If you’re prone to suffering from hay fever, springtime is probably going to be filled with stuffy noses. Or if you’re like me, with a probable deviated septum, you just always seem to have a blocked nose. If you’re sick of having a blocked and stuffy nose, here are some great tips and hacks to help you unblock that baby and breath easy again.
Nasal congestion is not a fun experience at all. You’ve probably gone through many nasal sprays and tissue boxes just to find relief. The worst part is when your blocked nose causes you to have a sore throat or a cough because of a fun thing called post-nasal drip. Yep, it’s just a bad time all around.
So, for this week’s Ask LH, we are going to show you a few ways to unblock your nose and enjoy the ability to smell the fresh spring air again.
The TikTok hack
TikTok has quickly replaced the classic Dr Google in terms of giving health and wellness advice because instead of having to Google the issue, a TikTok video will pop up and tell you exactly what’s wrong with you (maybe). Which is always fun.
Well, there’s a recent ‘hack’ going around that allegedly helps people open up their sinuses and allows them to breathe easier. There are also a few for how to unblock your nose.
The hacks all involve some finger technique which will probably make you look like a weirdo in public, but hey, it feels nice to take in the air. Check out one of the TikToks on how to open up your airways below.
@izzybizzyspider Im unwell #deviatedseptum #breathingishard
It’s also funny to see people realise that they probably have a deviated septum because of how little they are actually breathing in.
The next TikTok hack is from an actual chiropractor (Dr Justin Lewis), so it’s probably a more trusted source of information. Check out his TikTok on how to unblock your stuffy nose and clear your sinuses below.
@getadjustednow Ever wondered how to relieve a stuffy nose? Here’s how to unblock your stuffy nose 😍😤 #stuffynose #congested #stuffynosegoaway #NYCchiro #GetAdjustedNow #LearnOnTikTok
While it looks pretty weird, it works, trust me. I tried it out as someone with very bad sinuses, and it worked absolute wonders.
If you want another weird hack on how to unblock your nose with a finger trick, check this one out.
How to unblock your nose
If you’ve tried out these methods and they didn’t really do the trick, or you just need something more medical, then here are some other ways to unblock your nose.
Use steam to unblock your nose
I don’t know about you, but I do my best breathing in the shower. That’s probably because the steam is helping to break up and loosen the mucus in your nose.
Using steam is a super simple way to unblock your nose without medication or shoving things in there.
You can use steam in a number of ways, including having a warm shower or bath and breathing in the steam that builds.
A humidifier also works a treat when you’ve got a stuffy nose. But be careful using one all the time, as it could start generating mould in your house.
One technique that my mother swears by is putting some essential oils into a bowl filled with hot water. You just put your head over the bowl and place a towel over your head to keep all the steam in.
This will help to push all the steam into your sinus passages, and hopefully, it will make it easier for you to breathe and clear your nose.
Flush the sinuses
Flushing or draining the sinuses is probably one of the most popular methods for unblocking a nose.
There are a few ways you can go about this, however.
The first is to use a saline solution which you can get in a spray. This can help increase the moisture in your nostrils and even work as a decongestant. You’ll have to talk to your doctor and get a script before you are able to purchase some medicated saline sprays.
A second option is using a neti pot to unblock your nose. Neti pots are odd, often uncomfortable contraptions, but they really do work.
Neti pots flush out mucus and fluids from your nasal passages by ‘pouring’ water into your nose.
When using one, it’s best to stand with your head over a sink. When you put the neti pot in one nostril, and the water starts coming out of the other, you’ll want to collect whatever comes out in the sink so you can wash it away easier.
It is important to make sure the water you’re using to flush your nose has been sterilised, though. You can just boil the water beforehand and wait for it to cool down before using it.
Warm compress
Using a warm compress is a personal favourite when I try to unblock my nose.
As soon as you put the warm compress down along your nasal bridge, cheeks and forehead (basically where your sinuses are located), you can feel the mucus easing up. That might sound gross, but it feels glorious.
Think of the hot compress easing up or ‘melting’ the sinuses so that they flow better.
When you soak the towel in hot/warm water, make sure you wring it out a bit, so you aren’t slapping a wet towel on your face.
Drink water
I know this one seems a bit random, but according to Healthline, drinking a lot of water may help thin the mucus in your nasal passages. This will push the fluids out of your nose and decrease the pressure of your blocked nose.
That pressure also causes headaches which can be helped by drinking water, too, so it’s a win-win situation.
If you need a refresher on how much water you should be drinking a day, check out our other article about that.
If you’ve got a burning question that you need answering, send it to us and we will answer it! Your question could be featured on the next Ask Lifehacker.
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