Applying heat to the outside of the nose can help relieve pain and open the nasal passages from the outside in.
There is a particular misery to a stuffy nose. It is not a sharp pain that commands attention, nor a debilitating fatigue that demands rest. Instead, it is a dull, persistent tyranny over the most basic of human acts: breathing. It distorts sleep, muffles taste, and turns conversation into a nasal whine. In these moments, the instinct is to reach for a decongestant spray or a pill. But often, the most effective relief does not come from a pharmacy. It comes from the kitchen and the bathroom, from two humble, ancient elements: steam and salt.