What to do if you are healthy, but you can’t breathe?

Danger of condition

Even if the disease is asymptomatic, severe nasal congestion indicates the development of an infection. If the condition lasts for several hours and goes away without a trace, then there is no need to worry, the body can cope on its own. But if you always have difficulty breathing, this means that the disease has become chronic. A person, without knowing it, experiences oxygen starvation if his nose is blocked every day. This factor has a detrimental effect on brain cells and other organs of the body. Memory deteriorates, drowsiness and absent-mindedness appear, lack of oxygen has a very negative effect on biochemical processes. In addition, the sense of smell may disappear and otitis media may develop.

Prevention measures

Wash your hands often. Doing this regularly throughout the day is probably the most effective measure to prevent the spread of colds and germs in general. The virus is usually transmitted through mucus and saliva, so you should wash your hands regularly after coming in from outside.

Wash your hands often

Do not touch your face with dirty hands. The virus reproduces in your upper respiratory system, so all it takes to get infected is your nose, mouth or eyes. So, in addition to washing your hands, avoid touching or rubbing your face, especially around your nose, mouth and eyes. Try not to pick up food with your hands. If you need to scratch your face, do so with a clean cloth.

Don't touch your face with dirty hands

Keep home surfaces clean. Don't stop at just washing your hands - also clean a variety of household surfaces, such as countertops, sinks, door handles, drawers, computer keyboards, light switches, phones and remote controls. These surfaces usually contain bacteria and can be a source of colds and other infections.

Keep home surfaces clean

Eat healthy foods. If a virus enters your body, it does not mean that you will automatically get sick, since the immune system is designed to destroy viruses, bacteria. Therefore, support your immune system by eating nutritious foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. They are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and other compounds that stimulate the immune system.

Eat healthy foods

Drink plenty of fluids. Drinking throughout the day is important to protect against viral and bacterial infections because the mucous membranes of the nose, sinuses, mouth, throat and lungs need water to function properly and protect the body. This first line of defense against microbes is called the mucociliary clearance system and is highly dependent on hydration. Drink 8 glasses of purified water every day - more is possible.

Drink plenty of fluids

Make sure you sleep well. Quality sleep strengthens the immune system because it is “charged” during sleep. Research shows that people who sleep 8 or more hours a day have fewer colds compared to those who sleep less than 7 hours. Thus, make your bed comfortable and your bedroom quiet and comfortable.

Full sleep

Do not smoke. Cigarette smoke contains numerous toxins and harmful compounds that increase the risk of infection by damaging the respiratory tract and weakening the immune system.

Quit smoking

Specifically, smoking dries out mucous membranes, irritates the passages, and destroys the hair inside your nose, increasing the likelihood of catching a cold.

Video - How to get rid of nasal congestion

Types of persistent nasal congestion

It often happens that the nose regularly does not breathe mainly at the same time of day. Based on this, the disease is divided into groups:

• nasal congestion in the morning - there may be an allergic reaction to some substance in the house, or it may be an incipient inflammation of the sinuses;
• nasal congestion at night - most likely, the air in the room is very dry, you can simply cover the radiator with a wet blanket to moisten it;
• frequent - manifests itself in periods, sometimes for one or several weeks it does not remind of itself, then it returns again, the reasons for a constantly stuffy nose can be different in this case;
• chronic form - it happens for six months or more; the body is not supplied with oxygen through the nasal passages.

Complicated cold: a visit to the doctor is necessary

When should you seek professional medical help?

• For severe runny nose with nasal congestion that does not go away within 10–12 days.
• For a cold accompanied by a runny nose and a fever above 38°C, if there are no signs of improvement after 3-4 days.
• When the patient's condition worsened again, there was an improvement after the previous one.

Such signs may indicate bacterial inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, requiring treatment with antibiotics. The possibility of developing allergic rhinitis, in which antihistamines are used, cannot be ruled out. These diseases can be diagnosed by a qualified paid otolaryngologist, who has modern ENT devices and diagnostic equipment at his disposal.

In addition, for colds accompanied by a significant increase in temperature and runny nose, combination medications that have antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects can be prescribed for oral administration.

Please remember! By continuing to treat a complicated runny nose yourself, you can start a pathological process that will cause quite serious complications. In some cases, getting rid of them may even require emergency medical intervention.

Causes of the disease

There are several situations where physiology contributes to difficulty breathing:

• Newborns. The respiratory system of babies is just learning to work in new conditions, and the mucous membrane produces copious secretions. It's no surprise that babies sleep with their mouths open. Treatment in this case is not required.
• Hormonal rhinitis in pregnant women. The reasons for constant nasal congestion lie in the restructuring of the body. The functioning of the capillaries is disrupted and swelling occurs. A gentle cleansing spray or aromatherapy is required. There is no need for aggressive influence, since the hormonal levels will level out and the symptoms will go away.
• Minimum air humidity is a provoking moment. Any person can have a chronically stuffy nose in such a microclimate. There is only one recommendation here - humidify the air, no treatment is required.

But there are other reasons why the disease occurs when consultation with an ENT doctor is necessary:

• Allergy. Working with harmful substances, constant inhalation, industrial dust or being in a smoky room every day for several hours negatively affects the condition of the nasal cavity.
• Infectious diseases. After conducting research, the ENT specialist will tell you exactly why your nose is constantly stuffy. With advanced rhinitis or sinusitis, the lower turbinates of the nose become inflamed, enlarged, swollen, mucus stagnates in the sinuses and pus forms.
• Curved/broken nasal septum, polyp formation, tumor. In this case, only surgery will help.

Which doctor should I contact?

If sinusitis occurs, it is important to prepare in advance and find out which doctor treats it. At the first signs, it is advisable to visit an otolaryngologist.

This doctor assesses the patient’s condition, determines the nature of the disease, the form and severity of inflammatory changes, conducts diagnostics and prescribes a course of treatment. You can get to him through a direct appointment at the clinic’s reception desk or by referral from a therapist.

Typically, ENT operates according to the following algorithm:

• examines patient complaints and evaluates symptoms;
• examines all organs;
• conducts a study of the nasal canals and determines the causes of the disease;
• prescribes additional examinations;
• specifies the diagnosis;
• prescribes treatment taking into account the degree of the disease and the presence of complications.

To clarify the diagnosis, the following types of examinations are carried out:

1. X-ray, when the change in the density of the mucous membranes is assessed, the presence of diffuse type opacities is determined, which makes it possible to characterize the condition of the maxillary sinuses.
2. CT scan is prescribed for chronic disease. The doctor examines the structure of the sinuses and identifies inflammatory changes.
3. MRI - the feasibility of the method is determined by the suspicion of a fungal origin of sinusitis.
4. Laboratory tests of blood, urine, studies for immunodeficiency.

In case of special need, a puncture is performed. The collected exudate is subjected to additional examination. During puncture, an antiseptic can be injected into the sinuses to stop the activity of pathogenic microorganisms and inhibit inflammation.

Treatment options

It is strictly forbidden to take vasoconstrictor drugs uncontrollably! Their constant use causes mucosal atrophy. Each drug should be prescribed by a doctor depending on the etiology of the disease. The specialist will conduct a series of studies to establish a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Antihistamines will help in the fight against allergies, but in the fight against infection you will need a whole range of medications. After all, the chronic form is much more difficult to cure than incipient inflammation.

Therapy may include:

• anti-inflammatory drugs;
• decongestants;
• rinsing the nasal passages;
• physiotherapy;
• breathing exercises;
• supporting vitamin and mineral supplements.

The nasopharynx can be rinsed with Aqualor spray. The sea water contained in the bottle is supplied under equal pressure during the procedure, which allows you to thoroughly rinse the nasal cavity, effectively removing accumulated mucus. The product quickly relieves swelling, allowing access to oxygen. How to cure persistent nasal congestion if medication does not help? Only surgically. The doctor will make a puncture in the wall of the sinus where the pus has collected and bring it out. Then rinse with an antiseptic solution.

Indications for visiting a doctor

Recognizing the moment when you need to make an appointment with a doctor if you have a headache is not always easy. It is even more difficult to determine which doctor to see. But there are some warning signs that indicate a serious problem is present. Unusual and severe pain, accompanied by other symptoms, are manifestations of diseases, which determine which doctor should be consulted.

If any of the following symptoms accompany your headache, visit your doctor.

Stiff neck, fever

If you have neck pain, cephalalgia and fever, or increased sensitivity to light, this may indicate an infection that requires medical attention.

Hypertension

High blood pressure is a disease that in itself requires seeing a doctor. Which doctor should you go to if you have high blood pressure and headaches? A visit to a therapist is required, who will refer you to other specialists if necessary.

Weakness

If you have severe headaches associated with heaviness in the body or weakness, dizziness, or difficulties with speech, you also need to visit a doctor, because this discomfort may indicate a serious disorder.

Choosing a specialist for weakness is similar to deciding which doctor to see for high blood pressure. A visit to a therapist is required.

Visual impairment

By contacting an ophthalmologist in case of double vision, blurred vision, partial loss of vision with cephalgia, you can diagnose it in time and, therefore, cure the eye disease.

Confusion, seizures, fainting

If you have a constant headache, confusion, cramps, or fainting, these are signs of illness or injury. This factor should be kept in mind, especially if the child has a headache. There is no question about which doctor to contact - visit a pediatrician, he will refer you for an appropriate examination.

Injuries

Headache as a consequence of a head injury is a common occurrence. Cephalgia accompanies injury, similar to a bump on the head. Consult a doctor! Post-traumatic soreness requires professional treatment.

Important! If your child hits his head, go to the pediatrician or directly to a traumatologist.

When to see a doctor

For the first two or three days, you can try to treat yourself with home recipes or use a spray from a pharmacy. If relief is not observed even after five days, and the picture of the disease only worsens, self-medication should be stopped and an appointment with an otolaryngologist should be made. Special diagnostic methods (rhinoscopy, ultrasound examination, radiography, smear and others) will give a complete picture of the source of inflammation and the nature of the disease. In this case, the medical institution will determine the exact cause and professionally tell you how to get rid of constant nasal congestion.

Why is treatment of sinusitis urgent?

When you visit a medical facility, your ENT doctor will tell you how to properly treat sinusitis.

If you ignore the symptoms and do not make an appointment, the disease will take a chronic form and can provoke a number of complications in the form of brain damage or secondary infection.

The occurrence of meningitis, encephalitis or arachnoiditis is just a small list of possible consequences.

Frequent respiratory ailments, pathological disorders of the nasal canals, chronic pharyngitis, dental diseases and other factors can lead to sinusitis. People with weak immune systems are susceptible to the disease. To minimize the risks of severe complications, it is necessary to consult a doctor promptly at the first symptoms. Treatment is prescribed by an ENT specialist based on a preliminary examination of the patient and a comprehensive diagnosis.

The tip of the nose is red and hurts when pressed. What is it and which doctor should I go to?

Treatment

Help before diagnosis

Unpleasant symptoms can be reduced with non-drug treatment. It is recommended to increase the humidity in the room. For this, it is better to purchase a special humidifier. The patient must avoid strong odors and sudden changes in cold and warm air. You need to sleep on a high pillow so that your head is in an elevated position all the time - this reduces swelling of the mucous membrane. Persistent breathing problems through the nose are often a sign of illness, so to determine the cause of the disorder, you must seek qualified medical help.

Drug therapy

The choice of treatment tactics depends on the cause of the disease. Symptomatic therapy in the form of nasal drops with adrenergic agonists is recommended for short-term use during the period of greatest severity of discomfort, but it does not affect the causes of congestion. The basis of the treatment regimen for patients with impaired nasal breathing is usually medication. The following is used as etiotropic and pathogenetic therapy:

• Topical corticosteroids
  . Inhaled forms of hormones are considered the most effective for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and vasomotor rhinitis. They also significantly slow down the growth of nasal polyps. Modern medications are not absorbed into the bloodstream and have no side effects.
• Antiallergic drugs
  . To eliminate swelling and congestion and prevent exacerbations of hay fever, antihistamines and mast cell membrane stabilizers are used. When taken long-term, these medications serve as basic therapy for allergic conditions.
• Antibiotics
  . For the treatment of rhinitis and sinusitis, various antibacterial agents are prescribed - penicillins, macrolides, cephalosporins. Initially, the selection of drugs is carried out empirically. After receiving the results of bacteriological culture, the treatment regimen is adjusted.

Physiotherapy

Rinsing the nasal cavity with saline solutions helps eliminate dry mucous membranes. In patients with chronic diseases of the nasal cavity, along with medications, physiotherapeutic treatment methods are actively used - galvanotherapy, darsonvalization, microwave therapy, which stimulate blood circulation and improve immune defense processes. To enhance the effect of medications, they are injected directly into the affected area using electrophoresis.

Surgery

To eliminate nasal congestion caused by a deviated septum, surgical intervention - septoplasty - is indicated. Surgical methods are also used to treat polyposis: most often, endoscopic removal of a space-occupying lesion is performed, after which nasal breathing is restored. Advanced variants of hypertrophic rhinitis are subject to surgical correction: during the intervention, the specialist performs a conchotomy, removing part of the nasal concha to eliminate the mechanical obstruction to the passage of air.