Nasal Strips One of Many Options to Cut Down on Nighttime Congestion, Snoring
Snoring and having nasal congestion can be frustrating for both you and your family.
The congestion and snoring can keep both you and your partner from getting a restful night’s sleep.
One option to help with nighttime congestion and snoring is over-the-counter nasal dilator strips, according to the American Rhinologic Society (ARS).
The strips are worn across your nose to open your sinus passages and help you breathe. Each flexible strip is spring-like and fits on the outside of your nose just above where your nostrils flare out.
Put the strip on your nose using the sticky side, and it should stay in place through the night. Because the strips are flexible, they try to straighten back out once stuck to the natural curve of your nose. When they do this, they lift both sides of your nose. The lifting is what helps you to breathe easier. The lifting opens your nasal passages, reduces snoring, and eases nighttime congestion.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one study of nasal strips showed they help decrease snoring and reduce sleepiness. The study did not include anyone with sleep apnea or any other serious sleeping or breathing issues.
Though nasal strips can help improve nighttime congestion and snoring for some people, they aren’t the right fix for everyone.
Sometimes medicines, including a nasal steroid spray, a nasal antihistamine spray, an oral steroid, an oral antibiotic, or an oral antihistamine, might be a better option to help with snoring and congestion at night, according to the ARS.
But, if you’ve tried a variety of these treatments and nothing seems to be working, you could have chronic nasal congestion. Surgical options are available to treat ongoing problems, and according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO), those include:
- Adenoidectomy – having your adenoids surgically removed
- Endoscopic sinus surgery – an endoscopic procedure to remove sinus blockages
- Nasal valve surgery – widening narrowed nostrils
- Septoplasty – correcting a deviated septum
- Tonsillectomy – having your tonsils surgically removed
- Turbinate reduction – reducing the turbinate size
Your doctor can help you decide what options might be the best for you to combat nighttime congestion and reduce snoring.
For more information about snoring and nighttime congestion care options, talk with your doctor or make an appointment at Premier ENT Associates to determine what treatment is right for you.