Nasal congestion

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Throat anatomy

Many people think that a nose gets congested (stuffy) from too much thick mucus. This is incorrect. A congested nose happens when the membranes lining the nose become swollen from inflamed blood vessels.

Congestion can be caused by many of the same things that cause a runny nose including colds, allergies, sinus infections, and the flu. Overuse of some nasal sprays or drops can also lead to congestion.

Nose - congested; Congested nose; Stuffy nose

A stuffy nose is usually caused by a virus and typically goes away by itself within a week.

Newborn infants must breathe through the nose. Nasal congestion in an infant in the first few months of life can interfere with nursing and cause life-threatening breathing problems. Nasal congestion in older children and adolescents is usually just an annoyance, but can cause other difficulties.

Nasal congestion can interfere with the ears, hearing, and speech development. Significant congestion may interfere with sleep, cause snoring, and can be associated with episodes of not breathing during sleep (sleep apnea).

In children, nasal congestion from enlarged adenoids has caused chronic sleep apnea with insufficient oxygen levels and right-sided heart failure. The problem usually goes away after surgery to remove the adenoids and tonsils.

• Common cold or the flu -- often accompanied by a clear, watery discharge plus fever, cough, headache, joint aches, muscle aches, or sore throat
• Hay fever -- often accompanied by a clear, watery discharge, itching eyes, and sneezing
• Sinus infection -- often accompanied by thick, cloudy, yellow-green nasal discharge, and pain or tenderness around eyes and cheekbones that worsens when bending the head forward
• Vasomotor Rhinitis -- is a term used for nasal symptoms that aren't caused by bacteria, viruses, or allergies, but by irritants such as dry air or pollution. The symptoms can usually be helped by saline nasal spray/drops or nasal steroids, or by avoiding the irritating substance.

Review Date: 11/18/2005
Reviewed By: John Goldenring, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.