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Blocked nose in case of a cold “In reaction to the infection, the nasal mucosa becomes congested and triples in thickness. The nose is not only blocked by secretions but also by the swelling of the walls themselves at the beginning of a cold”. What to do?
Tips for breathing easier with a blocked nose
Seawater sprays
Seawater sprays are the right thing to do. In her pharmacy, Delphine Chadoutaud avoids systematically recommending vasoconstrictors: “I find that the benefit/risk ratio is not very good,” she says. Instead, she recommends seawater sprays: “In case of a blocked nose, you should use products with a high concentration of sea salt, called hypertonic products, to clean the viral focus and prevent the infection from spreading to the pharynx or bronchi.
Vicks inhalation
Vicks inhalant is an impregnated pad intended to be inhaled by fumigation. It is used to decongest the respiratory tract during certain conditions such as colds, rhinitis or nasopharyngitis.
Its properties are ensured thanks to the association of racemic camphor (9.671%), levomenthol 39.671%) and essential oil of fir of Siberia and methyl salicylate.
Vasoconstrictors
Vasoconstrictors, only 1 or 2 days. These pseudoephedrine-based drugs are not harmless (see box), but “they work really well and are ideal when you are in an emergency: a quarter of an hour later the nose is unblocked,” says Dr. de Boysson, who usually combines them with a corticoid. It should be reserved for very blocked noses to deflate the mucous membrane and clear the nose quickly.