How to Take Care of Your Nose

There are many things that we subject our noses to that are unhealthy and problematic for healthy breathing. Learning how to take care of your nose can help you enjoy a pain free, symptom free, lifelong experience of some of the world's most tantalizing smells. Your nose and sinuses are intimately connected, and helping to improve your nose health will help you to improve sinus health.

The nose serves two purposes. It provides an avenue for smelling which increases pleasure, warns against danger, and helps to improve the quality of life. It also serves as an airway into the lungs. A healthy nose will help filter particles from the airway much better than an unhealthy nose will. A chronically runny nose or stuffy nose can lead to headaches and other discomfort as well as become an irritating source of discomfort on its own.

Nasal Sprays

While nasal sprays are an obvious solution to nasal problems, they don't necessarily induce good nose health. In fact, many sprays are targeting your sinuses and not your nose, and thus can be damaging or irritating to the lining along the nostrils. If you do have to use a nasal spray, be sure to follow the directions and avoid spraying any more than absolutely necessary. Never exceed the dosing instructions or take it longer than prescribed as this can lead to serious problems.

Warm steam breathed in through the nostrils can actually help more than sprays. If you inhale the steam between 4 and 6 times daily without an additive, you can often help clear up sinuses and improve your nasal passages quickly without the risk of harming membranes.

Humidity in the Air

Keeping your home's air a bit more humid can help improve nose health as well. Humidity helps prevent things like waking in the middle of the night with nasal problems and can increase the ease of breathing. In some cases it can also help cut down on snoring because the nasal passages are not clogged.

Using a simple humidifier will allow you to control the level of moisture in the home's air. It is not necessary to add medications to the humidifier because all you're seeking is relief from the dry air. Dry air is especially common in the winter time and if you have forced hot air heat this may be the only time that you experience discomfort. Humidity can be helpful regardless of whether you suffer from asthma, allergies, or tend not to suffer from any breathing problems.

Allergens

Allergens are a common problem. When you're taking good care of your nose you want to relieve allergies as quickly and easily as possible while minimizing the need for medications. Allergy medications tend to dry the nasal passages too much, make one sleepy, or keep one awake at night. Thus, the more you can do to eliminate household allergens and other triggers the better off you are.

Air filtration can be beneficial for helping your nose stay happy and healthy. Nasal allergies can be very difficult to live with and keeping a filtration system in top working order can help improve the situation. You also want to make sure that you clean or replace the air filter in your heating and cooling units regularly. Vacuum cleaners with filters should be kept at top filtration capacity. Many people with allergies do better in homes with hard floors instead of carpeting because there are fewer fibers to trap dander, mites, and dust.

If you need help controlling allergies see your physician and ask about alternatives to medication. The severity of your nasal allergies will determine how many natural options you might have.

Keeping the Nose Clean

A cleaner nose is a happier nose. The way you clean your nose is important. To take care of your nose properly you will want to make sure that it receives the same kind of care that you want your skin and hair to have. With a cotton swab and warm, mildly salty water you can clean your nose without risk of scratching or cutting and you will not damage the sensitive membranes.

With mildly salted warm water on a cotton swab you will want to clean any debris from the nose without going far up into the nasal passages. Ultimately, you want to avoid sticking anything in your nose, but for cleaning purposes this is often the safest and most effective method.

Cleaning your nose not only helps to keep it comfortable but it also helps to improve its ability to filter particles. Cleaner noses tend to develop fewer allergic reactions and help to reduce snoring as well. Thus, you want to make sure that you maintain a clean and healthy nose as part of your daily routine.

Smoking and the Nose

Cigarette smoking is damaging. The nasal cavity suffers more from smoking menthol cigarettes than it does from non-menthol cigarettes. Pipes, cigars, and other forms of smoking can also cause irritation and damage to the lining of the nasal passages. If you can avoid smoking altogether, you are helping your nose avoid long term dryness, irritation, and sensitivity to allergen triggers. You are also saving your life.

Of course, avoiding second hand smoke and other pollutants will help reduce the risk of damage to the membranes as well. You will want to breathe the cleanest air possible. If you smoke, you're not going to be able to feel the benefits as fully when it comes to taking care of your nose.

Objects, Surgery, and Nose Jobs

Sticking objects, including fingers, into your nose is dangerous. While you may have been able to get away with it all of your life, slicing your nasal membranes with an object or a fingernail can lead to infection. Infections in the nasal cavity are hard to treat. It's just better to prevent anything from traveling up your nostrils that isn't supposed to be there.

Surgeries performed on the nose for medical reasons often mean a rehabilitation period. Be sure that you follow your physician's instructions for after care and call immediately if you have any concerns. Preventing infections is vital after nasal surgery.

Elective surgical procedures are hard on the nasal passages and can alter your nose's overall health. When considering these procedures it may be wise to question whether it's really necessary or appropriate before you jump in.

Healthy Noses and Happy Breathing

The more you do to learn how to take care of your nose the easier breathing will be. Clear from debris and allergens your nasal passages can relax. Inflammation can often be caused by triggers other than allergies. This means that once the inflammation is gone the allergen triggers may not be nearly as intense. Healthy noses and happy breathing is part of living healthier lives.