Relief for Sniffles: Causes, Symptoms & Home Remedies

Everybody gets the sniffles, and whether you have congestion, a runny nose, sneezing or a combination of symptoms, it can interfere with your day-to-day activities. The wide variety of causes make it difficult to pinpoint why you have sniffles. When you do, a number of prescription, over-the-counter and home remedies are available.

Things You'll Need

• Smoking cessation kit
• Decongestants
• Prescription medication
• Antihistamines
• Humidifier

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Instructions

• 1

  Avoid tobacco smoke, which damages the lining of your sinuses and causes swelling in the membranes. The smoke-free laws that have passed in many locations will help you avoid passive tobacco smoke, but if you are a smoker with a constant case of the sniffles, you need to stop smoking. Try one of the many smoking cessation kits available at your local pharmacy.

• 2

  Use an an over-the-counter decongestant to shrink blood vessels and reduce inflammation in your sinuses, allowing the fluid to drain out. Many decongestants have an added non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug to help reduce inflammation. Decongestants work for stuffy noses, but don't relieve runny ones.

• 3

  See a doctor if your sniffles are caused by acute sinusitis or chronic sinusitis. You may have sinusitis if you have a fever, green nasal discharge, symptoms lasting longer than 10 days or a bloody nasal discharge. Your doctor may need to prescribe antibiotics, anti-fungal medication or corticosteroid nasal sprays to kill the bacteria, virus or fungal infection.

• 4

  Try an over-the-counter antihistamine if you think allergies are causing your sniffles. Symptoms may be allergy-related if you have a watery discharge from the nose along with itchy or watery eyes and sneezing. Many antihistamines are combined with decongestants.

• 5

  Use a properly maintained humidifier to moisten dry nasal passages. Many humidifiers have a built in humidistat that measures the amount of moisture in the air and keeps humidity at levels between 30 and 50 percent.