Treating Stuffy & Runny Noses
Chronic sinusitis, nasal breathing issues, and allergies are all approached similarly. Each of these conditions is often associated with inflamed mucous membranes inside the nose.
So treatment is geared towards decreasing nasal inflammation so that you can breathe better, have less postnasal and runny nose, a better sense of smell, fewer infections and sinus attacks, and less of a run-down feeling.
Treatment is a three-pronged approach:
- Nasal saline irrigations such as a Neti-Pot or Neilmed irrigator washes out stagnant mucus. It also washes out allergens such as pollen, cat dander, and dust mites before they have a chance to cause inflammation.
- Nasal steroid sprays are very low dose steroids that decrease inflammation. Oral antihistamines and allergy shots prevent the allergic reaction and inflammation from happening within the immune cells. Some specific kinds are: fluticasone (Flonase), mometasone (Nasonex), triamcinolone (Nasacort), or budesonide (Rhinocort).
- Remember, these treatments are best when used daily on a schedule. It is very difficult to keep inflammation down in the long term when they are used only as needed. Remember to ask your doctor when you have a flare up because antibiotics or oral steroids might be helpful.
- Antihistamines may be oral or sprayed inside the nose. They also work to decrease the response to irritants and inflammation. Some types that don’t typically cause drowsiness are loratadine (Claritin), cetirizine (Zyrtec), and fexofenadine (Allegra).
