When Seasonal Allergies Strike, Can We Really Unstuff That Nose?

It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!

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In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!

No question/request too big or small 😎

❝Around this time of year I am often plagued with allergies, and it seems that whenever I manage to unblock my nose, it reblocks itself almost immediately, is there anything that can be done to keep it clear?❞

Fully? No.

Half? Yes, actually!

First understand: when everything is functioning normally, your nostrils naturally alternate airflow dominance approximately every 2 hours* as part of the nasal cycle, a normal process controlled subconsciously by the brain, such that at any given time, you will be breathing through primarily your left nostril or primarily your right nostril.

*It can vary though, and will often be less often than that, especially when we’re sleeping, see: Length of Periods in the Nasal Cycle during 24-Hours Registration

This may seem odd, but alternating airflow lets each nostril recover from drying, irritation, and pathogen exposure, helping protect the lining of your nose and respiratory system. In other words, the congested phase increases blood flow to moisten and repair your nasal tissues while the open side handles most of the airflow.

However! You asked about when allergies strike, and it seems you’re taking measures to unblock your nose as completely as possible. The thing is, allergies (as well as some respiratory infections) and the overuse of decongestants can interfere with normal switching and make both nostrils feel blocked at once.

That’s fascinating, but how can we use this knowledge?

The key here is that if you are every 2 minutes trying re-clear both nostrils, you will be inadvertently messing one of them up (the one that’s supposed to be mostly closed).

By messing that one up, you’ll then place undue stress on the other one, whereupon you will in the near future find yourself messing that one up in a similar fashion.

Which leaves you with zero properly-functioning nostrils.

So instead, try to figure out which of your nostrils feels relatively least blocked (it may be tricky at first if you’re very congested; if air seems to be moving through neither, then if you have soreness there, note which side is worst, and conclude that the other side is the one you’re supposed to be breathing through).

Now, and here comes the hard part: leave the other side alone. Let it stay blocked. It is healing. Let it be.

You may be wondering: how am I supposed to unblock only one side? And the answer is: very very carefully, please!

You’ve probably already figured out that excessive nose-blowing only makes things worse, and that’s because to blow out of one side you need to compress the other, which doesn’t exactly help it to rest and reset.

Instead, consider putting hot water in a bowl with a little eucalyptus oil or similar, and (gently!) steam just one nostril, the one that’s supposed to be open, by (gently) covering the other nostril with your thumb. Not compressing it! Just gently covering, like a lid for your nostril.

Repeat as necessary, and switch sides when the sides switch, bearing in mind that your current condition is not “business as usual” so it probably won’t be every two hours; it’ll probably be much less often than that.

You can also try this, if the problem is running deeper than just your nostrils: Autogenic Drainage Technique (Step-By-Step Guide To Clear Mucus From Airways)

Want to learn more?

For more general seasonal allergy management, see:

• Oh, Honey ← one kind of honey may help vs allergies; most won’t
• Antihistamines’ Generation Gap ← different generations of antihistamines work differently, and those differences are important to understand
• Viruses, Bacteria, Allergens: One Nasal Spray To Stop Them All

And for more on the delightful topic of mucus, enjoy:

What Your Mucus Says About Your Health

Take care!