Head congestion is the worst. It just makes life seem miserable. You can’t breathe properly, which can affect your sleep as well as daily activities like working out. It makes your head feel abnormally heavy and sometimes leads to headaches and sinus pain. So, the sooner you can find head congestion relief, the better. But, what is head congestion medically defined as? Are there head congestion home remedies that really work? Well, this article will take a look at these issues and more. We’ll discuss causes of head congestion, symptoms of congestion in the head, and home remedies for head congestion. Hopefully, you’ll know how to relieve head congestion quickly and effectively the next time it strikes.
What Are the Causes and Symptoms of Head Congestion?
The first step to getting rid of head congestion is defining what it is. Basically, inside of your head are four pairs of sinuses. Their main job is to moisten, filter, and warm the air that you are breathing in. This protects your body from various allergens, viruses, and bacteria that might be airborne. The sinuses use mucus as part of this system, and in healthy sinuses, that mucus drains and cycles naturally. When the mucus starts to become too thick and plentiful due to various factors and eventually blocks the sinuses, head congestion begins.
The second step to getting rid of head congestion is recognizing the common head congestion symptoms. Those can include the following:
1. Stuffiness
Nose breathing is a little more labored as the sinuses are blocked and require more work to get air into the system.
2. Coughing
The difficulties in breathing can also lead to coughing.
3. Sore throat
Due to the buildup of mucus, you may experience a sore throat as the mucus makes its way down your throat and irritates the flesh.
4. Headache
The pressure formed by the clogged sinuses can cause painful headaches. This pressure pain can also spread your cheeks and even your jaw.
5. Earaches
If there is an infection in your sinuses, the mucus buildup can spread the infection to your ears while traveling down the throat.
If you are suffering from these symptoms, you’ll probably want to get rid of the source immediately. Want to know how to clear head congestion both naturally and medically? We’re glad you asked.
Getting Rid of Head Congestion
You’ve got a head cold, your sinuses are filled with mucus that is not draining, and you are suffering from severe stuffiness. Your main focus is on how to stop head congestion. So, are there head congestion remedies you can use to loosen its hold on your head? As it turns out, quite a few home remedies and medical treatments could help clean out your sinuses and get you back to breathing normally.
1. Steam
Steam can loosen up and melt mucus that is clogging the sinuses and thus relieve congestion. Steam can be delivered to your system in a couple of different ways. A hot shower or bath can bring the steam into your system as can a sit in a sauna. A more direct route can include boiling water in a pot or kettle. Cover your head with a towel and lean into the steam in order to create a funnel for the steam to enter the sinuses.
2. Humidifier
The use of a humidifier, especially while you are sleeping, can help break up the mucus, which will allow it to drain out and clear the congestion.
3. Nasal Irrigation
Flushing your nasal passages and sinuses with a warm saline solution can also help loosen and immediately drain the mucus in the sinuses. This can be done with the use of a neti pot, syringe, or other similar device.
4. Vitamin C
Vitamin C has a long history of use for common cold prevention, but the vitamin could also help your system fight head congestion.
5. Garlic
Due to its various anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, garlic might help relieve the congestion in your head. This can be done by eating a few raw garlic cloves a day, adding garlic to your meals, or by taking garlic supplements.
6. Tea
A number of herbal teas like green and ginseng may help relieve the symptoms of a congested head. The teas themselves have nutrients that could help break up the mucus, but the heat and steam from the tea are also useful for melting the mucus.
7. Decongestants
There are many over-the-counter decongestants that are designed to help clear up the congestion.
8. Nasal Strips
Nasal strips can be used to open the nasal passages, which can allow for more drainage from the sinuses.
9. Aromatherapy Oils
There are a number of aromatherapy oils that could address your head congestion, especially peppermint, tea tree, and eucalyptus oils. These can be ingested, but also work well when added to a bath, humidifier, or boiling water in preparation for a steam treatment.
10. Acupuncture
If your congestion is chronic or reappears on a regular basis, acupuncture may help relieve some of your congestion issues.
As you can see, there are numerous treatments of both the home remedy and medical variety, and a number of which can be easily combined for peak performance. But, if you find that the congestion isn’t disappearing or weakening, it may be time to go to the doctor. A doctor can do a full diagnostic exam to see if there are more serious issues at play. The congestion could have turned into a sinus infection, or perhaps it’s a nasal polyp. The doctor can then determine a course of treatment to rid you of the resulting head congestion.
Head Congestion Can Be Miserable!
If you’ve ever experienced a head cold that blocked your sinus passages, then you know how bad head congestion can make you feel. You may have a hard time breathing, headaches, and all-over face pains, which can all make it hard to sleep or do anything else for that matter. But luckily, there are a number of home remedies and medical treatments that can help you defeat that head congestion and get on with your life.
Sources:
“Symptoms Of Severe Head Congestion: Causes And Home Remedies,” Tandurust, August 24, 2016; http://www.tandurust.com/alternativetherapies/head-congestion-causes-remedies.html, last accessed May 19, 2017.
“How to Relieve Head Congestion,” WikiHow; http://www.wikihow.com/Relieve-Head-Congestion, last accessed May 19, 2017.