Not every one of us begins to treat a cold as soon as the first symptoms of the disease appear. In most cases, rhinitis resolves in 8-10 days, but occasionally rhinorrhea persists and leads to the development of complications. How to treat a severe runny nose and nasal congestion is the first question of a sick person.
It would seem that nasal congestion cannot be dangerous to humans. Let's consider in more detail the mechanism of development of complications. With the appearance of rhinorrhea, swelling of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavities, nasal breathing is disturbed, which is why snoring is observed. An insufficient amount of oxygen enters the body, tissues suffer from hypoxia, and dysfunction of internal organs is diagnosed.
In addition, complications can be associated with the spread of infection, inflammation, the progression of an allergic reaction or other pathology that caused the rhinitis.
Therapeutic tactics
How is a bad cold treated? To get rid of rhinorrhea, you need to know the reason for its occurrence. Treatment for a severe cold may include folk remedies, which are an auxiliary method of combating the disease.
Inhalation administration of medications using a nebulizer is considered one of the most effective methods of treating rhinitis. The procedure allows you to save a person from the unpleasant symptoms of a cold and prevent the development of complications.
Among the advantages of a nebulizer, it is worth highlighting:
- direct delivery of the drug to the site of inflammation;
- mild and long-lasting therapeutic effect;
- a small likelihood of developing adverse reactions;
- the ability to strictly observe the dosage of the medication;
- the possibility of carrying out the procedure in infancy, during pregnancy;
- steam temperature control.
You can feel an improvement in rhinitis after the first procedure.
In a day, it is allowed to repeat inhalations up to 3-4 times.
Previously, nebulizers were used mostly in pulmonology for the treatment of bronchial asthma or obstructive bronchitis. Over time, the spectrum of diseases for which inhalations began to be prescribed gradually expanded. Today the nebulizer is widely used in pediatrics, otolaryngology, pulmonology and therapy.
Do not use herbal and oily solutions in the nebulizer due to strong contamination of the device. What is recommended to inhale with a nebulizer?
- antiviral, immunomodulatory drugs, for example, Interferon. The medicine is used in the viral course of rhinitis, as well as in the chronic course of the disease to strengthen the local defense. The drug is available in ampoules of three milliliters. The contents of the ampoule should be diluted with saline (1: 1), poured into the device reservoir and the procedure should be started. The duration of inhalation is 10 minutes, it is recommended to repeat it twice a day;
- herbal preparations. Sinupret (in the form of a solution) belongs to homeopathic medicines. It contains extract of sorrel, verbena, primrose, gentian and elderberry. The drug is prescribed to reduce the swelling of the nasal mucosa, restore the protective ability of the mucous membrane and enhance the antibacterial effect of oral medications. The herbal remedy is not prescribed until the age of two. Until the age of six, the drug should be diluted with saline 1: 3, up to 16 years of age - 1: 2, and for adults it is enough to dilute the drug twice. The procedure is repeated three times a day, for one session lasting 10 minutes, 3-4 ml of the finished solution is required;
- antiseptic agents such as Furacilin. The drug in the form of a ready-made solution can be purchased at the pharmacy. For inhalation lasting 10 minutes, 4 ml of the medication is enough. The frequency of procedures ranges from two to three per day. You can use the tablet form of Furacilin, but the dissolution of the tablet in saline should be complete, without sediment. It is diluted in 100 ml of saline, only 4 ml is taken for inhalation. The medicine is used for severe colds of bacterial origin;
- tincture of calendula is diluted with saline solution 1:40. The medicine has an anti-inflammatory effect, it is used for inhalation twice a day, four milliliters.
You can do cold inhalation or use a simple method (inhale the vapors over a container with a heated medicinal solution).
For inhalation, the following recipes are recommended:
- chop onion and garlic until 30 g of the mixture is obtained, place on the bottom of a glass, which is located in a container with hot water. The evaporation of healing substances will help to quickly cope with nasal congestion;
- fresh horseradish must be washed, chopped, squeezed out and left in a container in the refrigerator. Every hour you should inhale horseradish vapors (5-7 deep breaths);
- oregano (flowers, leaves) must be crushed and inhaled several times a day;
- 15 g of St. John's wort, willow (crustal part), 30 g of mint, as well as oak bark, grind, combine, pour boiling water (240 ml) and leave to infuse for an hour and a half. Then you should filter, drip 5 drops of fir oil and use for inhalation.
Healthy drinks
How to get rid of rhinorrhea? In addition to medicines, do not forget about healthy drinks. Adequate intake of fluid into the body ensures the accelerated elimination of toxic waste products, restores the water-electrolyte balance and reduces hyperthermia.
What to do with natural ingredients to get a delicious and healthy drink? How to quickly cure rhinitis?
- grind fresh viburnum (berries 10 g), mix with melted honey (10 ml), pour 270 ml of boiling water. Drink a glass;
- boil turnip juice with melted honey (2: 1), drink 15 ml three times;
- 15 g of a mixture of the same volume of chopped sage, chamomile, drop caps, mint, pour boiling water (550 ml), leave for an hour and filter. Drink at night with honey in a glass;
- viburnum (fruit), lime flowers mix 1: 1, pour 30 g of the mixture with boiling water of 430 ml, leave for an hour and filter. Drink 260 ml at night. The drink is especially useful for colds.
Medicines for the nose
A severe runny nose in an adult can be eliminated with the help of vasoconstrictor nasal drops (Otrivin, Nazivin, Sanorin). How to stop rhinorrhea? It is enough to drip two drops of the medicine into the nasal passages.
The maximum course of treatment with the use of vasoconstrictors is 5 days.
From folk remedies it is recommended:
- aloe. The sap of the plant can be used as monotherapy or in combination with Kalanchoe. Having mixed the juices of plants in the same amount, it is necessary to drip the nose in four drops;
- the garlic clove must be peeled, finely chopped with a knife or garlic press, and then squeezed out. The medium carrots should be washed, peeled, grated and squeezed out. The resulting juices must be mixed, add honey, sunflower oil in equal volume with the juices. Bury your nose in three drops;
- a very bad runny nose can be cured with coniferous broth. Fill 15 g of needles with boiling water with a volume of 450 ml, leave for half an hour, after which we drip three drops;
- the nasal mucosa should be generously lubricated with vaseline oil, then insert cotton swabs with garlic juice for 5-8 minutes. If a burning sensation is felt, the procedure should be stopped and the nasal cavities should be rinsed with water;
- melted warm honey should be applied to a cotton swab and inserted into the nasal passage for 10 minutes;
- 15 g of plantain (leaves) must be poured with boiling water (210 ml), left for 15 minutes and filtered.
Note that medications are applied to the nasal mucosa only after it has been cleansed.To do this, you can use saline solutions, prepared independently, or purchased at a pharmacy (Marimer, Aqualor, Salin). To prepare the solution, you can use sea or edible salt (3 g per glass of warm water).
How to cure a bad cold? Treatment tactics are determined taking into account the cause of the disease. Without eliminating the provoking factor (allergen, infection, constant hypothermia), it will not be possible to completely get rid of rhinorrhea.
