Nasal congestion, also called a stuffy nose, is a condition mainly triggered by environmental factors. You will experience sinus pain, swollen nasal tissue, increased mucus, and a running nose when you have nasal congestion. Normally, nasal congestion can go away with simple home remedies, especially if its cause is the common cold. However, it is advisable that you seek medical treatment if the nasal congestion worsens. Mani h Zadeh, MD is an otolaryngologist who treats nasal congestion and other ENT conditions. Below are the top causes of nasal congestion;
Influenza
Influenza, also known as flu, is a communicable respiratory disease caused by viruses. Symptoms of influenza can differ from body aches, fever, coughing, fatigue, headache, and chills. It is transmitted through sneezing, talking, and coughing. You can also get this flu by touching contaminated areas and placing your hands on your face. Influenza is a major cause of nasal congestion and normally affects young people and the elderly. It infects the throat, nose, and even the lungs and results in congestion.
Common Cold
When you have a common cold, the virus enters the openings behind your eyes and nose, thus irritating them. This process makes your immune system produce mucus to clear the virus and irrigate the irritated tissues. Removing a virus from the body is not easy hence, the mucus continues to concentrate. As a result, the sinuses overflow and pressurize each surrounding part. Your immune system sends all types of unique cells and increases blood flow to that part to get rid of the virus. Those efforts to kill the virus cause inflammation, which generates more pressure and results in nasal congestion.
Allergic Rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis is a condition where things you are allergic to irritate your nose. You may be allergic to pollen, dust, or mold. Allergic rhinitis makes you have a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, congestion, or itchiness. Allergic rhinitis makes your immune system fight off allergens that may harm your body. As the immune system tries to eject the allergens, your nose, eyes, and throat get inflamed, causing swelling of the nasal channels and increased mucus production and congestion. Your bloodstream receives natural chemicals from the immune system thus causing pressure.
Sinus Infection
Nasal congestion is caused by inflating and irritating the tissue lining the nasal area. When sinuses are filled with air, they are considered healthy, but when fluid fills them, they encourage the growth of infection. When bacteria or a virus infects the sinuses, it leads to sinus infection. Sinus infection swells your sinuses, mucus production increases, and inflammation which causes runny nose and congestion.
Nasal congestion can be uncomfortable and irritating. It causes difficulty breathing, headache, inflammation, and swelling that compresses the flow of air and makes it difficult to pass mucus out of the nose. One way to prevent nasal congestion is to avoid known allergens. In most cases of nasal congestion, you may not require to see a doctor. For example, if the congestion has no complications, such as fever. However, if you notice that the congestion is long-term and is becoming severe, an evaluation by an otolaryngologist can help treat the condition.
