Your nose can get stuffy when mucus accumulates in it and when the blood vessels and tissues of the nose swell due to inflammation. Although nasal congestion causes discomfort and irritation, it usually goes away on its own. You can help alleviate nasal congestion by eating the right foods and drinking the right fluids.
Spicy Foods
Eat spicy foods or foods that contain peppers to relieve stuffy nose to reduce mucus buildup. Spicy foods help make the clogged mucus runny, and stimulate it to flow out of your nose or down your throat. If the nasal congestion is due to the swelling of your blood vessels and tissues lining your nose, do not eat spicy foods, as they can aggravate the swelling.
Ginger
Ginger can help clear or reduce stuffy nose by alleviating the inflamed tissues and blood vessels. Ginger can help treat the common cold, one of the root causes of nasal congestion. You can add ginger to just about any dish, including soup, noodles, steamed fish and steamed chicken. Dehydrated ginger candies are available as well.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon has medicinal properties that can help treat cold symptoms such as nasal congestion and reduce inflammation of tissues. Cinnamon adds a very nice flavor to most dishes. You may sprinkle cinnamon in your rice, bread, soup and tea.
Chicken-Vegetable Soup
Chicken broth or soup with vegetables may help reduce nasal congestion. A study done by Dr. Stephen Rennard and colleagues of Nebraska Medical Center showed that chicken soup inhibited neutrophils, a type of white blood cells. The findings, reported in the October 2000 issue of "Chest," suggest that chicken-vegetable soup may have an anti-inflammatory effect. The soup also stimulates the flow of mucus out of the nose.
Hot Fluid
Drink plenty of hot tea with honey and lemon or ginger. Hot soup should help reduce the mucus as well. The steam from hot fluid that you sip helps thin out the trapped mucus in the nasal passages.
References
- MedlinePlus Medical Encyclodpedia: Nasal Congestion
- MacoClinic.com: Runny Nose
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Ginger
- International College of Herbal Medicine: Herb of the Month
- Pubmed: Cinnamon and Health
- "Chest"; Chicken Soup Inhibits Neutrophil Chemotaxis In Vitro; Stephen Rennard, MD, FCCP, et al.; October 2000
