Best medicine for nasal congestion and sinus pressure

We all know the feeling: You’re stuffy, finding it difficult to breathe, suffering from pain and pressure in your head, and are generally feeling miserable. Is it a cold or a sinus issue? Did you know that head congestion can be a symptom of a cold? Find out the difference between sinus congestion and head congestion, and how to get relief. 

These questions and answers can help you learn more about head congestion from a common cold.

What is Head Congestion?

Head congestion refers to the pressure and discomfort you feel from a runny or stuffy nose caused by a cold.

How Do You Get Head Congestion?

Head congestion, or colds, are caused by different types of viruses, with the rhinovirus being the most common.

What Are the Symptoms of Head Congestion?

Symptoms of head congestion usually include a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, coughing, headaches and body aches.

Where Do You Feel Head Congestion Symptoms?

Naturally, the discomfort felt from head congestion is, well, in your head.

Identifying Sinus Congestion

The following questions and answers can help you identify and determine the causes of your sinus congestion.

What is Sinus Congestion?

Sinus congestion is the “fullness” you feel in various places across your head and neck caused by a blockage of sinus cavities.

How Do You Get Sinus Congestion?

Sinus congestion occurs when the mucus in your nasal passageways doesn’t drain normally, causing a build-up that blocks your sinuses.

What Are the Symptoms of Sinus Congestion?

The mucus that builds up in sinuses causing sinus congestion also results in sinus pain and pressure. You may feel a sinus headache, have a stuffy or runny nose and experience pressure across your cheeks or other areas of your face.

Where Do You Feel Sinus Congestion Symptoms?

Pressure and pain from sinus congestion can be felt behind the forehead, eyes, cheeks or jaw, depending on which types of sinuses are affected.

How to Tell the Difference Between Sinus Congestion and Head Congestion

The main difference between sinus congestion and head congestion is the duration of symptoms. Sinus congestion may cause a sinus infection, which comes with symptoms lasting up to four weeks. Talk to your doctor if you think you may have a sinus infection. Head congestion as part of a cold is usually gone in seven to 10 days.

How to Relieve a Head Cold and Sinus Congestion

Though there are some differences between head congestion and sinus congestion, the following tips can help provide relief from your symptoms. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.

• Drink plenty of water: Water can help thin mucus, which is more likely to drain.
• Make a wrap: Applying a warm towel to your head to ease swollen tissues and relieve pressure.
• Get steamy: Inhaling steam helps keep nasal passages moist and assists with drainage.
• Find relief with SUDAFED®: SUDAFED PE® Head Congestion + Pain can help relievethe pain and pressure associated with head congestion while SUDAFED PE® Sinus Pressure + Pain with acetaminophen can help provide relief from sinus pain and pressure.

A stuffy nose can be an annoying condition that can linger for days or even weeks. There are many underlying causes for a stuffy nose (also known as nasal or sinus congestion), but, contrary to popular belief, the nostrils are not clogged by mucus.

This article explores the causes of a stuffy nose and the various drug and non-drug treatments. It also explains when to call a doctor if the symptoms persist or are a sign of something more serious.

Causes

A stuffy nose mainly happens when nasal tissues become inflamed. This is often caused by respiratory infections like the cold and flu or by different types of allergies. It can also be caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy or certain medications, including erectile dysfunction drugs and antihypertensives.

Among adults, structural abnormalities such as a deviated septum, enlarged turbinates, or nasal polyps can cause congestion-like symptoms. These problems may be inherited or the result of an injury, chronic allergies, or chronic sinusitis. Dry air and tobacco smoke can make the stuffiness worse.

Because infants do not know how to breathe through their mouth, a stuffy nose can become problematic and cause problems with feeding or sleeping. Children also can get a stuffy nose from enlarged adenoids, which sometimes need to be surgically removed.

Recap

The causes of a stuffy nose are many and include, among others:

• Allergies
• Certain medications
• Chronic sinusitis
• Cigarette smoke
• Deviated septum
• Dry air
• Enlarged adenoids or turbinates
• Hormonal changes, such as during pregnancy
• Nasal polyps
• Respiratory infections, like colds and flu
• Sleep apnea

Over-the-Counter Medications

There are different types of drugs that can treat a stuffy nose, the choice of which varies by the underlying cause.

Oral and Nasal Decongestants

Over-the-counter decongestants work by shrinking blood vessels inside the nose. There are both oral and nasal formulations.

Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) is an oral decongestant used to relieve nasal or sinus congestion caused by the common cold, sinusitis, and respiratory allergies. Do not use Sudafed for longer than three days as it can also lead to rebound congestion.

While Sudafed is available without a prescription, it is kept behind the pharmacy counter and requires an ID to obtain. A similar drug called Sudafed PE (phenylephrine) can be purchased without hindrance but has not proven to be anywhere near as effective as pseudoephedrine.

Nasal decongestant sprays like Afrin (oxymetazoline) also provide short-term relief of a stuffy nose. It should also not be used for longer than three days due to the risk of rebound congestion (sometimes referred to as "nasal spray addiction").

Nasal Steroid Sprays

Longer-term relief may be obtained with nasals steroid sprays like Flonase (fluticasone) or Nasonex (mometasone). Nasal steroids work by reducing inflammation in nasal or sinus tissues and provide rapid relief of congestion from hay fever and nasal polyps.

Because nasal steroids blunt the immune response, overuse of the drug can lead to an increased risk of sinus infections.

Oral antihistamines

Some medications work better for congestion caused by allergies than for congestion caused by viruses. These include over-the-counter drugs like Allegra (fexofenadine), Claritin (loratadine), Zyrtec (cetirizine), or Benadryl (diphenhydramine).

These drugs are known as antihistamines because they block a chemical produced by the body, called histamine, that is responsible for allergy symptoms.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises against giving children under 2 any cough and cold remedy containing a decongestant or antihistamine. Doing so may lead to potentially life-threatening side effects like convulsions, rapid heartbeats, and death.

Recap

Different over-the-counter drugs can help relieve sinus or nasal congestion, including oral decongestants like Sudafed, nasal decongestant sprays like Afrin, nasal steroid sprays like Flonase, and oral antihistamines like Claritin.

Non-Drug Treatments

Stuffy noses do not always need to be treated with drugs. There are several home-spun remedies and over-the-counter products that may be suitable for treating mild sinus or nasal congestion. These include:

• Drinking a lot of water
• Using a cool-mist humidifier
• Using an over-the-counter saline nasal spray
• Trying a neti pot
• Rubbing a menthol gel, like Vicks VapoRub, on your chest (not recommended for small children or infants)
• Using over-the-counter nasal adhesive strips, like Breathright
• Sucking on a menthol cough drop
• Using a bulb syringe to remove nasal secretions in infants

When to Call a Doctor

Most of the time, a stuffy nose will clear up on its own within a week. Nasal congestion that lasts longer may be a sign of a serious sinus infection in need of treatment. You may also want to see a doctor if the symptoms are interfering with sleep or your ability to function normally.

A stuffy nose may require medical attention if:

• You have a high fever.
• Your symptoms last longer than two weeks.
• Your nasal passages are completely blocked.
• Your skin or lips develop a bluish tinge (called cyanosis).
• Your breathing rate is very rapid.
• You have difficulty breathing or catching your breath.

Summary

A stuffy nose can be caused by many things, including respiratory infections, allergies, nasal polyps, sleep apnea, hormonal changes, certain medications, and environmental factors such as dry air and cigarette smoke.

Depending on the underlying cause, a stuffy nose may be treated with oral or nasal decongestants, nasal steroids sprays, or oral antihistamines. Non-drug options include a neti pot, menthol cough drops, a saline nasal spray, a cool-mist humidifier, and adhesive nasal breathing strips.

See a doctor if a stuffy nose persists for more than two weeks, interferes with your ability to sleep or function normally, or is accompanied by signs of an infection.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What medicine helps with a runny nose?

  There are plenty of medications that help treat a runny nose, but the right choice depends on its cause. A runny nose caused by allergies can be relieved using an antihistamine like Flonase (fluticasone). First-generation antihistamines such as Benadryl Allergy and Chlor-Trimeton can help with a runny nose caused by a cold. If nasal polyps are the reason for a runny nose, visiting a healthcare provider for prescription medication may be required.

• Can you get rid of a stuffy nose without medicine?

  Yes, you can get rid of a stuffy nose without medicine. Humidifiers, inhaling steam from a hot shower, and neti pots using distilled water are popular options to relieve a stuffy nose. These options offer short-term relief in clearing sinus congestion, but other treatments like medicine may be needed if the symptoms do not go away.

• Why do I get a stuffy nose at night?

  You might get a stuffy nose at night by lying down to go to sleep. Lying horizontally can cause mucus to travel up toward your head instead of going down your throat. Similarly, blood flow is also affected by your lying position, and the increased blood flow to the nasal passages may cause inflammation. Addressing these causes can help relieve a stuffy nose; for instance, slightly elevate your head when going to sleep instead of laying perfectly flat. Other treatments may be required depending on the cause of a stuffy nose at night.

By Kristin Hayes, RN
Kristin Hayes, RN, is a registered nurse specializing in ear, nose, and throat disorders for both adults and children.

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