Decongestants are used for temporary relief of the stuffiness and congestion caused by colds or allergies. Decongestants are available over the counter and by prescription in the forms of pills, drops or nasal sprays. Over-the-counter decongestant...
Plugged ears are rarely a serious problem. They most often result from allergies or a cold and can last between a few hours or a couple of weeks. They usually subside on their own and are painless, only resulting in muffled hearing. Congestion in...
Decongestant nose sprays can reduce the nasal congestion caused by allergies, sinus infections or the common cold. Although these products are useful for short-term use, using them for more than two or three days may cause a "rebound effect" that...
The tubes that connect the back of the nose and throat to the middle ear, called the eustachian tubes, work as valves to keep internal ear pressure balanced with air pressure in the environment. The repeated opening and closing of these tubes...
Nosebleeds are common in children, especially during the winter months when outside humidity levels drop and indoor heating dries out the inside lining of the nose. In most cases, nosebleeds in children are not a cause for alarm and the majority...
Although most common in children, ear infections occur in people of all ages. Often, ear infections are complications of the cold or a respiratory infection, but they also can result from irritants such as water being trapped inside the ear....
Ear pressure while flying, also referred to as airplane ear or ear barotrauma, occurs when stress is placed on the eardrum during a flight. This condition is caused by a change in air pressure that occurs when the altitude changes. Infants and...
Allergies affect nearly 50 million Americans, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, or AAAAI. Allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to a particular substance and attempts to fight it off, according to...
Allergies to pets are common among children and adults. Culprits for allergic reactions are urine, saliva and dander, the dead skin flakes that the animal sheds. Fur or feathers themselves do not cause allergies, but allergens get transferred to...
Along with pointing you in the direction of your favorite meal or reminding you the neighbor's roses are blooming, your nose takes in about 20,000 liters of air each day. It also warms the air you breathe before it reaches your lungs and helps...
Vicks Sinex is an over-the-counter decongestant in nasal spray form. You can use it to relieve nasal congestion due to colds, sinus problems or allergies. The spray with four-hour effects contains the active ingredient phenylephrine hydrochloride,...
Oxymetazoline is a nasal decongestant used to manage the common cold, allergy symptoms and hay fever. According to Drugs.com, oxymetazoline tightens the nasal blood vessels, subsequently treating most debilitating nasal symptoms. MedlinePlus says...
Nasal sprays are used to treat conditions such as flu, allergic rhinitis, seasonal allergies and sinusitis. These sprays allow medication or saline to be applied directly to the nasal passages, providing relief of symptoms, including stuffy nose,...
Medline Plus states that congestion occurs when the tissues lining your nose swell. Allergies, nasal polyps, the common cold, a sinus infection or vasomotor rhinitis are possible causes of congestion. To help reduce the irritation and excessive...
For most people common colds are pretty common. Because they can vary in length, it's hard to know if you will feel under the weather for two days or two weeks. Because a cold is a virus, there isn't technically a cure; however, acting quickly can...
Ragweed allergies are a type of allergic rhinitis in which the afflicted individual has an overactive immune response to the pollen of the ragweed plant. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, between 10 and 20 percent of...
Nosebleeds occur for a variety of reasons, including dry air or picking inside the nose. The inside lining of the nose is filled with many blood vessels close to the surface. If irritation occurs in the nose, bleeding may occur easily. Bleeding...
Although nasal sprays can reduce the symptoms of allergies and nasal congestion, they are not always the best solution. Using a decongestant nasal spray, for example, can cause rebound congestion and a reduction in efficacy after three days,...
According to Web MD, if you have a cold, your symptoms probably came on slowly; you probably don't have a fever, have slight aches and pains, are mildly fatigued, have a stuffy nose, have a sore throat and are sneezing. If you have the flu, your...
Nosebleeds remain one of the common side effects of taking fish oil supplements, especially in high doses. The omega-3 essential fatty acids found in fish oil affect platelets in your blood and clotting time. Many Americans take fish oil to reduce...
If you hear your baby start to breathe noisily through his nose, he is becoming congested. Because his nostrils are so tiny, even a slight inflammation can block his ability to breathe comfortably. If the child has a fever, too, call the doctor,...
Ear popping during exercise can be a disruptive, aggravating side effect. The cause of your ear popping could stem from several sources. Allergies, sinuses, the common cold or Eustachian Tube Dysfunction, also known as ETD, could be the culprit....
Dry mouth at night can be anything from an annoying inconvenience to a sign of serious illness, such as diabetes. If your dry mouth is also accompanied by snoring, you might have sleep apnea. If you regularly experience dry mouth, consult your...
For most people, common colds and even the flu are pretty common occurrences, though it's hard to know if people will feel under the weather for two days or two weeks. Because a cold and the flu are viruses, there isn't technically a cure for...
Stuffed and congested sinuses can be a part of the common cold or sinusitis due to bacteria, allergies or other infections. According to the Mayo Clinic, the treatment of sinus issues depends on the cause, but "in most cases, home remedies are all...
Nasal allergies, also known as allergic rhinitis, have symptoms including runny nose, itching, nasal stuffiness or congestion and sneezing. Though oral medications may be effective for some patients, they may cause undesirable side effects. Many...
When battling an illness, pressure or pain in the ears or difficulty hearing often occurs as a result of congestion or inflammation. Sinus pressure constricts the Eustachian tubes that connect your middle ear to your nose and throat and creates a...
Sinus congestion is caused by inflammation of the sinuses. Sinuses can become inflamed as a result of allergies (in which the immune system over-reacts to certain stimuli, such as pollen), viral infections such as the common cold or simple...
Nosebleeds are the result of broken vessels in the nose. The break may be caused by an injury, infections, such as a sinus infection, or environmental issues, such as dry air. In children and young adults, the bleeding starts in the vessels near...
