What is Making My Nose So Stuffed Up?

Posted by: Maryland ENT in General

Are you frequently stuffed up or congested? If so, it’s likely due to a structural problem or chronic condition that limits the amount of air passing through your nose.

Also called nasal congestion, a stuffy nose can be uncomfortable and disrupt your day-to-day life. Keep reading to learn what could be making your nose so stuffed up, what could be causing it, and how to relieve nasal congestion.

What is Nasal Congestion?

Nasal congestion or stuffiness occurs when the tissue that lines inside your nose becomes swollen due to blood vessel inflammation. Inflammation is your body’s natural reaction to invaders like viruses, bacteria, medications, or allergens.

Mild congestion usually clears up on its own, and various home remedies can help manage the condition. Nasal congestion that lingers for over three weeks may require medical attention.

Why are You Stuffed Up?

Some of the common causes of nasal congestion include:

Allergies

Allergies occur when the body’s immune system reacts to substances that are harmless to most people. These substances are allergens and can include pollen, mold, dust mites, pet dander, certain medications, some foods, and insect stings.

The immune system considers a particular allergen(s) dangerous and initiates an inflammatory response to expel it. When you inhale an allergen you’re sensitive to, your immune system releases histamine to fight off the perceived invader.

Histamine triggers inflammation and symptoms such as mucus buildup and a stuffy nose.

Sinus Infections

Sinusitis or a sinus infection is the swelling or inflammation of the tissue lining your sinuses due to a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection. Sinuses are air-filled cavities in the skull that open into the nasal cavities.

Four sinuses are found in your forehead, between your eyes, in the bridge of your nose, and behind your cheeks. They produce mucus that flows freely and helps protect against allergens, dust, and pollutants.

However, when the sinuses are inflamed, the mucus becomes thick and can’t flow easily. As a result, the mucus builds up and blocks the sinuses, causing a stuffy nose, pressure, and pain.

Deviated Septum

You may have a deviated septum if you often experience congestion or notice a stuffy nose. The septum is the wall of cartilage that runs through the middle of the nose, separating your nostrils.

A septum that’s off-center or crooked is known as a deviated septum. When you have a deviated septum, one nasal passage is usually smaller than the other.

This condition is quite common, with about 80 percent of Americans having some degree of deviation. Some cases of deviated septum can be inherited.

Blows to the face, falls, or car accidents can also cause a deviated septum. When the deviation is minor, it causes little to no symptoms.

However, a deviated septum can lead to nasal congestion in moderate to severe cases, particularly in the smaller nostrils.

Nasal Polyps

Nasal polyps are soft, non-cancerous, tear-shaped growths that develop in the lining of your sinuses or nose. They can be caused by chronic inflammation and form on one or both sides of the nose.

Small polyps typically have no symptoms. But if they grow large enough, you may experience stuffiness.

Enlarged Turbinates

Turbinates are tiny structures inside the nasal passages that cleanse, moisten, and warm air that enters through your nose. Each nasal passage has three turbinates made of soft tissue and bone.

The superior, inferior, and middle turbinates can enlarge due to inflammation and trigger swelling. Enlarged turbinates often cause a stuffy nose that doesn’t go away.

How is a Stuffy Nose Treated?

The treatment option your ENT specialist at Maryland ENT recommends will depend on the root cause of your stuffiness and congestion. They may include:

Allergies

Antihistamines

Antihistamines work by stopping your immune system from making histamine.

Decongestants

Decongestants can relieve stuffiness. However, they shouldn’t be used for more than three days.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy involves giving patients small, gradually increasing doses of an allergen. Over time, this helps build a tolerance to the allergen, reducing or eliminating allergy symptoms.

Sinus Infections

Antibiotics

If you have a bacterial infection, your ENT specialist may prescribe antibiotics to clear the infection and offer relief from the painful sinusitis symptoms.

Nasal Decongestant Sprays

Nasal sprays can minimize swelling and open nasal passages, easing sinus pressure and stuffiness.

Balloon Sinuplasty

Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that unblocks sinuses, allowing them to drain better. This makes it easier to breathe through the nose and relieves congestion.

Deviated Septum

Decongestants

Decongestants minimize nasal tissue swelling, keeping the airways open.

Septoplasty

Septoplasty is a procedure used to straighten a deviated septum.

Nasal Polyps

Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids help shrink or remove nasal polyps.

Surgery

Your ENT specialist may recommend endoscopic surgery to extract nasal polyps.

Enlarged Turbinates

Nasal Steroids

Nasal steroids can help reduce the size of the turbinates.

Surgery

Surgery is performed to decrease the size of the turbinates.

Restore Better Breathing

No matter what’s causing your stuffiness or congestion, the expert team at Maryland ENT can help. They’ll determine the underlying cause of the congestion and offer the most effective treatment to alleviate your symptoms.

Do you want to find out what’s causing your stuffy nose? Schedule your appointment today at Maryland ENT in Lutherville and Baltimore, MD, and get on the road to breathing better.