How can one get rid of persistent stuffiness of the nose?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have been suffering from constant stuffiness in my nose. My age is 31 and I have never experienced this issue before. I have tried using nasal drops and inhalers, but nothing seems to provide lasting relief. I recently read about nasal irrigation and how it might help with a stuffy nose. I find it difficult to deal with this congestion any longer. Could nasal irrigation be a solution for me? Are there specific techniques that would help? Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

We value the high level of confidence that you have in us.

If you need a long-term solution for your nasal congestion, then I would certainly want to know the cause of your nasal obstruction. A nasal endoscopy in such a scenario is necessary to check for any functional cause of obstruction. Furthermore, a non-contrast CT (computed tomography) scan of the nose and PNS (paranasal sinus) view will rule out any structural issues.

Before these two investigations are done, you can consider using nasal irrigation two to three times a day. It will definitely give a good outcome provided there is limited nasal obstruction due to structural causes. If the structural cause such as severe nasal septal deviation is present, washes will not provide a major benefit.

Nasal washes provide relief from obstruction in about five to seven days. In addition, I would strongly suggest you restrict the use of decongestant nasal drops as it can further worsen the current problem. Corticosteroids with antihistaminic (like Fluticasone propionate/Furoate with Azelastine hydrochloride) can be considered. Two puffs in the morning and evening on each side should be sufficient. Make sure to hold your breath while you spray the device. Also, make sure to maintain a gap of two hours between nasal rinses and sprays.

I wish you good health.

Do get back in case of any further queries.

Thank you.