are tips that may help relieve your symptoms.
  • Take a Steamy Shower. ...
  • Use a Salve Under Your Nose. ...
  • Apply Hot or Cold Packs Around Your Congested Sinuses. ...
  • Sleep With an Extra Pillow Under Your Head. ...
  • Don't Fly Unless Necessary. ...
  • Eat Infection-Fighting Foods. ...
  • Herbs and Supplements. ...
  • Keep It to Yourself.
Sep 5, 2023

What drinks are decongestant? ›

  • Nov 4, 2023. 10 herbal drinks to clear nasal congestion and soothe sore throats. ...
  • Herbal solutions to combat your sore throat. ...
  • Ginger tea. ...
  • Cinnamon tea. ...
  • Turmeric milk. ...
  • Fenugreek tea. ...
  • Peppermint tea. ...
  • Lemon and honey drink.
Nov 4, 2023

How to unblock a nose trick? ›

First, press your tongue against the roof of your mouth. After you've done that, tap two fingers on your forehead between your eyebrows and your nose. Repeat the whole sequences (press, tap, release) again and again for about 20 seconds.

How to fix a stuffy nose quickly? ›

These at-home remedies are easy to use for relieving sinus pressure and clogging.
  1. Drink Water to Unclog Your Stuffy Nose. ...
  2. Apply Warm Compresses to Clear Your Sinuses. ...
  3. Steam Out Nasal Congestion. ...
  4. Use a Humidifier as a Fast Stuffy Nose Remedy. ...
  5. Elevate Your Head to Get Rid of Your Stuffy Nose at Night.

How to clear blocked sinuses naturally? ›

7 potential home remedies for a blocked nose
  1. Use a humidifier. Keeping the air inside your home moist is an excellent home remedy for sinus congestion. ...
  2. Take a hot shower. ...
  3. Drink plenty of water and liquids. ...
  4. Try a warm compress. ...
  5. Elevate your head. ...
  6. Essential oils. ...
  7. Using herbs and spices. ...
  8. Over-the-counter decongestants.

Is Vicks VapoRub good for blocked nose? ›

Vicks VapoRub doesn't clear up congestion in the nose. But its strong menthol odor may trick your brain. So you might feel like you're breathing through an unclogged nose. Vicks VapoRub is an ointment that's rubbed on the throat and chest to relieve a cough.

What will get rid of a blocked nose? ›

10 tips for getting rid of a stuffy nose
  • Steam inhalation.
  • Saline spray.
  • Neti pots.
  • Warm compress.
  • Eucalyptus oil.
  • Antihistamine.
  • Decongestants.
  • Humidifiers.

Where do you massage to unblock your nose? ›

Use your index fingers to gently press either side of your nose, at the base of your nostrils. Circle under your cheekbones, toward your ears, and up to your temples, above your eyebrows and down the sides of your nose. You'll make a full circle, starting back where you started. Try it the other direction, too.

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