Stuffy Nose and allergies

From the time I was a young kid, one of the things I have struggled with the most is a stuffy nose.  I grew up in the dryness of Colorado and that dryness not only contributed to a lot of bloody noses, but a lot of stuffy noses too.  Later on I moved to more humid climates - and while the moisture in the air helped alleviate some of the problem, the new allergens in the air because of the moisture tended to reintroduce the stuffy nose problems.  For years I essentially lived on nasal spray and sudaphed - I mean, if you can't breathe, can you really do anything?  I didn't know there were natural solutions.

There are different things that cause stuffy nose, so there are different things that a person can use as a remedy.  If your stuffiness is caused from dry air, rub a couple drops of glycerin between your finger and thumb and then apply it just under your nostrils.  Immediately run your finger and thumb under water and then wet the glycerin that you just applied with a couple drops of water.  Since glycerin attracts water and continues to do so, this will act like a humidifier wherever you go for a period of several hours.  Often times this alone is sufficient to rid me of a stuffy nose.

Other times a stuffy nose can be the result of allergies.  Many people think that if they have allergies, they are cursed to always have allergies and this cannot be farther from the truth.  One way that people can immunize themselves from offending pollens is to regularly consume fresh, raw honey gathered locally.  The pollen that the bees gather will, over time, have the same effect on your body as a vaccine.  Another method that I have heard success storied from no less than three different friends of mine is a variation of this energy refocusing technique. There are many alternative health practitioners who do this inexpensively, non-invasive, and effectively.  I have not known a single person who has tried this who has not been relieved of their allergies.

Finally, for immediate relief one of the most pleasant and effective things to do is to rub a drop of peppermint oil between your finger and thumb and then apply on your upper lip below your nostrils.  Not only does it smell good, within seconds your stuffy nose will open up.  For a longer lasting effect, apply a drop of glycerin right after you apply the peppermint.

Note that since peppermint oil is strong, it could burn slightly upon application.  To prevent this, cut the drop of peppermint oil with a drop of olive or coconut oil.  I apply mine straight, but I understand that it is a sensitive area of the skin so some people might want to dilute the peppermint.

Finally, if the stuffy nose is from a sinus infection, one of the first things to focus on is getting rid of the infection.  This can usually be accomplished by putting some colloidal silver in a nebulizer and breathing it in as discussed in the strep throat blog.  Another helpful thing to do is to add tea tree oil and eucalyptus oil to your hot bath, allowing these antiseptic oils to fill the air that you breathe in.  Putting a few drops of them into a bubbling pan of water on the stove or humidifier in the room that you are sleeping in also helps.  Finally, using a neti pot is a very effective way to cleanse infections from the sinuses.  It's kinda gross looking, but it is very effective and inexpensive.

I won't say that I never use sudaphed anymore, but I will say that the only time I ever use it now is when I am at the worst stage of a cold or flu.  Then I only take it long enough to get over that hump.

Naturally, when you are handling these oils, be careful not to get the them in your eyes as this could cause them to burn or be irritated.  Have fun experimenting...