Nasal congestion

In about 85% of cases, nasal congestion leads to mouth breathing rather than nasal breathing.{{cite book|editor=Rao A|title=Principles and Practice of Pedodontics.|year=2012|publisher=Jaypee Brothers Medical Pub|location=New Delhi|isbn=9789350258910|pages=169, 170|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ynaeb6CC8wAC&dq=%22mouth+breathing%22&pg=PA169|edition=3rd}} According to Jason Turowski, MD of the Cleveland Clinic, "we are designed to breathe through our noses from birth—it's the way humans have evolved."{{cite web

|url=https://health.clevelandclinic.org/breathe-mouth-nose/

|title=Should You Breathe Through Your Mouth or Your Nose?

|access-date=2020-06-28

|last=Turowski

|first=Jason

|date=2016-04-29

|publisher=Cleveland Clinic

}} This is referred to as "obligate nasal breathing."{{cite journal | vauthors = Bergeson PS, Shaw JC | title = Are infants really obligatory nasal breathers? | journal = Clinical Pediatrics | volume = 40 | issue = 10 | pages = 567–9 | date = October 2001 | pmid = 11681824 | doi = 10.1177/000992280104001006 | s2cid = 44715721 }}

Nasal congestion can interfere with hearing and speech. Significant congestion may interfere with sleep, cause snoring, and can be associated with sleep apnea or upper airway resistance syndrome.{{cite journal |last1=de Oliveira |first1=Pedro Wey Barbosa |last2=Gregorio |first2=Luciano Lobato |last3=Silva |first3=Rogério Santos |last4=Bittencourt |first4=Lia Rita Azevedo |last5=Tufik |first5=Sergio |last6=Gregório |first6=Luis Carlos |title=Orofacial-cervical alterations in individuals with upper airway resistance syndrome |journal=Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology |date=July 2016 |volume=82 |issue=4 |pages=377–384 |doi=10.1016/j.bjorl.2015.05.015|pmid=26671020 |pmc=9448996 |doi-access=free }} In children, nasal congestion from enlarged adenoids has caused chronic sleep apnea with insufficient oxygen levels and hypoxia. The problem usually resolves after surgery to remove the adenoids and tonsils, however the problem often relapses later in life due to craniofacial alterations from chronic nasal congestion.{{cite journal | vauthors = Buschang PH, Carrillo R, Rossouw PE | title = Orthopedic correction of growing hyperdivergent, retrognathic patients with miniscrew implants | journal = Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery| volume = 69 | issue = 3 | pages = 754–62 | date = March 2011 | pmid = 21236539 | pmc = 3046301 | doi = 10.1016/j.joms.2010.11.013 }}

• Allergies, like hay fever, allergic reaction to pollen or grass
• Common cold, influenza or COVID-19
• Rhinitis medicamentosa, a condition of rebound nasal congestion brought on by extended use of topical decongestants (e.g., oxymetazoline, phenylephrine, xylometazoline, and naphazoline nasal sprays)
• Sinusitis or sinus infection
• Narrow or collapsing nasal valve{{Cite web|url=http://aerinmedical.com/nasal-conditions/|title=Blocked Nose, Restricted Air Flow.|website=Aerin Medical|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826081748/http://aerinmedical.com/nasal-conditions/|archive-date=2016-08-26|url-status=dead}}
• Pregnancy may cause women to suffer from nasal congestion due to the increased amount of blood flowing through the body.
• Nasal polyps[https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003049.htm Nasal congestion] at MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. Update Date: 8/2/2011. Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro. Also reviewed by David Zieve.
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (theorized to cause chronic rhinosinusitis- the "airway reflux paradigm"){{cite journal | vauthors = Pacheco-Galván A, Hart SP, Morice AH | title = Relationship between gastro-oesophageal reflux and airway diseases: the airway reflux paradigm | journal = Archivos de Bronconeumologia | volume = 47 | issue = 4 | pages = 195–203 | date = April 2011 | pmid = 21459504 | doi = 10.1016/j.arbres.2011.02.001 }}

Nasal obstruction characterized by insufficient airflow through the nose can be a subjective sensation or the result of objective pathology.{{cite journal | vauthors = Wang DY, Raza MT, Gordon BR | title = Control of nasal obstruction in perennial allergic rhinitis | journal = Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology | volume = 4 | issue = 3 | pages = 165–70 | date = June 2004 | pmid = 15126936 | doi = 10.1097/00130832-200406000-00005 | s2cid = 20608574 }} It is difficult to quantify by subjective complaints or clinical examinations alone, hence both clinicians and researchers depend both on concurrent subjective assessment and on objective measurement of the nasal airway.{{cite journal | vauthors = Wang DY, Raza MT, Goh DY, Lee BW, Chan YH | title = Acoustic rhinometry in nasal allergen challenge study: which dimensional measures are meaningful? | journal = Clinical and Experimental Allergy | volume = 34 | issue = 7 | pages = 1093–8 | date = July 2004 | pmid = 15248855 | doi = 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2004.01988.x | s2cid = 28523614 }}

Prevalence of kyphosis has been linked to nasal obstruction in a study.{{cite journal | vauthors = Šidlauskienė M, Smailienė D, Lopatienė K, Čekanauskas E, Pribuišienė R, Šidlauskas M | title = Relationships between Malocclusion, Body Posture, and Nasopharyngeal Pathology in Pre-Orthodontic Children | journal = Medical Science Monitor | volume = 21 | pages = 1765–73 | date = June 2015 | pmid = 26086193 | pmc = 4484615 | doi = 10.12659/MSM.893395 }}

According to WebMD, congestion can be addressed through the use of a humidifier, warm showers, drinking fluids, using a neti pot, using a nasal saline spray, and sleeping with one's head elevated. It also recommends a number of over the counter decongestants and antihistamines.{{cite web|url=https://www.webmd.com/allergies/sinus-congestion?page=2|title='How to Treat Nasal Congestion and Sinus Pressure|access-date=2020-06-28|last=Swiner|first=Carmelita|date=2020-01-27|publisher=WebMD}} A 2012 study concluded that combining nasal sprays with "nasal breathing exercises" (NBE) led to improvement of symptoms. Though it may seem an odd recommendation, crying may also be helpful.{{cite journal|title=Nasal Breathing Exercise and its Effect on Symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis|last=Nair|first=Satish|journal=Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery|date=2011-04-12|volume=64|issue=2|pages=172–176|publisher=Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg|doi=10.1007/s12070-011-0243-5|pmid=23730580|pmc=3392338}}

The Cleveland Clinic also states that congestion may be a sign of a deviated septum, a condition that needs to be addressed by a doctor.{{cite web|url=https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-your-nose-working-against-you-5-signs-of-a-deviated-septum/|title=Is Your Nose Working Against You? 5 Signs of a Deviated Septum|date=7 November 2019|access-date=2020-06-28|publisher=Cleveland Clinic}}

• Decongestant
• Honeymoon rhinitis
• Inhaler

{{reflist}}

• {{Cite book|title=Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art

|last=Nestor|first=James|publisher=Riverhead Books |year=2020|isbn= 978-0735213616 }}

{{Medical resources

| DiseasesDP =

| ICD10 = {{ICD10|R|09|81}}

| ICD9 = {{ICD9|478.19}}

| ICDO =

| OMIM =

| MedlinePlus = 003049

| eMedicineSubj =

| eMedicineTopic =

| MeSH =D015508

}}

{{Common Cold}}

{{Respiratory pathology}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nasal Congestion}}

Category:Nose

Category:Symptoms and signs: Respiratory system