There can be many causes leading to nasal congestion and sinus, and these include colds, flu, allergies and many others. Regardless of these triggers, the symptoms can have a bad effect on you. So, what could be the actual cause of the stuffed-up nose? When you are affected by allergies or cold, the tiny membranes lining up the nasal passages can become inflamed or irritated. As a result, they prepare more mucus for flushing out the cause of irritation which is most commonly, an allergen.

Nasal congestion remedies
When you are feeling bloated, you should pay attention to keeping your sinuses and nasal passages moist. Even though some people are of the opinion that the dried air can help in clearing up a runny nose, it can have a contrary effect. You should never let the nasal passage run dry as that would irritate them to a great extent.
You can take the following steps to keep your nasal passages moist:

• Using a vaporizer or humidifier
• Taking long showers or breathe in the steam of hot water
• Drinking a lot of fluids for thinning out the mucus which can prevent blocking of sinuses.
• Using nasal saline spray so that the nasal passages never dry out
• Try to use an irrigator or bulb syringe and use sterile or distilled water to prepare the irrigation solution
• Place a warm and wet towel on the face to relieve discomfort and opening up the nasal passages
• Keeping the head elevated at night by placing it over a couple of pillows so that you can breathe more comfortably
• Staying away from chlorinated pools as they may irritate the nasal passages.

If these do not help in relieving blockage of the nasal passages, then you may look for other nasal congestion remedies .

Over the counter medications
This type of medicines doesn’t require a prescription, but they are effective enough to eliminate your symptoms of nasal congestion. Here are three of the most commonly opted nasal congestion remedies :

• Decongestants
  These medications can aid in reducing the swelling in the nasal passages and ease the feeling of stuffiness inside the nose and release sinus pressure. They are available in nasal sprays containing compounds like oxymetazoline , naphazoline , and phenylephrine . You may also get them as pills with other compounds like pseudoephedrine. While taking these drugs, you must firmly stick to the directions and make sure that you don’t use a decongestant without consulting with your doctor. You should never give any decongestants or over the counter medications to a kid below four years.
• Antihistamines
  These are the most effective medicines to fight back allergies. In case the sinus pressure and nasal congestion have been caused by any allergies, you must aim to control them. You must look for any allergy relieving medicine containing antihistamine for relieving sniffling as well as sneezing along with the decongestant. Some cold medicines also contain antihistamines which can aid in improving runny nose and sneezing. It is usually present in nighttime cold medication since it would make you sleepy. Here also, you must abide by the instructions given and consult with a pharmacist if required.
• Pain relievers
  Even though these medicines cannot clear up the congestion, pain relievers like naproxen, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen can help in reducing the pain stemming from sinus pressure.

Besides these, many day-to-day activities can be called nasal congestion remedies for their impressive effect on the discomfort. Some of these include:

Staying hydrated:
Even though it is always important to stay hydrated even when you have no health issues, drinking hot liquids can have an excellent effect particularly when you suffer from nasal congestion. Heated drinks tend to have a strong taste that stimulates the flow of mucus and saliva. This, in turn, can soothe the nose and can also clear up the bacteria and virus. So, if you are looking for nasal congestion remedies , you can try hot teas like green tea or chamomile and even, hot soups like asparagus to impr ove your health.

Boost your immune system
It goes without saying that your immune system plays the most vital role in relieving any sort of discomfort you are suffering from. You will be surprised to know that the cold-busting vitamin C can also help in eliminating the nasal congestion. It has been proved in some studies that Vitamin C can substantially shorten the effect of a cough and cold and get over the symptoms much faster.

A few herbs, particularly, eucalyptus and menthol can ease a stuffy nose as well. Menthol is extracted from peppermint oil, and it is readily available in most rubs and balms while eucalyptus oil can soothe the congestion much faster.

With plenty of treatments and remedies available, nasal congestion can be easily treated.