The nose is a vital part of our anatomy and it plays several crucial functions such as: preventing infections from invading our bodies, help in determining our sense of taste and smell, the resonance of our voices, and breathing. Without these benefits, it would be hard to function normally. When we have a cold and a runny nose our senses for smell and taste don’t work properly and getting healthy again will return these two functions back to normal.
The nasal shape is formed by the age of ten, but it continues to grow until age 15 – 17 in women and 17 – 19 in men. Due to the pull of gravity, our noses continue to lengthen and droop overtime. There is a disorder called rhinotillexomania which is a psychiatric condition when a person does a repetitive behavior of nose picking. Two percent of Americans admit doing this while they are driving. Technologically speaking, the nose is like an air conditioner; it warms cold air, cools hot air, and filters out unwanted particles using the nose hairs.
Best home remedies for a running nose:
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Inhaling steam
This is a very common home remedy. Make sure not to use boiling hot water if you are inhaling the steam from a pot of water because the water could cause burns on your face. You can also use a vaporizer that sends the steam into the air or you can lean over it and breathe in some of the medicated or plain steam.
You can add different herbs or oils in the water to make the steam medicated.
Eucalyptus oil – put a few drops of this oil on a handkerchief or a cloth and inhale it several times a day.
Apple cider vinegar
Mustard oil – you can add it to the water or you can warm it up and put a couple of drops in your nose using an eye dropper. Make sure that the mustard oil is not too hot because you will burn the inside of your nose.
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Saline drops
Add a teaspoon of table salt in a cup of warm water. Stir the water before usage until the salt dissolves. Use this solution as nose drops by using an eye dropper. Put a couple of drops in each nostril, breathe in deeply in order to rinse your nasal passages, and then blow gently. Try to do this at least once an hour. The same type of this saline mixture can be found over-the-counter. This treatment will help you rinse the toxins from your nose.
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Humidify the rooms in your home
This is one of the best approaches in treating a runny nose. You can invest in a humidifier because it will add moisture to the air in the room and will help thin the mucus in your nose. If the air in your home is “dry air”, which is caused by electric heaters, it will cause the mucus in your nasal passages to dry out. You can put a humidifier in your living room, family room, bedroom, and children’s bedrooms. You can even get a small one for your kitchen.
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Over-the-counter medications
Nasal spray decongestions are very effective in getting rid of a runny nose. It is usually recommended to put a drop or two in each nostril, two to three times a day. Read the instructions before usage.
Oral decongestions are pills that will help you cure a running nose.
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Herbal Tea
There are many different types of herbal teas on the market, such as elderberry, yarrow root, peppermint, fresh mint, etc. You can combine different herbal teas together to give your tea a distinctive taste. Add a teaspoon of the herbal tea of your choice in a cup of boiling water, let it steep for at least ten minutes and then strain it. You can add a drop or two of honey to sweeten it. Try to drink a cup of herbal tea two times a day.
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Ginger
Drinking a cup of hot ginger tea two to three times a day will help you drain your nose and maintain your body temperature. Ginger has many antioxidant and antiviral properties that will clear up your runny nose. You can also grate some fresh ginger root, add a pinch of salt and eat it. It will sting when you eat it, but it will improve your condition in just a few days.
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Drink extra fluids
It is very important to keep your body hydrated by drinking water, teas, clear broth, and sports energy drinks. Avoid caffeinated beverages since they can have a dehydrating effect on the membranes of your nasal passages. Keep something to drink nearby so you can sip on it throughout the day.
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Spicy food
Spicy food acts like a decongestant. One of the main ingredients in spices is pepper, which contains a chemical called capsaicin. Capsaicin triggers a response in your brain, which in turn stimulates your central nervous system fibers. These fibers are what control the thickness and quantity of your mucus. When you eat something spicy and have thick mucus, you will notice that your nose will begin to run automatically, trying to thin out the mucus. Cayenne pepper, garlic, hot peppers, horseradish, all have this effect on your nasal passages, so try to add them to your dishes to help keep your mucus thinned out. If you have a runny nose after eating something spicy, blow each nostril individually in order to avoid putting pressure on your ears and the pollutants and toxins will move out of your nose and not back up toward your ears.
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Honey
It has been found that honey can destroy the bacterium that causes a runny nose. Always try to use organic honey. You can use honey to replace antibiotics and help cure your nose if the bacterium that is causing your runny nose is resistant to antibiotics and your condition becomes chronic. You can add honey to some of the home remedies that we have mentioned – it will sweeten them, or you can use it as a base and add spices and herbs in it.
Basil— the type of basil you need for this home remedy is called holy basil. Extract the juice from the leaves of the holy basil and add it to equal amounts of ginger, lemon juice and honey. Drink this mixture twice a day.
Cinnamon—this is an effective natural healer that will treat your runny nose. Put two tablespoons of honey in a cup and add a pinch of cinnamon powder to it. Then add a small amount of lemon juice and mix the ingredients. Drink this mixture twice a day.
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Salt water gargle
This is a home remedy that is very easy to make to get rid of a runny nose. Pour some warm water in a cup and add a pinch of salt. Stir until the salt dissolves and gargle with the mixture for a couple of minutes. Do this a few times during the day, especially before going to bed, to help thin out the mucus in your nose.
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Turmeric
Turmeric has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties that will help you clear up a runny nose. Soak one teaspoon of turmeric in a cup of linseed oil. When you mix these two it will send up smoke which you need to inhale to help loosen the mucus.
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Miracle tea
To make this tea you will need the following ingredients:
- One half teaspoon garlic
- One teaspoon honey
- One tablespoon lemon juice
- One half teaspoon cinnamon powder
- One half teaspoon ginger
- A tea bag of orange
Put the ingredients in a cup of water and microwave it for two minutes to make the tea. Or you can put them in a pan with water and boil on the stove. You can add some honey to give it a sweeter taste.
Sourced: health.smartcho
