Posts Tagged ‘Air’

How to reduce nasal congestion during common cold?

Nasal congestion is the blockage of the nasal passages. This congestion is usually due to membranes lining the nose becoming swollen from inflamed blood vessels.

- Nasal congestion can range from a mild annoyance to a life-threatening condition.
- Nasal congestion in an infant can interfere with breastfeeding in the first few months of life.
- It can cause life-threatening respiratory distress.
- Nasal congestion in older children and adolescents can cause other difficulties.
- Nasal congestion can interfere with the ears, hearing, and speech development.
- Significant congestion may interfere with sleep and cause snoring.
- This can be associated with sleep apnea.
- In children, nasal congestion from enlarged adenoids.
- This can cause chronic sleep apnea with insufficient oxygen levels and hypoxia.
- This might as well cause right-sided heart failure.
- The problem usually resolves after surgery to remove the adenoids and tonsils.
- Nasal congestion can also cause mild facial and head pain

It is also known as:
- nasal blockage
- nasal obstruction
- blocked nose
- stuffy nose
- stuffed up nose

Causes of Nasal Congestion:
- Allergic reaction.
- Common cold or influenza.
- Deviated septum.
- Hay fever, allergic reaction to pollen or grass.
- Reaction to medication (e.g. Flomax).
- Rhinitis medicamentosa a condition of rebound nasal congestion due to extended use of topical decongestants (e.g.,oxymetazoline, phenylephrine, xylometazoline, and naphazoline nasal sprays).
- Sinusitis or sinus infection.
- If the body is in an upside down position, the blood vessels in the nasal passage may inflame.
- Many women suffer from nasal congestion during pregnancy which is due to the increased amount of blood flowing through the body.

Symptoms of Nasal Congestion:
- Difficulty breathing through your nose
- A runny nose
- Sneezing
- Trouble in sleeping
- Speaking
- Hearing
- Experience bothersome snoring

Treatment of Nasal congestion:
- Drugs such as acetaminophen (paracetamol).
- ibuprofen.
- Antihistamines.
- Decongestants.
- Topical decongestants.
- A nasal aspirator may be useful to remove the mucus.

Alternative medicine:
- The use of nasal irrigation may help reduce nasal congestion.
- It involves rinsing the nasal cavity with saline to clear out allergy-causing microscopic particles.

Home Remedies for Nasal Congestion
- Foods
Many spicy foods such as curries, Chinese soups, and Mexican dishes contain peppers and spices that can help relieve congestion.
- Vapor Rub
Vapor rub contains menthol, which helps to temporarily open the nasal passages.
- Hot Drinks
1.Drinking hot drinks such as green tea can help to reduce nasal congestion.
2.The steam from the drink opens up the nasal passages
3.Tea or chicken soup is old cure for colds.

- Elevate Your Head
Elevating your head with extra pillows at night can help the nose to drain better.

- Hot Compresses
Placing a hot, moist towel under your eyes encourages sinus drainage.

- Steam
The best relief is taking a hot shower.

- Tomato Tea
Tomato tea works to open the sinuses and give the body a much-needed boost of vitamin C to help improve the immune system.

- Oil of Oregano
Add 2 or 3 drops of oil of oregano to your favorite juice and drink it 3 or 4 times a day to treat nasal congestion.

- Nasal Sprays
Nasal sprays are a great way to relieve the pressure.

- Over-the-Counter Sprays
1. Nasal sprays such as Afrin offer decongestant properties and work to quickly relieve the nose of congestion.
2. Zicam and Vicks offer a more natural nasal spray.

- Prescription Sprays
Products such as Nasonex and Omnaris offer relief from allergies and allergy-caused nasal congestion.

Side effects of these medications include:
- Increased heart rate
- Dizziness
- Bitter taste
- Diarrhea
- Anxiety

Other remedies
- Saline
- Tea Tree Oil
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Decongestant Pills

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What are simple ways to avoid seasonal allergies?

There are some seasonal allergies that can cause itchy eyes, scratchy throat, relentless sneezing. Allergens are in the air.
The nasal cycle is affected by the body position. When we lie on one side, the pressure of body in contact with bed triggers a reflex change in the nose so the upper nostril opens while lower one closes up.
Other factors that can affect nasal cycle are allergies, infections, pregnancy, some drugs, humidity, hormones, sexual activity.

Few tricks to keep the symptoms away are:
- To avoid pollen and allergens to spread all over house, try to keep your shoes at the door and avoid them to bring in house.
- Air purifier should be bought which has a HEPA filter which traps tiny particles like viruses and smoke.
- Take a shower before going to bed as it will help you to get rid of all the pollen that you have gathered all day so that they are not carried onto your pillow.
- It is a known fact that pollen is highest during early morning hours so if you are used to do exercise in the morning, then it would be a better option that you should move the workouts indoors.
- Sunglasses should be worn when you are out as they help to keep airborne pollen and allergens out of your eyes.
- Some natural remedies can help to block the allergens. Natural things like fish oil and herbs like butter-bur and singing nettle are good option.
- When you have allergic symptoms, milk and dairy products should be reduced as they increase the mucus production. Also, sugar intake should also be reduced as it increases the swelling levels and therefore, lowering the immunity system.
- Car is another place where you spend a lot of time. So, the car should be cleaned from inside as well as outside.
- Taking tea pot remedies are quite effective as it reduces the sinus pressure and flushes out the nasal passages.

Acute Bronchitis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment for treating acute bronchitis

When we breathe in, we take air which passes through mouth, nose, and voice box into the trachea and continues the route to each lung via either the right or left bronchi Acute bronchitis is the inflammation of these bronchi tubes and makes it difficult for the air to reach the lungs.

In most cases, it is caused by viruses or bacteria and it lasts for several days or weeks. Common cold is also one of the reason behind acute bronchitis. Smoking is the commonest reason for this to happen. Chemical irritants can also cause acute bronchitis. When a person is suffering from acute bronchitis, sticky mucus fills up the bronchi causing them to swell up and this inflammation restricts the air to flow in and out.

The symptoms for acute bronchitis includes:
- Inflammation of bronchi tubes makes it difficult for air to pass through. It causes wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.
- Fever and Chills
- Body pain
- Sore throat
- Fatigue
- It gets worse at night.
- Tickle feeling in back of throat.

Doctor should be called for if the cough and wheezing sound remains for more than two weeks or you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is a condition in which stomach acid gets into your esophagus (windpipe) or blood in your cough.

Diagnosis of acute bronchitis is done by clinical examination and sometimes microbiological examination of the phlegm. A chest X-ray to reveal any kind of inflammation in lungs is also done.
Pneumonia is a possible complication. Some people also may have sinusitis.

Treatment of acute bronchitis includes:
- Albuterol inhalation helps to dilate the bronchial tubes.
- Short-term steroid therapy will help minimize inflammation within the bronchial tubes.
- Steam inhalation.
- Take plenty of rest.
- Take antibiotics if the color of the phlegm changes.
- Fluid intake should be sufficient.
- Increase the humidity of the environment.
- Generally, acute bronchitis is usually caused by viruses, antibiotics do not help.

To prevent acute bronchitis:
- wash hands regularly.
- quit smoking.