Almost everyone, at some point in their life, would have been affected by a cold or stuffed nose out of the blue. Most of the times, it is caused because of a change in the weather. However, it could be indicative of serious conditions too. It is absolutely important to be able to understand what the actual problem is so that one can make sure that it doesn’t progress and become a serious problem in the future.
Nasal congestion or stuffy nose usually appears as a symptom of a common cold which could usually be caused due to a certain type of allergy or during the flu season. However, by taking a look at the type of symptoms of nasal congestion, it would be easier to make a proper diagnosis and chart out a treatment path. Given below is a brief description of how nasal congestion can be a prominent symptom of some common conditions.
Flu: If the problem of nasal congestion or stuffy nose is accompanied by a high fever which doesn’t go away for a long time, then there are very good chances that one may be suffering from the flu. Along with the problem of nasal congestion, anyone suffering from the flu shows symptoms of body aches that can cause severe fatigue, which could last for a period of at least 3 weeks. Nasal congestion is, however, not very severe in case of flu. Sore throat, discomfort in the chest, and cough are very common.
Sinusitis: Nasal congestion is one of the major symptoms in case of acute sinusitis. The sinus infection in most cases begins with a cold virus. This virus further leads to the development of the common cold which normally worsens after around 5 to 7 days. So if the nasal congestion is combined with an incessant case of common cold, the problem could be diagnosed as acute sinusitis. As a part of this condition, one would experience inflammation in the tissues in the lining of the nasal passages as well.
Airborne allergies: Irrespective of the presence of a runny nose, nasal congestion is very commonly seen in the case of airborne allergies. In the case of such allergies, the other symptoms could include sneezing, sore throat, and cough. If one also experiences watery or itchy eyes, it becomes easy to confirm that the problem of nasal congestion is caused by allergies. In case of allergies, nasal congestion develops in a very short time unlike in the case of a common cold.
Apart from the above conditions, nasal congestion can occur as a symptom for several other medical conditions. Some of the medical conditions which lead to the development of nasal congestion or stuffy nose include a deviated septum, rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, enlarged adenoids, asthma, swine flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, sarcoidosis, and encephalitis.