The nose is an essential part of your body. It purifies, humidifies, and warms the air we breathe. The mucous membrane of your nose filters particles in the air and protects your nose. [1]
The nose is responsible for our senses of smell which gives us pleasure and warns against dangers. A stuffy or runny nose can cause discomfort and headaches. Hence, It’s important to take care of the nose.
Learning how to take care of the nose can significantly improve the quality of your life. A healthy nose can filter the unwanted air particles better than an unhealthy one.
Continue reading to learn how you can take care of your nose and maintain proper nasal hygiene.
Tips to Take Care of Your Nose
1. Maintain The Humidity in The Air.
Keeping your home’s air humid can significantly improve your nasal health. [2]
Humidity can improve your breathing, thus keeping you from waking up in the middle of the night due to nasal problems.
Dry air in winter can clog your nasal passage and makes you feel uncomfortable all the time. Maintaining proper humidity can also unclog your nasal passage and prevent snoring.
You can control the moisture in your home’s air by using a simple humidifier. You don’t need to put any medications in the humidifier as you only need to get rid of the dry air.
Maintaining humid air is particularly helpful if you have asthma, allergies, or breathing problems.
2. Keep Your Nose Clean.
Cleaning your nose properly is quite important to keep it healthy and comfortable. A clean nose can easily filter particles, helping you to breathe easily.
Besides, if you have a cleaner nose, you will tend to have fewer allergies and reduced snoring. It is also important to clean your nose on a regular basis to maintain a healthy life.
To clean your nose properly, use a cotton swab and warm, mildly salted water. Dip the cotton swab in the water and gently remove any debris from your nose.
Make sure you don’t scratch your nose too much as it will lead to further damage and infections. You can also try saline nasal irrigation if you have upper respiratory conditions. [3]
3. Use Nasal Sprays.
Nasal sprays are the first solutions we go for whenever we have any nose-related problems.
However, these sprays do not always promote good nose health.
Most of the nasal sprays available in the drugstores target your sinuses instead of your nose, meaning that they can damage or irritate the lining of your nose.
If you need to use any nasal spray, consult with your doctor first. Do not use more than the prescribed doses as it may lead to some severe problems.
If you have a sinus, it’s recommended to visit a doctor instead of self-medicating with nasal sprays. You will find some specialists in the industry such as Connecticut otolaryngologists from CTSinusCenter.com.
If you want to clear sinuses without damaging your membranes, consider inhaling warm steam 4-6 times per day. It will clear up your sinuses and nasal passages without any side effects.
4. Quit Smoking.
Smoking cigarette is damaging to your nose, as well as to your health. Especially those who smoke menthol cigarettes tend to suffer from more damage compared to those who smoke non-menthol cigarettes.
Apart from cigarettes, pipes, cigars, and other types of smoking can also damage your nasal lining. Hence, it’s important to quit smoking to save your nose and your life. [4]
Being a secondary smoker can also damage your nasal membranes. You need to quit both active and passive smoking to avoid irritation, sensitivity to allergen triggers, and long-term dryness of your nose.
5. Eliminate Household Allergens.
Allergy is a common problem and can be chronic if you’re not careful. [5]
That’s why you need to get rid of allergies as soon as possible using minimal medications. Allergy medications can make you sleepy and have drying effects on the nose.
To minimize the usage of allergy medications, first, you need to get rid of household allergens.
You need to maintain proper air filtration to keep your nose healthy. Make sure you clean or replace your HVAC air filters regularly.
Minimize the use of carpets as they trap dust, dander, and even mites. Keep the filtration capacity of your vacuum cleaner when using it for cleaning. It’s highly recommended that you switch to hardwood floors as they do not trap dirt.
If you still need to take medicines, ask your doctor for alternative medications that don’t make your nasal passages too dry.
EndNote
Keeping your nose healthy is crucial if you want to avoid breathing problems. Hence, you need to learn how to take care of your nose.
Clean your nose regularly to remove debris. Do not use sharp objects as they can damage your nasal passages and cause severe infections.
Always keep your home and surroundings clean to avoid allergies. The cleaner the environment, the easier it will be for you to breathe.
If you have any nasal surgery, keep following your doctor’s instructions to avoid further infections.
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