context: Whether it's a cold, the flu, or allergies that are causing your trouble, you've got plenty of choices to help clear your stuffed-up nose. Medications Check with your doctor before you take any over-the-counter drugs if you have medical problems or take other medicines. Decongestants. You can get them as pills or sprays. They shrink the blood vessels inside your nose. This opens up your nasal passages, so air can flow easier through them. Decongestant sprays work directly on the blood vessels in your nose. You shouldn't use them for more than 3 days, because your body may start to rely on them. If this happens, you'll feel even stuffier when you stop using them. Decongestants can raise your heart rate and blood pressure. This means people with medical conditions including high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, glaucoma, or trouble peeing shouldn't use them. Steroid nasal sprays. If allergies are causing your stuffy nose, ask your doctor if you should use ones that you can buy without a prescription. They can bring down swelling and improve congestion, and have few side effects. They can take a couple of days to kick in, so start them before you have symptoms and use them throughout your allergy season. They won't help with colds or the flu. Antihistamines. You may need this type of medicine if your nose is stuffy because of allergies. Histamines are chemicals in your body that cause allergic symptoms, including a stuffy nose. Antihistamines help prevent allergic reactions by blocking these chemicals. Some of these meds can make you sleepy, so read the label. They work best if you take them before your allergies begin, but they can work after the fact, too. Menthol. Medicated ointments that have this or camphor in them can help you breathe better. You can rub them on your chest or upper lip. You can also buy types that you place in warm water and breathe in the vapor, which helps open up your airways. Natural Remedies Steam. Stand in a warm shower and take deep breaths. This good old-fashioned method may do the trick to ease your stuffiness. Natural Remedies continued... You can also fill a bowl with hot water, put a towel over your head, and hold your face over the bowl. The towel will help keep the steam close to you as you breathe it in. Saline. Rinse the passages of your nose with a salt solution to thin and flush out what's in there. That can include allergy triggers that may be causing a reaction. You can buy saline drops without a prescription or make your own. In a clean container, mix 3 teaspoons of iodide-free salt with 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Add 1 teaspoon of this mix to 8 ounces of distilled or pre-boiled lukewarm water. Hold one side of your nose closed, then squirt the saline into the other side. Repeat 2-3 times and switch sides. Neti pots. They flush your sinuses with saline. Follow the directions above to make saline, or buy a rinse at the drugstore. To use a neti pot, fill it with a saline solution. Stand over a sink and pour the liquid into your nostril with your head tilted about 45 degrees. It will drain through your sinuses and out the other nostril. Blow Your Nose the Right Way Here's how to do it: Always use a disposable tissue to avoid spreading germs. Blow gently. If you do it too hard, it can force mucus into your ears or other parts of your sinuses. Wash your hands when you're done.