It is believed that the most common inflammation is rhinitis. Despite the widespread occurrence of respiratory diseases during the season, a runny nose can also manifest itself as an independent inflammation. But regardless of the form or nature of the illness, an acute and thick runny nose can be cured quite quickly. To do this, the patient needs to diagnose inflammation in time and seek medical help.
Very thick snot requires a special approach, since the patient develops a more complex inflammation than just swelling of the mucous membrane. If such an ailment is left unattended, the patient may develop otitis or sinusitis one week after the onset of inflammation. Therefore, it is important to know how and how to treat thick snot in an adult.
Causes of nasal congestion
Before you begin to treat the most seemingly harmless disease, you need to find out its causes. The nose can be stuffy either constantly or at certain times (for example, in the mornings or evenings).
Each time this is accompanied by swelling of the nose, and the appearance of snot is not at all a necessary fact. The causes of this disease can be:
- the course of a viral infection;
- infection with a bacterial infection;
- allergic reactions;
- hormonal disbalance;
- reaction to chemicals;
- reaction to toxins entering the body;
- dependence on certain medications;
- the result of mechanical damage;
- features of the anatomical structure.
Viruses and various pathogenic bacteria multiplying on the mucous membrane cause swelling. The impact of bacteria is especially dangerous, because they can lead to purulent inflammation, which is very difficult to treat.
It becomes difficult for a person to blow his nose, and the discharge has a greenish tint. You can’t get away with this with ordinary home or folk remedies, and you have to resort to using antibiotics.
In allergies, swelling is caused by histamine, a substance produced in the body during characteristic reactions. In this case, there is no need to get carried away with cold drops or sprays. They can provoke vasomotor rhinitis. To relieve symptoms, it is better to use folk remedies.
Hormonal disruption, which causes swelling of the nose with difficulty blowing the nose, is typical primarily for pregnant women.
It also happens that there is constant discharge from the nose, and the snot is not blown out. The cause may be either congenital or acquired deformation of the nasal septum. In such cases, adenoids, polyps and other similar neoplasms may form. Unfortunately, this cannot be done without the help of a surgeon.
Nasal congestion due to infections
What to do if the cause of a runny nose is viral or bacterial infections? And most importantly, how to recognize this? As a rule, nasal congestion is a clear sign of a cold. Certain people, especially children, have a certain predisposition to colds, and they can get sick several times a year.
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A runny nose does not always go away quickly and is easily treated. Sometimes great discomfort is caused by the fact that the accumulated mucus, which can block the nose and make breathing difficult, is very difficult to blow your nose. A person cannot think about anything else but a way to get rid of snot.
By the color of the discharge, you can determine how dangerous such symptoms are and what negative consequences for the body may follow.
White and fairly thick mucus indicates the onset of infectious diseases or the presence of inflammation. Such snot in a child is not dangerous if you consult a doctor in time and begin treatment immediately.
The green color of snot is given by a special substance that the human body can produce to resist viruses. Green mucus indicates a chronic disease or the presence of pneumonia, as well as chronic bronchitis. The sinuses may become filled with pus, which is the main cause of sinusitis.
Yellow mucus is characteristic of heavy smokers. For non-smokers, this is a very dangerous symptom - it is possible that they have cancer or a very severe course of the disease with possible serious complications. In certain cases, the yellow color may acquire a more saturated color, even brown.
Types and causes of thick snot
White snot in an adult or child indicates that an infectious or inflammatory process is occurring in the body. Such manifestations most often occur at the very beginning of the development of the disease process. Over time, if a runny nose is left untreated, the discharge turns from white to yellow or green.
If a person has a cold, the body's immune system tries to actively fight infectious irritants. Defense mechanisms secrete a specific green substance, which is why the thick white snot changes color.
Excessively thick greenish discharge can either be a good sign for the patient (the body has overcome the disease) or indicate incipient sinusitis.
Yellow snot in adults usually appears in those who abuse smoking. Nicotine, after passing through the respiratory tract, deposits sediment on the mucous membrane in the nose.
When a smoker tries to blow his nose, he sees mucus with a yellow tint. If the patient does not come into contact with nicotine, thick yellow mucus in the nose indicates that the viral infection is progressing.
In the nasopharynx of an adult, a thick secretion interspersed with blood may be observed. This phenomenon, as a rule, indicates mechanical damage to the mucosa. For example, when trying to clear your nose.
In the worst case, bloody impurities in nasal discharge indicate severe pathologies. In some cases, untreated diseases manifest themselves this way.
Treatment methods
In cases where the nose is stuffy and it is impossible to blow your nose, you should use home or medical remedies to relieve symptoms and eliminate the causes of increased mucus production. In a child, snot is somewhat more difficult to treat, since he strongly resists the unpleasant sensations that arise from taking the medicine.
If you have a runny nose caused by infectious diseases, you don’t have to resort to using chemicals from the pharmacy, but use traditional methods. This will not only be cheaper, but in some cases it will also be safer. It is important to start treatment at the first signs of the onset of the disease.
If the accumulated mucus does not blow your nose, you can rinse your nose with saline solution. This is how he prepares. Take 1 teaspoon of sea salt (but you can also use regular salt) and dissolve it in 1 liter of water. Washing is done twice a day. This procedure should never be carried out on a child, since he cannot control his breathing and may choke.
To treat nasal congestion, steam inhalations with the addition of tea tree, eucalyptus or fir oil are used. Our grandmothers also recommended breathing over the steam of freshly boiled potatoes when you have a runny nose.
Other folk remedies that were once widely used to treat snot have also proven effective. This includes the juices of aloe, Kalanchoe, carrots, and applying warm boiled eggs to the nose in the area of the maxillary sinuses. In addition to carrying out medical procedures, it is also necessary to create comfortable conditions that promote a speedy recovery. First of all, this is sufficient air humidification, in which the mucus does not thicken, but quickly comes out of the nose.
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How to deal with nasal congestion: available methods
Every mother should know what to do if a baby has a stuffy nose if he cannot blow his nose. The action algorithm may look like this:
- Washing is mandatory. This is a useful procedure that you can resort to at the first suspicion of a runny nose in your baby. It is better to use saline sprays as a solution for rinsing the nose of young children. It is worth noting that their price is quite high, but there is an alternative. The rinsing solution can be prepared at home or purchased from the pharmacy chain with Essentuki No. 17 medicinal water. Before using it as nasal drops, you need to release the gas from it and warm it up slightly.
- Inhalations will help loosen the accumulation of snot in the nasopharynx. It should be remembered that it is not recommended to select a medicinal mixture for inhalation on your own. There is a high risk of an inadequate reaction of the body to the drug composition in a child. Steam inhalations are allowed for children over 6 years of age.
It is worth remembering that inhalations are unacceptable if the patient’s body temperature is above 37.5, there is a tendency to bleed from the nose, or cardiac pathologies. The minimum interval after eating should be 2 hours; inhalation during the procedure should be done through the nose. Parents should pay close attention to the child’s health; under no circumstances should they be left alone during inhalation. Hot air has different effects on the baby's body; side effects such as loss of consciousness or dizziness are possible.
Drug treatment
A runny nose in children often begins with nasal congestion, and during the initial examination, the otolaryngologist finds out that mucus flows down the wall of the nasopharynx. Treatment in this case will be the same as for ordinary rhinitis. The child is advised to instill vasoconstrictor drops, antiviral and antibacterial agents (this is necessary if the snot is thick and cannot be blown out).
It is worth remembering that before dripping any product into the nose, you need to rinse the nasal cavity with saline solution. This is necessary to eliminate the accumulation of mucus and pathogenic microorganisms. It is useful to wash frequently. After 3 days from the start of intensive treatment, the amount of mucus should decrease, but it must be blown out. This point is quite difficult if nasal congestion occurs in a small child who does not know how to blow his nose. To suck out snot from young children, you can use an aspirator or a small rubber bulb.
Home methods
The listed treatment methods cannot be used to relieve nasal congestion in young children, despite the fact that they consist exclusively of natural ingredients. Adult patients are recommended to use such drugs in combination with drug treatment. You should not self-medicate; you should definitely visit an otolaryngologist in order to exclude the possibility of developing sinusitis.
There are a number of therapeutic measures that will help eliminate congestion and allow you to breathe through your nose after just a couple of procedures. Such products can be used in the absence of contraindications.
Honey and aloe
Everyone knows about the benefits of aloe and honey. During colds, honey is used not only for oral consumption, but also for rinsing the nasal cavities. Experts recommend mixing 1 tbsp. spoon of aloe juice and 1 teaspoon of honey, soak cotton swabs in this mixture and insert into the nasal passages for 20 minutes.
Use of medications
Traditional medicine does not always help achieve the desired result quickly. In this case, you have to resort to drug treatment.
The most common medications are sprays and drops that have a vasoconstrictor effect. But they can only relieve the symptoms, and not eliminate the very cause of the disease. If the nose does not breathe for more than a week, then you should stop using the medications and immediately consult a doctor.
In case of purulent sinusitis, fever, pain, you should also start taking antibiotics. Popular antibacterial drops have too weak a concentration and will be powerless in this case.
There are times when even with a seemingly ordinary runny nose, you should immediately consult a doctor. In particular if:
- the nose is stuffy and it is difficult to blow the snot out for three weeks or more (provided that the necessary treatment is carried out);
- there is the appearance of purulent discharge and an unpleasant odor in the secreted mucus;
- the temperature increased, pain appeared in the face;
- The sense of smell was completely lost.
You should not risk your health; you should always carefully monitor what results the treatment of a runny nose gives and how long the process lasts. If there is the slightest suspicion of complications, you should immediately contact a specialist.
