How to Clear a Stuffy Nose Fast—And Get Back to Breathing Normally

Alexis Berger
·6 min read

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Blowing your nose to oblivion without dislodging any of the snot clogging it is the physiological equivalent of screaming into the void: Sheer force won’t change the reality of what you’re dealing with.

In the blocked-nose situation, at least, you’ve got other options. There are easy, effective ways to help you inhale normally, even when you swear the tissue box is straight-up mocking you. Here are the best methods out there for helping you unclog that schnoz, put the mouth-breathing lifestyle behind you, and find relief.

First, let’s look at why you might be so hellishly congested in the first place.

Getting a cold here and there is a (wack) fact of life, and it often comes with nasal congestion. Kevin Hur, MD, assistant professor of clinical otolaryngology at Keck School of Medicine of USC in Los Angeles, tells SELF that if your blocked nose doesn’t clear up within two weeks (by which time a cold should have left you alone), you should visit an otolaryngologist, a.k.a. an ear, nose, and throat specialist (or ENT). An ENT can use a small camera called an endoscope to see if there’s a physical blockage behind what’s going on, like nasal polyps or a deviated septum, or diagnose and treat another underlying issue causing your inner nostrils to swell and muck things up with snot.

If you know you don’t have a cold, the flu, or a sinus infection, there are other culprits that could be behind why your nose feels like it’s filled with cement: allergies, smoke exposure, and environmental pollution are all possible causes behind being miserably clogged. Certain lifestyle tweaks might help cut down on how often your nostrils are blocked or how severely that messes with your day. If you have allergies, try limiting your exposure to potential triggers (including everyone's least favorite springtime assailant, pollen) to begin with. “Simple methods, like using HEPA filters in your home, keeping your windows closed, vacuuming carpets and rugs often, and keeping pets out of your bedroom” can make a world of difference, Taylor Carle, MD, an otolaryngologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Group in California, tells SELF. Antihistamines and other OTC decongestants might help too.

Whatever you’re dealing with, there are a few solid means of finding relief in the here and now, other than (or in addition to!) making lifestyle tweaks or popping meds. Here’s how to get unstuffed.

How to unclog your nose and breathe normally again

1. Steam things up.

Yet another excuse to enjoy an extra-long and toasty shower: Taking big breaths of steamy or misty air can thin and loosen even the most stubborn gunk. “When you use a humidifier or steam, you’re diluting the mucus in your nose that’s stuck. It allows your body to open itself,” says Dr. Hur.

There are a few easy ways to try this out. Steaming up your bathroom with hot running water can help turn your nose into a running faucet. Aim to stay in the bath or shower with the door closed for 10 to 15 minutes to break up your boogers. But you don’t even need to jump in the shower to find relief from teeny-tiny droplets of water. If you want an even simpler option, deeply inhaling the steam rising off of a hot cup of water or tea for a few minutes can provide a little relief too—and it comes with the benefit of being a solution you’re probably able to try at work or school.

If you’re at home, you can also opt to add snot-busting vapor into your life with the help of a humidifier (and SELF has got some great recs for you on that front), which helps keep your nostrils from drying out and stuffing you up.

2. Spritz a nasal spray.

You’re probably aware of nasal rinses in the form of neti pots, which irrigate and flush your nostrils with saline solution. But they can be a little complicated to use correctly—and a recent CDC study warned about the risk of infection that comes with misuse.

A simpler way to use saline to your stuffed-up advantage is huffing it in nasal spray form. These OTC meds help relieve inflammation and swelling inside your nostrils and make room for things to get moving again, according to the Cleveland Clinic. In addition to saline sprays, plenty of medicated OTC nasal spray options, like ones containing topical steroids or antihistamines, can be worth sticking up your nose, Dr. Carle says. Like saline-based nasal sprays, they’re safe for daily long-term use.

Just don’t confuse over-the-counter saline, steroid, and antihistamine options with sprays marketed as “decongestants,” which have different active ingredients (some common ones are oxymetazoline and phenylephrine). While saline, antihistamine, and steroid options are long-term relationship material, think of decongestants as more of a weekend fling. “Decongestant nasal sprays are intended for use for two to three days during a cold, but not for long-term use,” Dr. Carle says. That's because if you use decongestants (including popular brands like Afrin and Sudafed PE) for longer than directed, you run the risk of a “rebound effect,” according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. After a spray addresses your stuffy symptoms initially, the situation stands to come back to bother you again—and even potentially make things worse than were to begin with by irritating the nasal passages. So spray wisely.

3. Switch up your sleeping position.

You’re ready to close the book on a day of mouth-breathing, and as soon as you lay your head down on your pillow, things only get worse. That has to do with gravity and blood flow. “Head position makes a big impact on nasal congestion,” says Dr. Carle. “The nasal cavity has a high density of blood vessels and, thus, nasal congestion is highly dependent on the position of the head. Keeping the head elevated above the level of the heart can help minimize the amount of blood that pools in the nasal tissues, causing congestion.” Research also supports that laying down is associated with increased nasal blockage…but you definitely know this already if you’ve ever struggled to get to sleep because you’re congested as all get-out.

Finally, take it easy to whatever extent you’re able. “Make sure you drink lots of fluids and are getting rest,” says Dr. Hur. “If you’re doing things like exercising a lot, then your body is spread thin, which isn’t helping it recover.” When you’re dealing with snot issues, use it as a sign it’s time to fill up your emotional support water bottle and kick back. Even if you feel like your head is full of glue right now, you’ll be inhaling normally again soon.

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Originally Appeared on SELF