Nasal congestion leads to quite an unpleasurable experience. Breathing is not easy, given the irritation in the nasal membranes and the overproduction of mucous. The condition also makes you feel weak and heavy, making you pretty unproductive for the day. Clearly, you should get rid of nasal congestion as soon as possible. Combat it with medicine, hot beverages, bed rest and living a healthy lifestyle.

Deal with Germs, not the Mucous

When battling nasal congestion, your aim is not to get rid of the mucous, but the virus or bacteria irritating the mucous membrane (But if you want to extract the mucus, read how to get rid of mucus). The congestion is the body's defense against harmful microbes, which cause colds, flu, or allergies. Stopping the congestion, without dealing with germs, prolongs the healing process or even worsens your condition. On the contrary, if you eliminate the microbes, the body's functions return to normal, limiting the production of mucous and making you feel better in the process.

Drink Lots of Fruit Juice

Drinking lots of liquids, especially fruit juice, helps eliminate the germs causing the congestion. Juice is rich in Vitamin C, which boosts the body's immune system against colds, flu, and respiratory allergies. Upon drinking lots of juice, it cleans the body, washing away germs and toxins, as it exits through the excretory system. You don't really need to drink eight glasses. Just consume enough to not make you feel thirsty for the entire day.

Sweat It Out

Exercise, influencing the appearance of sweat, relieves the symptoms of colds and flu. In addition, it strengthens your immune system, keeping germs at bay until your body weakens. People who exercise a lot recover from nasal congestion quickly. Their bodies sweat off toxins and clear the sinuses with ease, which is why healthy people only need a day or two to recover.

Inhaler

Inhalers come as your quick source of relief from nasal congestion. By inhaling the fumes coming from the gadget's nozzle, the sinuses gradually clear up, making you breathe easy. It can fit in your purse or pocket, so you can use it whenever needed. You should know, inhalers do not treat colds or flu, they only relieve the symptoms. Use them in conjunction with a potent expectorant.

Hot Soup and Fairly Spicy Food

Drinking soup clears the sinuses and helps the body eliminate germs and toxins. Soup's warm temperature soothes the nasal passageway, forcing the discharge of stuck mucous. Its liquid base cleanses the respiratory and digestive systems. Spicy food, on the other hand, jolts your mind awake and also induces sweating. However, don't eat dishes that are too spicy, since they can irritate the mucous membrane.

Steamer

Heated eucalyptus oil does wonders in relieving nasal congestion. Mix some oil with boiling water then place them in the steamer apparatus. Moments later, mucous-clearing steam will appear. Inhale the steam with slightly deep breaths to make sure it gets through to the sinuses. After receiving enough steam, the production of mucous will slow down, so sleeping through the congestion is easy.

Have Enough Sleep

Bed rest is an effective treatment for most diseases, including the ones causing nasal congestion. With the body at rest, it can focus on attacking the harmful microbes. So having good sleeping habits promote quick recovery. Combine sleeping with medicine and daily consumption of hot soup to further shorten the recovery period.

Expectorant

An expectorant is formulated to lower the viscosity of mucous, so elimination will be easy. After taking a potently formulated one, prepare lots of tissue paper, since your nose will discharge much of the mucous stuck to your lungs and sinuses. Use it with the other means of relief, so you can breathe clearly, even when the effects of the drug have faded.

Nasal Spray

The nasal spray, being more invasive than the inhaler, brings instant relief to nasal congestion. Its active ingredient dries the mucous membrane, stopping mucous production. The problem is, mucous is produced to trap the viruses or bacteria causing the congestion. The spray can indeed bring fast relief, but it also delays the healing process. Use it with discretion, preferably with your doctor's orders.

Vitamin Supplements

Vitamins A, C, and B complex work in cohesion to stop colds and flu. Vitamin C is popular for dealing with the cold virus and boosting the immune system. Vitamin A, on the other hand, soothes the swelling of the mucous membrane. As for Vitamin B complex, it promotes cell regeneration and strengthens the body's defenses against sickness. Take all three vitamins after breakfast and you'll feel the trio do a number on nasal congestion and harmful organisms in the body.

The Doctor Knows Best

As you can see, many remedies for nasal congestion are available on the market or in your home, all of them easy to find or apply. Combine some of the remedies to speed up your recovery and soothe nasal congestion. However, if symptoms persist, pay your physician a visit. He or she can prescribe, and in some cases administer, the best treatments for your condition. If you learned from this article, you'll surely learn on how to stop a common cold and how to get rid of influenza.