The cause of waking up in the morning with a stuffy nose and effective ways to overcome it

Many people often wake up in the morning with a stuffy nose without knowing the cause. This condition can be caused by an allergen, or it can also be caused by a number of health problems. Depending on the cause, we will have different treatment methods.

In the morning, waking up with a stuffy nose is mostly a sign of rhinitis (74% of cases are allergic rhinitis and are related to allergen factors, the remaining 26% are vasomotor rhinitis). Many people, in addition to nasal congestion, also have some other symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, headache, itchy nose, ... This condition is not life-threatening, but causes a lot of discomfort, affecting birth. daily activities of the patient.

The cause of waking up in the morning with a stuffy nose

As mentioned above, there are many different reasons why you wake up in the morning with a stuffy nose, such as the common cold, allergic rhinitis, or it can also be due to the use of certain medications.

Many people often have a stuffy nose without knowing the cause. 

Understanding the cause of nasal congestion will help us take timely and effective measures. Here are some of the main causes of morning stuffiness:

Allergic rhinitis

If nasal congestion is not caused by the flu, then allergic rhinitis is one of the most common causes. There are many factors that cause you to have allergies right from the bedroom, such as dust mites, mold and pet dander, ..

In addition, pollen is also a trigger for allergic rhinitis . They appear a lot in the morning and can follow the wind into the bedroom, causing stuffy nose when you inhale if you are allergic to this agent.

Sinusitis

Sinusitis is the cause of your stuffy nose . Colds and flu will cause the sinuses to swell, causing sinusitis. In addition to nasal congestion, people with sinusitis may also experience symptoms such as:

• Pain, soreness, swelling around the cheeks, eyes and forehead;
• Difficulty hearing;
• Headache, toothache;
• Bad breath;
• There is often green or yellow mucus in the nose.

Waking up in the morning with a stuffy nose may be due to sinusitis.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease

People with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), especially when it is a chronic disease that causes stomach contents to back up into the throat and nasal passages, causing a feeling of tightness in the throat and nasal passages (often severe symptoms). than at night due to sleeping position). That's why stuffy noses happen in people with GERD.

Cigarette smoke

Tobacco smoke is especially harmful to health. Therefore, if you smoke or have a smoker's family, you are more likely to have a stuffy nose in the morning because the smoke will irritate the nasal mucosa and cause nasal congestion in people with rhinitis.

Hormonal changes

Hormonal changes and disturbances can cause a stuffy nose in the morning. Many pregnant women suffer from rhinitis, but this will stop within 2 weeks of giving birth.

How to deal with a stuffy nose when you wake up in the morning?

Waking up in the morning with a stuffy nose is a fairly common phenomenon, due to many causes. When you regularly encounter this situation, you need to quickly monitor and review the cause to take timely measures to avoid long-term damage to health.

Use an H1 antihistamine to treat nasal congestion.

Here are some ways to deal with a stuffy nose in the morning:

• If the cause of nasal congestion is due to allergic rhinitis: Need to find the allergen and clean them starting from the bedroom to the entire living space. Some measures to clean allergens: Vacuum, change bed sheets, blankets, pillows ..., do not let pets into the bedroom. 
• Use anti-allergic drugs such as H1 antihistamines to deal with morning congestion. Depending on the condition and response to antihistamines to choose. In case of good response, you can maintain the drug for 2-4 weeks. Note that antihistamines can cause some side effects such as fatigue, drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation ; arrhythmia, tachycardia; respiratory depression, difficulty coughing up sputum... You need to follow the instructions and follow up of a specialist doctor.
• If your nasal congestion is caused by vasomotor rhinitis, you need to see a doctor and take medicine prescribed by your doctor to treat vasomotor conditions such as oral zyrtec and warm the nasal mucosa.
• In the case of non-responsiveness to antihistamines or the development of drug resistance, the patient can apply specific desensitization methods. Your doctor will test for allergens and try to determine the type of allergen that you have to use the drug in a gradually diluted injectable concentration over 2-5 years.
• In addition to using drugs, patients need to actively add more green vegetables, fruits, and food supplements to their daily diet to increase resistance and help the body be healthier.
• Daily exercise and sports can improve the condition of waking up with a stuffy nose as well as many other diseases.

The condition of waking up in the morning with a stuffy nose, there may be many other symptoms that will definitely make you extremely uncomfortable, affecting your mood throughout the day. Ideally, if you encounter this phenomenon, you need to quickly go to the doctor to check for an accurate diagnosis of the cause as well as prescribe the use of some oral medications, sprays and nasal washes to reduce the symptoms. discomfort.