The following article contained within the section Natural Decongestants and Allergies considers physical ways to alleviate nasal congestion that involves the nose itself i.e. natural nasal decongestants.
Blowing nose
Natural decongestants take on various forms; the most common yet basic one involves blowing one’s nose. Surprisingly, a study in 2000 by Gwaltney et al. 2000 showed that even this simple procedure may actually be detrimental. The study noted, “there is the potential for nose blowing to introduce nasal fluid containing viruses, bacteria, and inflammatory mediators” into the sinuses.
Covering only one nostril at a time when gently blowing your nose may help reduce intranasal pressure and the potential risk of earaches. Also, keeping the mouth slightly open when blowing your nose reduces the pressure exerted on the ears.
Sucking nose
The practice that is common to some regions of the world, involving parents sucking out the mucus from the nose of their children, may be detrimental according to some experts (Ibekwe 2012). Not only is there a risk of contamination and infection being spread to both parent and child, but the delicate structure of the child’s nasal cavities is at risk of being damaged.
Apart from manually sucking mucus, there are various devices on the market that claim to work safely and effectively for nasal aspiration e.g. NoseFida
Dilating nose – Nasal Strips
External nasal dilator strips (ENDS) have been around for a number of decades and were originally marketed to help treat snoring and various nasal problems such as a deviated septum, blocked passages and nasal congestion. They came to prominence when a growing number of high profile athletes were seen wearing them during competitions and claimed that they improved their performance.
Nasal/breathing strips are adhesive-backed narrow fabric strips that have a built-in flexible, spring-loaded backbone. When applied to the bridge of the nose, they help the nasal passage to open more fully and thereby facilitate airflow, making breathing easier.
There have been a relatively limited number of studies undertaken to look at the effectiveness of nasal strips and the results are not consistent. For example, Pevernagie et al. 2000 suggested that nasal strips such as Breathe Right ® are, “effective in reducing the amount of snoring in patients with chronic rhinitis.” In fact, the headline found on the Breathe Right ® website, ‘Breathing Research Study Supporting The Role Of Breathe Right Nasal Strips In Improving Congestion’, refers to the study by Høyvoll et al. 2007.
However, other studies such as Boggs et al. 2008 suggest that although nasal strips may increase nasal opening and decrease nasal airway resistance, they do not improve either fitness or performance.
