A blocked nose affects 10 - 20 per cent of the population. The symptoms of a blocked nose often start in late childhood and tend to mostly affect those aged between 10 and 25 years old. Allergy avoidance is the key to helping prevent blocked nose. There are also a variety of drugs that can help treat a blocked nose, such as antihistamines and steroid nasal sprays.
The mucous membranes lining the inside of the nose can easily become swollen by increased blood flow to the nasal area and increased mucous secretions. This leads to nasal congestion or a blocked nose, which is a hallmark symptom of rhinitis.
Non-allergic rhinitis is diagnosed whenever there is no obvious allergic trigger for a blocked nose. Vasomotor rhinitis occurs whenever there are swollen blood vessels in the nose. Rhinitis may also arise from a viral infection such as a cold or flu.
The following allergens often cause a blocked nose:
A blocked nose caused by allergy often occurs with other nasal symptoms such as:
The blocked nose may also affect the eyes. Symptoms of sore eyes may be:
Other symptoms that may also accompany allergic blocked nose could also entail:
Allergen avoidance should certainly be a priority if a blocked nose and accompanying symptoms are moderate, severe, or frequent. Key allergens to avoid are:
Pollen: As an outdoor allergen, pollen is perhaps less easy to control than an indoor allergen. These simple measures may avoid your exposure to pollens:
House dust mite: It is the droppings and corpses of the house dust mite which contains the allergen causing rhinitis and blocked nose symptom. There are several ways in which the house dust mite can be reduced indoors:
Mould: Mould spores are readily inhaled and can cause a blocked nose. Reduce mould by:
Pet dander: If you do have an animal in the house, try to:
A HEPA air purifier can effectively remove airborne particulate allergens, like house dust mite remains, mould spores, pet dander and pollen grains. Using the appropriate air purifier could make a significant contribution to reducing the number of allergens that you are exposed to and that cause the symptoms of a blocked nose.
To control symptoms of a blocked nose, it is recommended to start limiting the number of allergens that you are exposed to in your home or place of work on a day-to-day basis. An additional step can be to take medication. Here are the most common ones: