What’s causing your stuffy nose?
Is your nose uncomfortably stuffed? Understand what may be causing this and why you should seek treatment to reduce its impact on your life.
A stuffy or blocked nose makes it hard to breathe, sleep and concentrate. You’re constantly blowing your nose but feeling no relief. It’s irritating and unpleasant. In short, you can feel pretty miserable when you’re stuffed up.
So why do you get a blocked nose with your allergies, and how can you find relief? The good news is that there are treatment options to help relieve that stuffy nose. Read on to learn more.
Understanding ‘allergy nose’
A blocked nose is one of the common symptoms of seasonal allergies, also known as allergic rhinitis. Other allergy symptoms include itching, sneezing, watery eyes and redness.
Allergic reactions are triggered by substances your body views as foreign, called allergens. Common allergens are pollen, pet dander, dust and mould.
Your body releases a chemical called histamine when you come into contact with allergens. This histamine release causes those annoying allergy symptoms like itchy eyes, sneezing and the increased mucus production that causes a blocked nose.
Can a stuffy nose impact your sense of smell?
Noticed you seem to be losing your sense of taste and smell? Dulled senses can be an unfortunate side effect of allergic rhinitis. Your senses can be affected by your allergy because mucus can block the airways, or inflammation can occur in the nasal passages, obstructing air flow and affecting taste and smell.
Luckily, losing taste and smell from allergies is usually temporary and tends to come and go with other symptoms. But using an intranasal corticosteroid spray (INCS), like Nasonex Allergy, can help relieve nasal congestion, giving you your sense of smell back faster.
Losing taste and smell can be a symptom of other health conditions, so always speak with your healthcare professional to rule out other causes.
Can allergies impact your hearing?
Worried about hearing loss? Hearing issues aren’t the most common allergy symptom, thankfully. Still, some people with allergies may experience pressure in the ear if fluid builds up which can cause a feeling of a blocked ear or an earache.
Can a stuffy nose impact sleep?
Struggling to get a good night’s sleep? As you probably know by now, a blocked nose can severely impact your sleep quality, keeping you awake all night long.
Many of us breathe through our nose when we sleep, so without this ability we can toss and turn all night long.
INCS, like Nasonex Allergy, can provide effective relief for nasal congestion to help stop that stuffy nose from interfering with your sleep. In the meantime, it’s best to sleep on your back when you have a stuffy nose, rather than your side.
Can a stuffy nose impact your concentration?
Is your productivity being impacted at work or school? If your allergies are poorly controlled this can cause discomfort as well as impact on your productivity and performance at work and/or school. Some people may even need to take the day off.
How to treat your stuffy nose
If you’re experiencing stuffy nose regularly due to allergies, using an INCS like Nasonex Allergy can help to relieve your symptoms.
To learn more about Nasonex Allergy and how it may help relieve your blocked nose, go here.
The materials on this site have been prepared for general information purposes only. They are not intended to be relied on as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your healthcare professional for any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.