I feel like my nose is blocked, but I do not think I have a cold. What shall I do?

Question

Hi doctor,

My nose is blocked without cold. I have phlegm at the back of my throat and I need to clear my throat often. I am experiencing this for five days now and I have trouble while breathing through the nose. I cannot go to the hospital now due to the pandemic. Before getting these symptoms, I always have cold when I wake up in the morning and it increases during the day. Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

You have a stuffy nose and it can occur due to allergies or common cold or due to infection related to sinusitis. The phlegm in the throat can occur due to postnasal drip. If you do not have a fever or facial tenderness or headache, then it can be noninfectious sinusitis. Overuse of nasal decongestants can lead to these problems. You can use nasal saline drops to rinse and clear the allergens or irritants present in the nasal passage. You can use steam inhalation with menthol drops twice daily. You can also use over the counter nasal decongestants but do not use them for more than four to five days because it can aggravate the problem. If you have any allergies, you can take anti-allergic medications. Try to use a humidifier in the room. I hope this helps. Thank you.