Nothing to breathe: what to do with nasal congestion

If it comes to nasal congestion, then a picture of a cold person appears in my head instantly. Unhappy necessarily keeps a thermometer in one hand, showing the temperature, and in the other a bunch of handkerchiefs, with which he wipes a red, swollen nose. Familiar, is not it?

But nasal congestion is not always accompanied by a cold. Moreover, the absence of normal breathing is not always a symptom of a cold. So, what can the nasal congestion signal without a cold? And is it possible to ignore such a symptom?

Nasal congestion without rhinitis: the danger
Man rarely thinks about the importance of the nose. At least until the breathing is disturbed. As soon as congestion occurs, all functions that were performed automatically, become difficult, and sometimes become completely inaccessible. This seriously affects the quality of life.

So, the main functions of the nose are as follows:

It protects the entire respiratory system from the penetration of pathogens and dust.
The nose “warms up” the air, thereby preventing hypothermia of the internal organs.
It is through the nose that the body receives oxygen, which is essential for the functioning of all organs.
Possible complications
Nasal congestion causes severe discomfort. Natural ventilation of the lungs is impaired, the organs do not receive the necessary oxygen, the quality of life decreases, sleep worsens. In addition, pathologies of neighboring organs may occur. Ears and throats are most often affected. That is why you should not ignore the pathology.

If the congestion does not come for a long time, there may be complications.
Frequent congestion can lead to the appearance of such complications:

Deterioration of smell. Sometimes a person completely loses the ability to enjoy smells. These changes may be irreversible.
Headaches. The body regularly loses oxygen. Such starvation leads to disruption of all internal organs. Hypoxia acutely affects the state of the brain. This is usually manifested by acute migraine attacks.
Bronchial asthma. If the basis of congestion is allergic rhinitis, which has not been adequately treated for a long time, then there is a chance of developing asthma.
Night snore Difficult breathing leads to the appearance of characteristic sounds. Snoring interferes with full sleep, both the owner and the people around them.
Mental retardation. Very dangerous nasal congestion for the child. He may have irreversible damage, such as impairment of hearing, loss of smell. Sometimes even mental retardation develops.
Diseases of the throat, ears. Against the background of prolonged congestion, pharyngitis, laryngitis, and otitis in the chronic form may appear.
Atrophic changes. If the nasal mucosa does not fulfill its functions for a long time, it will atrophy. This leads to easy penetration of the infection into the body.
Nasal congestion affects the condition of the patient. The deterioration of sleep and quality of life leads to constant weakness, chronic fatigue. A person complains of a decrease in concentration, memory. Gradually, depression and apathy develop.
Main reasons
In almost 80% of all cases, when a person is faced with a stuffy nose without a cold, the cause is banal ARVI. This symptom appears one of the first. And only in 5-7 days a cold is connected. But if nasal congestion without rhinitis worries too often, the reasons may be not only in catarrhal pathologies.

When SARS can be stuffy nose without a cold
Physiological factors
Some physiological causes can cause nasal congestion. If they are eliminated, breathing difficulties disappear on their own. These are the following issues.

Circulatory impairment
This phenomenon is typical for those people who spend little time outdoors, abusing alcohol, smoking. They have significantly worsened blood circulation in the head and neck. Pathologies begin to develop, one of which may be nasal congestion.

This phenomenon is typical for those people who spend little time outdoors, abusing alcohol, smoking. They have significantly worsened blood circulation in the head and neck. Pathologies begin to develop, one of which may be nasal congestion.

Insufficient moisture
Too dry air dries out the nasal mucosa. She is not able to function properly. To restore the state of the mucous membrane a little, the body triggers a self-moisturizing mechanism. There is mucus in the nose. Such a process causes swelling and is accompanied by a feeling of congestion.

This is one of the most common causes of nasal congestion without a cold at night.

Malnutrition
The abuse of sweet, floury, fatty foods leads to an increase in the concentration of sugar in the body. The hormonal balance changes. Against the background of such violations may develop swelling of the mucous. As a result, breathing is partially disturbed.