As the name implies, the stuffy nose condition involves irritation and mucus accumulation inside one’s nose. This condition, known as nasal congestion, includes nasal swelling and sinus inflammation. A stuffy nose may be caused due to seasonal changes, or it can be a symptom of other health conditions. Healthcare experts can diagnose this condition quite easily and provide tips and several natural remedies to treat the condition. Here are some details about nasal congestion:

Symptoms of nasal congestion
Some of the typical indicators of the stuffy nose condition include:

• Sneezing
  Having a runny nose is indicative of nasal congestion. As specified above, a runny or stuffy nose causes intense irritation in the sinus area. This leads to frequent sneezing. Many of this condition’s symptoms are similar to those of a common cold.
  So, if one experiences constant irritation and sneezing, they can use some natural remedies to clear their stuffy nose instantly.
• Headache
  The stuffy nose condition causes an overloading of sticky mucus in a person’s upper nasal area. This puts a lot of pressure on the sinuses. As a result of the pressure, one feels intense pain around their sinuses and, eventually, temples. This is the main trigger of headaches in people with this condition.
• Cough
  An individual having this condition tends to have swelling in their nasal tissues caused due to blood vessel inflammation. When the stuffed mucus flows to the back of the throat, it causes coughing and sore throat in such individuals. One may start coughing shortly after developing a stuffy nose.
• Snoring
  When a person with nasal congestion breathes while taking a nap, the air that goes through their partially blocked airway causes gentle vibrations on their uvula in the throat and the soft palate. This vibrating effect causes them to snore loudly while they sleep.

Causes of nasal congestion
As specified earlier, having a stuffy nose may be an indication that an individual has other, possibly more serious, health conditions. Some of the main causes of stuffy noses are:

• Acute sinusitis
  Common colds are one of the more frequent indirect causes of stuffy noses in people. Common colds trigger a condition known as acute sinusitis. In turn, this condition causes people to have a mucus-driven nasal blockage. Moreover, a person’s sinuses are blocked, and mucus drainage is prevented when they have acute sinusitis.
• Allergies
  Allergies trigger a runny or stuffy nose in people. For instance, allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever, is one of the common allergic conditions in the nose. When a person develops hay fever, one of the first symptoms they have is nose itching, sneezing, nasal congestion, and incessant coughing.
• Hormonal changes
  Nasal congestion intensifies and becomes worse for women during their pregnancy or menstruation phase, two points at which hormonal imbalance often peaks. Wild hormonal changes can also bring about hay fever in individuals, leading to stuffy noses.
• Occupational exposure to fumes
  Exposure to certain substances, such as paint fumes, smoke, and spicy food, causes nasal inflammation and, by extension, an overload of mucus and nasal congestion.

Remedies for nasal congestion
Nasal congestion is not an overtly critical health condition. Certain natural remedies can help clear stuffy noses instantly or within a short amount of time. These include:

• Taking a hot shower
  When someone with a congested nose takes a hot shower, they can open up their airways by inhaling hot steam. This reduces sinus pain and releases pent-up pressure in the upper nasal area. In a few minutes, one can drain the mucus stuck in their nose and normalize their breathing by taking a hot shower.
  A variation of this remedy is to breathe in steam from a container filled with hot water. While breathing in the fumes, one needs to put a towel over their head so that the steam stays close to their nostrils. This treatment is known as steam therapy. People need to be careful while doing this as there is a high possibility of sustaining skin burns if one gets too close to the hot water.
• Increasing fluid intake
  While not an immediate relief avenue, consuming more fluids on a daily basis reduces the thickness of mucus stuck in the consumer’s nasal passages. This makes it easier for blocked sinuses to eventually drain out.
  Intake of hot beverages such as green tea or heated water is equally useful for the purpose. Simply drinking any fluids, regardless of whether they are hot or cold, can be useful in treating blocked noses.
• Including vitamin C-rich foods in daily meal plans
  Several research studies have found that foods and beverages rich in vitamin C can help clear a stuffy nose instantly or within a short amount of time. Vitamin C-rich foods such as oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, and strawberries are surprisingly effective and efficient treatment options for common cold and stuffy noses.