50 Ways To Make Your Nose Stop Running

Author:: Susannah Birch

Having a runny nose is never any fun - whether it's simply runny or stuffed up as well, it can give you a headache, mean you have to duck off repeatedly to find a tissuebox and get a bit red in the face. So how can you get rid of a stuffy nose without too much work so you can continue on with your day without feeling absolutely awful?

Here are a few tips you can try out - just remember that different ones will work depending on why your nose is runny (sinuses, cold weather, flu), so be sure to try a few different ones.

Add menthol, tea tree and eucalyptus (or one of these) to a bowl of hot steaming water. Then cover your head with a towel and inhale.
Almond oil. A drop or two in each nostril can help stop runny nose.
Aniseed lollies or fresh can help slow a runny nose.
Antihistamines. These can often help clear up a runny or itchy nose.
Apply pressure ten times in a row to one side of your nose, to close the nostril. This is a pressure point and can help relieve sinus.
Apply pressure ten times in a row to the area directly beneath your inner eye. This is another pressure point.
Avoid air conditioning. The dry air will dry your nose out and increase the runny nose.
Avoid allergy aggravators such as sodium benzoate, which is found in some soft drinks.
Avoid coffee and caffeine and anything else that will dehydrate you.
Avoid milk and chocolate as they will make it worse.
Avoid pets as these can aggravate the issue.
Blow your nose. Not blowing and sniffing can make it worse. Get it all out. But be gentle - blowing too hard and too often can make it worse, too!
Breastmilk squirted in the nose thins out mucous and helps relieve congestion.
Check for mould. Mildew in your home can cause allergic reactions.
Chew gum. The action of the teeth helps the nasal muscles and can relieve a runny nose.
Cinnamon is a great addition to your diet to decrease a clogged nose.
Cloves, in any form or mixed with other herbs are good for a runny nose.
Coconut oil. A small amount in the nostrils, then the head tilted back so the liquid can run down the nose can help a great deal.
Dab a little Vicks Vaporub under each nostril. Inhale to help clear your nose.
Do a handstand. Being upside down helps take pressure off the nasal muscles.
Drink plenty of water to help your system flush itself out.
Eat hot food. Spicy food will help your body get rid of toxins faster by making your nose runnier and your eyes water - get it over and done with fast!
Exercise releases adrenaline and helps slow a runny nose.
Find the cause. Whooping cough, stress, exposure to cigarette smoke can often cause a runny nose.
Get fresh air - it's better for your nose and isn't as dirty and full of germs or irritants.
Ginger. Chewing some raw ginger will help drain your nose.
Grape seed extract in pill form can help relieve symptoms.
Honey & lemon or lime. Mix this drink up with warm water and take it to help relieve a runny nose.
Hot herbal teas. Ginger and mint are good choices.
Insert rolled up balls of tissue in the nostrils to more easily catch any runs.
Keep away from allergens. Dust, pollen and other allergens can increase your reaction, so steer clear till you feel better.
Keep your neck and head warm. Cold will cause a nose to run more.
Massage your earlobes - in the area where you'd get a standard ear piercing. Do this for ten seconds on each ear.
Mix 5-6 drops of onion oil with a teaspoon of vegetable oil and place it in the nose.
Mustard oil. Inhale a mix of oil and hot water throughout the day.
Press in the small cleft on your upper lip, directly under the nose for 30 seconds. Repeat every 15 minutes.
Sage. Taken mixed with food, honey or in a tea, is a great decongestant [not recommended while pregnant/breastfeeding].
Salt water gargle. Soothes the throat and relieves a sore nose.
Saline drops. You can buy squirts from the shop or make your own salt water mix at home. Sniff, inhale or squirt the mixture up your nose.
Sleep propped up. This helps you avoid the mucous running down the throat to cause coughs and ear aches.
Sleep with a humidifier in the room. Dry air makes a runny nose worse.
Soak a cloth in hot water and apply over your nose to help relieve pressure and dilate blood vessels.
Splash cold water around your nose and the inside edge of the nostrils to cool it and stop it getting too dry.
Sniff some eucalyptus oil to clear a blocked nose. Remember - it's poisonous and should be kept out of reach of children!
Take a hot shower. The heat will help clear out the mucous and also help relieve a sore dry nose.
Thyme leaves (dried) can be ground into a powder and inhaled or added to hot steamy water.
Turmeric will increase nasal discharge and help clear it.
Use a 'Neti Pot'. These are a great decongestant.
Vasline. A small amount rubbed under the nose helps slow down the runniness.
Vitamin C. Nature's natural antihistamine.