Your nasal passages are lined with erectile tissue (yes, the same kind found elsewhere in the body). When you catch a virus, encounter an allergen, or get dry winter air, that tissue swells up like a sponge. The blood vessels dilate, and suddenly the narrow corridor of your airway becomes a pinched straw. The mucus is just the angry landlord locking the door.
But before you reach for that over-the-counter spray that promises relief in 30 seconds (and delivers a brutal "rebound" stuffiness three days later), let’s look at why your nose is throwing this tantrum—and how to outsmart it. Contrary to popular belief, a blocked nose is rarely about "too much mucus." It’s about inflammation . how to unblock blocked nose
It starts as a tickle. Then a trickle. Then, suddenly, it feels like someone has poured quick-dry cement up both nostrils. You are now a mouth-breather. Your nasal passages are lined with erectile tissue