Sinus Congestion & Infections
The Problem: The nasal cavity is lined with "turbinates", three to four in the left nasal cavity and three to four in the right for a total of six or eight turbinates. These turbinates are intended to moisten and humidify the air just before you breathe it into your lungs. The turbinates are made of tissue that can expand and contract in response to environmental factors such as humidity, temperature, allergens, dust, and pollution.
When the air we breathe is excessively dry (this is often the case in winter; at high elevations; in the desert; and in airplanes, among other causes), the turbinates automatically expand so that there is a more moist surface area available for humidification. But often, the turbinates cannot keep up with the need to moisturize the nose. This results in congestion; being "completely stuffed up". It can also result in thicker mucus, bleeding, and even pain.
Our body's response is for the turbinates to expand even more, and overwork to make more mucus. This results in even less room in the nose and makes it still harder to breathe.
It's a real dilemma! Because everyone's nasal anatomy is different, some people have a lot more trouble with this dilemma than others.
The Solution: The drug-free solution is to supplement the moisture the turbinates produce by rinsing and flushing the nasal cavity with saline. This keeps them from overworking and allows them to contract by keeping them moist. The most effective way to do this is through nasal irrigation. Moisturizing and flushing your nasal cavity a couple times a day with saline rinse will help relieve dryness and congestion. As this occurs, stuffiness is reduced almost immediately, and secondary symptoms such as irritation and bleeding resolve over time.
Snoring & Trouble Sleeping
The Problem: Most snoring is caused by sinus congestion that is in turn caused by dry air, dust, allergens, and germs. When the nasal passage and paranasal sinuses are swollen or congested it is difficult for air to pass through, ultimately making it uncomfortable to breathe through your nose. According to the American Rhinologic Society (ARS), the human body’s reflex is to breathe through the nose while sleeping, but if you suffer from sinus inflammation and swelling it forces you to breathe through your mouth instead.
Soft tissue in the back of the throat - the uvula and the soft palate - relaxes compared to when you’re awake. If this tissue is blocking the way while you are sleeping, negative pressure is created behind the soft palate. This causes the soft tissue to vibrate more and create sound, or snoring. Since the sinuses are swollen, it can force mouth-breathing and make snoring more likely.
The Solution: Nasal irrigation can help with snoring by flushing the sinuses to remove obstructions and reduce swelling, allowing air to pass freely through the nose. Also, numerous clinical trials indicate that if you irrigate regularly you will rely less on medications, make fewer trips to the doctor, breathe better through your nose, snore less, sleep deeper, and feel and be healthier.
The Problem: Nose picking is a curious habit. According to a study Trusted Source published in 1995, 91 percent of people who responded to the questionnaire reported they do it, while just 75 percent thought “everyone does it.” In short, we’re all stuffing our fingers up our schnozzes from time to time.
While picking your nose is unlikely to cause serious problems, potential issues are especially problematic for people who are ill or have a weaker immune system, like infection, spreading illnesses, nasal cavity damage, nosebleeds, sores, etc.
The Solution: One of the top solutions to stop picking your nose is keeping it moisturized. Dry air leads to dry nasal passages and creates crusting or boogers. A saline nasal wash is a sanitary, natural way to clean your nasal passages and sinus cavities. Rinsing the nasal cavity is even more effective during times when seasonal allergies are most problematic. The rinse will wash out any pollen or allergens that might irritate your nasal passages and cause them to create excess mucus.
Try Naväge today and you’ll understand why we say, Nasal hygiene will be to the 21st century what oral hygiene was to the 20th!®
Nasal Illustration by Stella Gänger and Katharina Schindowski / CC BY