Congestion is defined as the abnormal accumulation of fluid such as bile, blood or mucus within a vessel of an organ or part of the body. There are actually many different types of congestion, which our body can experience. However, one of the most common is none other than the nasal congestion. What is nasal congestion? Nasal congestion is referred to as the blocking or the stuffing of the nose that occurs due to swelling of the mucous membranes that are found in the area. Aside from making it difficult for us to breathe normally, nasal congestion can also impair our hearing and speech abilities. This can as well interfere with sleep and can also be the cause of snoring. Nasal congestion must never be taken for granted since this can also cause episodes of no breathing or apnea during sleep. So what are the different natural remedies for congestion?
What is Nasal Congestion?
It is good to know that there are still some things that we can do in order to relieve ourselves from nasal congestion. What is even better is that we don’t need to spend a lot of money just to buy expensive medications and/or tools in order to get fast and satisfying relief. In fact, there are a lot of natural or home remedies that we can rely on that are as effective as the other drugs, but not as costly.
Nasal congestion can happen to anyone no matter what the age is. Although this can cause only an annoyance to some older children and adults, nasal congestion in infants is already considered critical or serious. This is because infants are only equipped in breathing through the nose and are not yet capable of using their mouths to compensate for nasal congestion. This can be very dangerous especially if the baby is nursing since this can cover or impede all of its possible breathing passages.
Possible Causes of Nasal Congestion
Just like what is defined earlier, nasal congestion occurs when the membranes of the lining of the nose becomes swollen due to the inflammation of the blood vessels. Congestion is usually caused by the same factors that can also lead to runny nose, allergies, sinus infection, flu and colds. Other things that can increase the risk of nasal congestion include the overuse of nasal sprays or drops. Nevertheless, nasal congestion that are caused by viral invasions are still considered the most common. However, this condition is considered self-healing, which means that it can go away after a few days or weeks without the need of any medications.
The Different Natural/Home Remedies for Nasal Congestion
There are actually a lot of things that we can find in our homes or in our kitchen that can already help treat nasal congestion. Below are some of the effective items that we can use for this kind of condition.
• Oil of Oregano – Oil of oregano is actually one of the most common natural remedies both for sinus or the lung congestion. This particular oil aids in the strengthening of the body’s immune system. All we have to do is to simply mix 2 to 3 drops of the oregano oil on our juice and drink this daily. As early as 3 to 5 days, we can already see noticeable changes or improvement in our condition.
• Tea Tree Oil – Tea tree oil is another type of oil that can be used in curing nasal congestion. This wonderful oil has many beneficial properties that makes it a great natural agent in treating conditions or diseases that are caused by viruses, fungi and bacteria. This is the reason why tea tree oil can be inhaled in order to help clear out the nasal passages. This is usually done by adding 3 to 4 drops of tea tree oil to a cup of boiling water. The vapor produced must be inhaled for at least 5 to 10 minutes in order to get fast relief from congestion.
• Eucalyptus Oil – The eucalyptus oil is another type of oil that is considered to be beneficial in curing nasal congestion. Eucalyptus oil acts on the receptors found in the nasal mucous membranes in order to aid in the reduction of the nasal congestion symptoms. Just like in tea tree oil, 3 to 4 drops of eucalyptus oil can also be added to a cup of boiling water, wherein the steam can be inhaled for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Vitamin C – Aside from all the oils that are proven effective in treating nasal congestion, we can also rely on the intake of vitamin C. Histamine is recognized as a protein in the body that is usually associated with the occurrence of nasal congestion especially if the histamine levels are increased. Because of this, the intake of at least 1000 mg of vitamin C three times a day can efficiently help in the reduction of the histamine levels in the body, which can also prevent nasal or sinus congestion.
• Echinacea – most of us may not have heard of Echinacea; however, this remedy is actually a type of herb that can help stimulate the production of white blood cells and accelerate their maturation in the lymphatic tissue in order to effectively work on the injured or infected areas of the body. These cells help in warding off invaders from the body. A recent study has found out that people with cold and nasal congestion who drink at least 3 cups of Echinacea tea every day for 5 days can get fast and noticeable relief compared to those who drank tea without mixing Echinacea.
These are some of the important facts about nasal congestion, which includes the possible causes of the problem, the symptoms and as well as some of the reliable natural remedies for the condition.
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