Why does my nose get stuffy when lying down at night? How to get rid of nasal congestion in a horizontal position

Nasal congestion and swelling are the main symptoms of many diseases of the nose and sinuses. If it occurs only in a horizontal position, special significance should be given to this. This condition can be caused by both infectious and non-infectious diseases. It is important not to delay treatment and take measures as soon as possible so that the pathology does not progress and cause complications.

Causes

Doctors identify dozens of reasons why a person gets a stuffy nose at night. One of the most common is dry air in the bedroom. The average indoor humidity is 30%, which is a very low value for the full functioning of the nasal mucosa. When drying out, the blood supply to the mucous membrane increases, which leads to the release of mucus.

In the evening, in a horizontal position, the symptoms intensify as the blood flow to the head increases. This problem can be solved by increasing the humidity in the room. There are special devices - air humidifiers, which perform this task automatically.

Non-infectious factors

This category includes nasal congestion that is not associated with the presence of viruses or bacteria in the human body. There are no inflammatory symptoms: fever, purulent discharge, fever.

Treatment with antiviral or antibacterial agents will not give results. In this case, it is recommended to undergo a thorough examination by a doctor to find out the exact cause of the disease.

Allergic reaction

Allergies are one of the most common causes of swelling of the nasal mucosa. It occurs when provoking particles enter the body, which trigger an autoimmune process.

If the allergy occurs only at night, when a person goes to bed, the cause is dust mites.

It lives in a blanket, pillows or mattress. Mold fungi live under wallpaper, on the floor and ceiling of bedrooms.

Vessels

Vasomotor rhinitis is a disease in which the conductivity of the nasal vessels is disrupted. This leads to nasal congestion and decreased sense of smell.

The causes of this disease are the following factors:

heredity;
features of the nervous system;
bad ecology;
excessive use of vasoconstrictors.

The pathology manifests itself most clearly in the supine position, when a large amount of blood rushes to the head, and the vessels are unable to adequately respond to this. A characteristic feature is that it lays the side corresponding to the side on which the person lies.

Deviated nasal septum

Violations in the nasal septum can occur in childhood. It is formed from cartilage and bone tissue. If these structures grow unevenly, a baby before 11 months of age will develop spines, ridges, or layers that make breathing difficult.

Physical trauma to the facial area can cause a deviated septum. It can block the nasal passages completely or partially, compressing the mucous membrane and causing the secretion of mucus.

Hormonal disorders

Problems with the endocrine system can lead to disruption of the blood supply to tissues and the functioning of the nasal mucosa. Normally, hormonal imbalance is observed during pregnancy, adolescence and during the menstrual cycle. In case of such disturbances, you should consult a doctor to correct your hormonal levels.

Hormones can affect a person’s blood pressure, blood flow and sleep. With hypertension, the venous plexuses in the nose become congested, causing swelling. A characteristic feature is that it lays down the side on which the person lies.

Neoplasm or foreign body

One of the causes of nasal congestion is a foreign body that has entered the nostril. Most often these are coins, buttons or cotton swabs. In a horizontal position, objects move and block the nasal passage.

Polyps or other neoplasms can grow and gradually block the nasal cavity. When lying down, they hang down, occupying one or both nostrils.

Infectious causes

An infectious pathology can impair nasal breathing. This process is most often combined with poisoning of the body, fever, constant runny nose and other symptoms.

Diseases that cause similar symptoms include:

ARVI and other colds. The nasal cavity is the first protective mechanism when a person encounters a virus (in public places, in hospitals). If the immune system is unable to cope with the infection, microorganisms penetrate the mucous membrane, causing inflammation and swelling.
Sinusitis. If a runny nose goes untreated for a long time, inflammation of the sinuses develops. They accumulate purulent secretions, which have a toxic effect on the entire body. If only one nostril is blocked while lying down, the doctor assumes unilateral inflammation.
Adenoid vegetation. Adenoids cause a lot of problems in childhood. As the tonsil enlarges, it blocks the nasal passage and auditory tubes.
Postnasal drip. The glands that are located in the nose begin to produce excessive amounts of mucus. In a horizontal position, the patient feels how it flows down the walls into the depths. This leads to blocked choanae and nasal congestion.

If a person has detected at least one of the above symptoms, he should consult a doctor for advice or begin to carry out treatment procedures on his own.

Diagnostics

An otorhinolaryngologist can accurately identify the cause of nasal congestion during sleep. Based on a survey, anamnesis of life and diseases, complaints and the results of instrumental and laboratory diagnostics, he puts forward a final diagnosis.

The most commonly used is endoscopic examination. This makes it possible to identify individual structural features and establish the presence of a pathological process.

Additional research methods are:

CT scan;
Magnetic resonance imaging;
radiography.

The presence of an inflammatory process in the body can be determined by a general blood test, urine test and biochemical blood test. If doctors suspect an allergy, the person is referred to an allergist for further testing.

Treatment

This symptom can be treated both conservatively and surgically, depending on the cause of the disease. Chronic vasomotor rhinitis at the beginning of its development is eliminated by hormonal therapy, rinsing the nose with saline solutions and immunomodulators.

If treatment does not produce results, a decision is made about vasotomy. The operation involves the removal of all vascular connections between the periosteum of the nasal concha and its mucous membrane. This manipulation relieves a person of congestion.

A more gentle procedure is laser coagulation of the nasal turbinates, which reduces their size. The advantage of the method is that it causes fewer side effects and has a short postoperative period.

There are other treatment tactics for various pathologies:

Chronic hypertrophic rhinitis, polyps, adenoids and deviated septum are corrected surgically.
For allergic reactions, the doctor prescribes hormonal drops or antiallergic medications. The source of the allergy should be eliminated and the immune system should be supported.
In case of infectious processes, effective antibiotic therapy is selected, anti-inflammatory treatment, and prevention are carried out (avoid hypothermia, crowded places, do not sit near a window or air conditioner).
For postnasal drip, regular moistening and rinsing of the nose quickly eliminates the problem. Aquamaris, Dolphin or salt water are used as medicines.

If nasal congestion at night causes discomfort, and self-treatment does not eliminate the problem, you should consult a doctor.

Nasal congestion is an unpleasant physiological condition that causes disturbances in the functioning of organs and systems. Difficulty breathing can lead to headaches, weakness, and can interfere with the normal supply of oxygen to the body. The reason why your nose gets stuffy at night while lying down is identified by a specialist.

If signs appear, but there is no runny nose or cold, then this is a cause for concern, because such a phenomenon indicates pathological changes. Failure to treat nasal congestion at night will lead to a number of complications.

The influence of external allergens and pathogenic strains leads to excessive blood flow to the nose and swelling of the mucous membrane. Most often, swelling of the mucous membrane is accompanied by the development of inflammation. The patient may complain of changes in normal breathing through the nose, especially at night while lying down. The patient feels a burning sensation, discomfort in the sinus area, as well as irritation and heaviness in the center of the forehead.

Causes of sinus congestion

When the patient is in a horizontal position, the pressure on the capillary network increases, which results in volume. Against the background of changes in transcapillary exchange, the intercellular space becomes filled with fluid, and as a result, the nasopharynx swells.

If no changes occur in the mucous secretion, and the nose becomes stuffy when lying down at night, then several factors are attributed to the reasons for the failure of the drainage function.

Infectious lesions of the upper respiratory tract

When viruses and bacteria are activated, the soft tissues of the respiratory tract change. The body reacts to them, the patient develops symptoms, and a change in breathing occurs. Pain also appears in the neck and back of the head, the patient quickly gets tired, and a cough appears.

Infectious and viral diseases

During the incubation period, the activity of single-celled organisms decreases. Therefore, in the first 3 days, when infected with viruses, only nasal congestion occurs, especially at night, when the patient is lying down.

The patient appears:

weakness;
headache;
feeling of chills;
not feeling well.

A viral infection can cause headaches

If there are polyps that impede the outflow of blood, then a runny nose during a cold may not be present.

Gestation period

From the moment the pregnancy begins, a woman’s hormonal balance changes, the production of hormones increases, under the influence of which mucous secretions accumulate in the intercellular space, so the soft tissues swell and the nasal canals become clogged.

Presence of adenoids and polyps

Enlargement of the tonsils of a pathological nature leads to the fact that the nose becomes blocked at night in a lying position, manifesting itself in hearing loss and the spread of various infections. Genetic transmission of the pathology is also possible.

Nasal congestion due to nasal polyps

Benign formations in the nose include those that arise due to previous infections or inheritance and allergies of various types. They lead to difficulty breathing through the nose at night, while lying down, as well as to the development of asthma and the degeneration of formations into a malignant tumor.

A negative reaction of the body to certain substances is an allergy.

High sensitivity to various irritants can manifest itself as a stuffy nose at night when lying down, watery eyes, redness of the skin and headaches.

When antigens are exposed, the body produces antibodies, their saturation leads to the release of substances into the circulatory system that constrict blood vessels. In a horizontal position, there is congestion in the nasal passages.

The reason is the presence of dust mites in bedding or clothing, animal hair, household items, and plant pollen.

Allergy to flowering can also lead to nasal congestion

Presence of dry air in the room

As you know, dry air is harmful to the natural activities of the body. Mainly in winter, when there is not enough humidity, the supply of oxygen to the blood is very difficult. The patient appears:

rapid fatigue;
feeling unwell;
drowsiness;
stuffy nose when lying down.

To solve the problem, you need to purchase an air humidifier.

In addition to these factors, the nose can be stuffy if a person eats poorly, when there is an excess of sugar and preservatives. Poor ecology - an accumulation of harmful substances occurs in the respiratory tract, the patient may not know, but swelling of the nasopharynx appears when lying down.

Deformation of the nasal septum as a result of nasal congestion

A feature of breathing through the nose with a crooked septum may be difficulty. As you know, quite often people who have a deviated septum snore at night and have a stuffy nose.

A deviated nasal septum can cause nasal congestion

The causes of anatomical deformation of the nose include the physiological characteristics of the patient (disturbances in the formation of cartilage and bone tissue), trauma (trauma during childbirth, the presence of a foreign body in the nose), hypertrophy of the nasal concha (the septum is tightly located to the nasal concha, the plate is deformed - this leads to that stuffy nose at night when lying down).

The patient complains of a number of symptoms.

Dry nose.
Labored breathing.
Snore.
Nose bleeds.

If surgical treatment is not performed, a deviated septum can cause chronic ENT diseases.

Penetration of a foreign body into the nasal passage

When a foreign element (for example, in the form of a bean) gets into the nose, under the influence of mucous secretion it swells, which leads to blockage of the nasal canals and the victim is unable to breathe fully. Irritation of the mucous membrane increases when the position of a foreign element in the nasal passage changes or when a person lies down to rest at night.

Small parts can penetrate the bronchi, which is life-threatening.

Physical impact

Therapy for neurogenic rhinitis is either carried out using ultrashort and ultra-frequency electromagnetic waves, ultrasound, and electrophoresis.

When the body is exposed to natural phenomena, the safety and therapeutic effectiveness of manipulations is ensured.

Such procedures promote deep penetration of the drug into the tissue, restore lymph microcirculation, increase immunity and the outflow of mucous secretions.

After completing the treatment course, patients notice a decrease in pain, restoration of breathing, decreased swelling and congestion in the sinuses, even while lying down at night.

To treat nasal congestion, which manifests itself when lying down at night, it is necessary to select the right methods; in each case they are individual. When drawing up a drug therapy regimen, the specialist relies on the physiological characteristics of the patient, the etiology and course of the disease.

Methods of drug treatment

Before treating a stuffy nose, you need to identify the cause of the inflammatory process in this organ. An otolaryngologist, allergist, or therapist can help. Thanks to the research results, it is possible to determine the nature of inflammation, at what stage of the disease and the sensitivity of pathogenic organisms.

Medication therapy for nasal congestion in a supine position includes the use of drops, ointments and rinsing.

Sinus hygiene

Rinsing the nasal passage during congestion yourself at home will help get rid of germs, dust, and swelling.

For this you can use Aquamaris, Dolphin, Aqualor, Quix. These preparations contain a solution of sodium chloride with a complex of magnesium, iron, potassium and calcium.

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Vasoconstrictor drugs

Therapy for inflamed paranasal sinuses begins with the use of local drugs that constrict blood vessels. When exposed to the mucous membrane, they normalize breathing through the nose, reduce hyperemia, etc.

By observing the required dose, the drugs are almost not absorbed into the blood and act 5 minutes after use. Their effectiveness lasts up to 6 hours.

If a person has heart and vascular disease, tachycardia, hypertension, glaucoma, then it is not recommended to use it when the nasal passages are congested while lying down.

Vasoconstrictor drops include:

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Ointments

As an ointment, you can use Asterisk. This remedy has long been used for ENT diseases.

Doctor Mom ointment has a natural composition, with a minimum number of restrictions. It is not used if there are skin diseases and for children under 2 years of age.

Fleming's ointment can also cure congestion that occurs while lying down at night. Sometimes an allergy to the product occurs.

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Antihistamines

If nasal congestion occurs at night, while lying down and swelling appears, the patient sneezes, which means the mucous membrane is irritated by allergens. In this case, the doctor may prescribe:

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These medications may reduce the severity of allergy symptoms. The effect of the drugs lasts 24 hours.

In addition, drops should not be used by pregnant women with congestion in the nasal canals while lying down at night, children under 3 years of age, or if the body is sensitive to the components.

If congestion appears at night while lying down without a runny nose, this indicates a serious problem. It is necessary to immediately consult a doctor to find out the cause of this phenomenon and eliminate the pathology.

Video: Treatment of nasal congestion

The nose is not a simple human organ of smell. This is primarily the organ responsible for breathing and the flow of proper air into the body. It protects the lungs from dust and other harmful particles, including pathogens. It heats the incoming air, thereby preventing hypothermia of human organs, especially the brain. It is this variety of functions that makes the nose a vital organ, without which a person cannot survive. Therefore, when the nose is blocked, its function is disrupted and many extremely unpleasant symptoms are noted.

Cause: Allergy

Some people note that their nose is stuffy only at night. Doctors are inclined to believe that most often this is due to an allergic reaction. The allergy is quite insidious, so if a person has not previously noticed its manifestations, night congestion may be caused by a reaction to the pillow filling or the washing powder used to treat the bed linen. If the cause of congestion is an allergy, you need to take an antihistamine, which quickly restores nasal breathing. Of course, it is very important to get rid of the allergen, otherwise medications will only bring temporary relief, and the unpleasant symptom will soon return.

If your nose only gets stuffy when lying down, this could be a sign of a serious illness.

It is necessary to find out why the described trouble occurs, otherwise, if measures are not taken, such a symptom will haunt the person for a long time and, in the end, lead to serious complications.

Cold

Adenoid vegetations

In childhood, night congestion often indicates the growth of adenoid tissue. Of course, adenoids prevent infectious agents from entering the body, but when they are enlarged, this is accompanied by many problems. Initially, they are noticeable at night, due to snoring, which interferes with sleep.

If measures are not taken and conservative drug treatment is not used, this provokes not only further enlargement of the adenoids, but also persistent respiratory infections, which will inevitably be accompanied by breathing problems, and subsequently a prolonged runny nose.

Clamped vessels

If a person notes to himself: when I go to bed, I don’t have enough air, this may indicate that the blood vessels are constricted. If no other symptoms are identified, congestion occurs systematically while lying down at night and is not accompanied by a runny nose or other symptoms, you should think about visiting a doctor. This is a very serious problem that cannot be cured on your own. Its solution is urgent, so it’s worth making an appointment with a specialist as soon as possible.

Dry air

Perhaps the most common reason for lack of nasal breathing at night is excessively dry air in the room. Most often this happens in the autumn-winter period due to the heating being turned on. Heated radiators burn oxygen, heating and drying the air, so an artificial increase in humidity is required. Solving this problem is not difficult.

You need to purchase an air humidifier that will work almost all the time in winter, and make it a rule to turn it on at night. If it is not possible to purchase a humidifier, you can look for other methods - placing containers of water on the radiators or hanging them with wet towels at night. When heated, the water will evaporate, humidifying the air.

In addition, you should be sure to regularly ventilate the room, even in the coldest weather, especially before going to bed. Clean, moist air should fill the room, then breathing will be much easier.

By the way, increasing humidity is important not only for restoring nasal breathing and proper sleep. Excessively dry mucous membranes do not have time to become covered with mucus, which performs a protective function. Therefore, the nose becomes susceptible to various pathogens, which can lead to frequent colds with the inevitable runny nose.

Deviated septum

Oddly enough, very often a deviated septum acts as an obstacle to a healthy night's sleep. This is usually a consequence of injury and is often accompanied by unpleasant symptoms. Unfortunately, such a disease cannot be cured, therefore, in case of complicated breathing, surgical intervention is required. Otherwise, constant problems threaten to develop into a chronic stage, then there will be no breathing on one side at all.

Vasomotor rhinitis

When it comes to nasal congestion at night, one cannot fail to mention such a problem as. This is an incredibly common problem that can be caused by a number of factors. These include exposure to chemicals, inhalation of cold air, strong odors, and even stressful situations.

This type of rhinitis is caused by a violation of the filling of air vessels in the nasal mucosa. A characteristic symptom of the disease is that one nostril is blocked, the one on which side the person lies. At the same time, during a change of position, she begins to breathe, and the problem is transferred to the other nostril. The treatment of such a disease depends on the irritating agent. Most often it consists of drug relief of symptoms, but the use of traditional methods is also indicated.

If the cause of rhinitis is taking medications, the doctor will first change them to analogues.

If the reaction of the mucous membrane is provoked by hormonal changes in the body, the nose is washed with various antiseptic solutions to reduce swelling. The most difficult to treat is rhinitis caused by changes in weather. In general, a general strengthening of the immune system is indicated, drinks enriched with vitamin C, hardening and regular nasal rinsing are recommended. In complex cases of the disease, the mucous membrane is cauterized surgically.

With nasal congestion there may or may not be snot. The nose gets stuffy when lying down at night if a person suffers from chronic rhinitis or sinusitis. In addition, the nose becomes stuffy when lying down due to the anatomical structure of the nasal passages or the presence of neoplasms such as polyps and cysts.

If it is impossible to breathe through your nose only at night, then this may be an allergic response of the body to dust mites that live on bedding. Many people are allergic to poultry down. An allergist will help determine the cause of the external irritant through skin tests or a blood test from a vein. Once the allergen has been identified, it must be removed from the home. For example, change down pillows to synthetic hypoallergenic materials, and remove mites with special disinfectants. It is important to carry out wet cleaning in the house.

Many people are interested in the question: “Why does the nose get stuffy when lying down?” While a person is walking, the nose breathes well, but as soon as he lies down there is swelling. A common cause is dry indoor air, especially in winter when the heating is on. In such a situation, children's noses suffer greatly. The solution to the problem is simple: you need to buy an air humidifier and control the level of humidity in the room. Even ordinary improvised means, such as sprinklers, will help. They can be given to children, and they will independently humidify the children's room.

The disease "Chronic sinusitis" causes a stuffy nose without a runny nose when lying down, but then the patient suffers from a dry cough. In such a situation, you should contact an ENT specialist who will prescribe adequate treatment. A person who has had sinusitis will experience nasal congestion at night for some time.

Nasal congestion is a reaction of the body that should not be brushed aside, but is important to treat. With allergic rhinitis, the nose breathes well if a person is in an upright position, but as soon as he lies down to rest, the nose immediately ceases to function. How dangerous is this phenomenon for health? If the nose is constantly stuffy during sleep, this leads to poor quality sleep, resulting in nervousness, irritation, constant fatigue and depression. This cannot be allowed to happen.

The nose may stop breathing at night if an infection has entered the passage. It leads to the development of otitis media, meningitis and brain abscess. Such an infection can be transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person, and therefore is dangerous for others.

If a child has problems with the nose, it is much more difficult to identify them, since the baby cannot explain what is bothering him. The first signs of a problem with the olfactory organ are snoring in a horizontal position, an open mouth in sleep, sniffling, scratching the nasal passages, sleep disturbance, and tearfulness. A deviated nasal septum leads to difficulty breathing in the child. It is treated through surgery.

A child’s nose breathes poorly when the adenoids grow. They block the nasal passages by two-thirds, and in a horizontal position they close due to swelling. Medicines are prescribed to relieve swelling, and if they do not help and the child continues to have trouble breathing, the adenoids are cut out. An ENT specialist can prescribe various “Cuckoo” rinses.

To treat nasal congestion, doctors prescribe vasoconstrictor drops. They help the patient at first. Such substances for the nose can be dripped for a maximum of a week. But the patient often forgets about the boundaries of the disease and drips them for some time, because they help. This is not the correct treatment, because these drops thin the nasal mucosa and disrupt its microflora. As a result, problems begin to become even more serious than before.

Pregnant women also suffer from nasal congestion, especially in winter. They may be bothered by either a profuse nasal discharge or difficulty breathing. This happens due to hormonal changes. The gynecologist will recommend safe drops to alleviate the condition. It is important to listen to him, because a lack of oxygen will lead to fetal hypoxia. If the drops do not help, physiotherapeutic treatment is prescribed.

When a person suffers from nasal congestion, it is enough for him to increase the amount of fluid he consumes. Inhalations with chamomile or saline and rinsing the nose with a solution of sea salt help in this situation. Cigarette smoke also makes breathing difficult, so you should avoid places where people smoke.

Allergies in an adult or child are treated with antihistamines, such as Alerzin, El-Cet, Aleron and others. It is enough to drink the drug and your nose will breathe fully again. If a child puts a foreign body in his nose, breathing will be difficult. You need to call an ambulance immediately. It is important to monitor your health and the health of your children, and then no runny nose will be an obstacle to proper rest and play.

Impaired nasal breathing when lying down may be the result of an allergic or infectious disease. In approximately 30% of cases, obstruction of the nasal passages occurs due to the formation of tumors in the nasal cavity, in particular polyps and adenoid vegetations.

You can find out why your nose is stuffy when lying down using general and local manifestations of the pathology. The feeling of stuffiness most often occurs due to severe swelling of the mucous membrane in the upper respiratory tract. Pathological reactions can be caused by irritants (dust, dry air), pathogens (fungal spores, protozoa, bacteria), as well as benign and malignant tumors.

The article will discuss the etiological factors leading to obstruction of the nasopharynx, as well as diseases accompanied by nasal congestion in a horizontal position.

Nasal congestion - what is it?

Nasal congestion is a pathological condition caused by blockage of the nasal passages. Edema and swelling of the ciliated epithelium lining the nasal cavity is a key cause of impaired nasal breathing. Airway obstruction can be caused by both infectious and non-infectious factors.

If nasal breathing does not recover within 2-3 weeks, the cause of the problem may be a tumor or chronic inflammation in the nasopharynx.

It should be understood that difficulty in nasal breathing is only a symptom that can be a consequence of the development of quite serious pathologies. Infants breathe predominantly through the nose, so obstruction of the nasal canals can provoke acute oxygen starvation. Violation of gas exchange in the body is fraught with irreversible processes in the brain and, as a consequence, death.

Infectious causes

Many people wonder: why, when I go to bed, does one or the other nostril become blocked? To answer this question, you need to understand how the nasal cavity works. It is divided by a septum into two parts, which end in the nasal passages. At the back of the nasopharynx there are small openings (choanae) through which air enters the lower parts of the respiratory tract. Inflammation and swelling of the ciliated epithelium, which lines the nasal cavity, leads to blockage of the choanae, which leads to impaired nasal breathing.

With low-grade inflammation in the respiratory organs, the likelihood of the formation of benign tumors in the nasal cavity increases by 35%.

The most common cause of a stuffy nose is a respiratory infection that develops in the airways. In the case of chronic pathological processes, rhinorrhea (severe rhinitis) may be absent. However, when a person takes a horizontal position, swelling in the mucous membrane increases, which leads to obstruction of the choanae.

Chronic rhinitis

Chronic rhinitis is a syndrome of sluggish bacterial or fungal inflammation in the nasal cavity. Most often, the disease is a consequence of rhinorrhea or the influence of unfavorable environmental factors on the respiratory system. Sluggish pathological processes in the mucous membrane eventually lead to tissue hypertrophy (proliferation), which becomes the cause of nasal congestion in a supine position.

Chronic rhinitis can be recognized by the following clinical manifestations:

thick nasal discharge;
decreased sense of smell;
formation of crusts in the nasal canals;
stuffy nose while lying down.

With inadequate treatment of chronic runny nose, the periosteum becomes involved in inflammation, resulting in the development of periostitis.

Chronic maxillitis

Maxillitis (sinusitis) is a sluggish infectious inflammation of the maxillary sinuses, accompanied by impaired nasal breathing. If a person goes to bed and feels discomfort in the bridge of the nose and at the level of the cheeks, in most cases this indicates the development of sinusitis. The disease is often preceded by chronic rhinitis, bacterial tonsillitis, influenza and other upper respiratory tract infections.

A small number of unicellular glands are concentrated in the paranasal sinuses, so with maxillitis, the volume of nasal mucus increases slightly. But due to severe tissue swelling, the viscous secretion is not evacuated from the respiratory tract, but stagnates in the nasopharynx. Nasal congestion usually worsens when lying down, when mucus fills the choanae.

Postnasal drip syndrome

Postnasal drip syndrome is characterized by the flow of nasal secretions along the back wall of the nasal cavity into the lower parts of the respiratory system. The disease most often develops against the background of infectious or allergic inflammation. Pathological processes in soft tissues stimulate the activity of unicellular glands, which begin to secrete 3 times more muconasal secretion.

During the daytime, a person does not feel discomfort, since mucous secretions are automatically swallowed and do not stagnate in the nasopharynx.

When a person sleeps, fluid accumulates in the respiratory tract and blocks the mouth of the choanae. This is what causes the feeling of congestion. Typical manifestations of postnasal drip include:

nasal congestion;
feeling of a mucous lump in the throat;
burning in the nasopharynx;
nonproductive cough;
headache.

Symptoms of the disease are most pronounced in the morning, when mucus begins to flow down the walls of the pharynx into the respiratory tract.

Non-infectious causes

Why does my nose get stuffy at night? Nasopharyngeal obstruction can be caused not only by infection, but also by allergies or neurovegetative disorders. Blockage of the nasal passages often occurs when benign tumors form in the airways. Delayed and inadequate treatment of pathologies is fraught with the development of side diseases, some of which can only be treated surgically.

Allergy

Allergic rhinitis is one of the most likely causes of nasal congestion at night. As a rule, allergies are triggered by household allergens, which include:

dust mites;
mold;
washing powder;
pillow filler.

Inflammation in the respiratory tract leads to the development of angioedema, which contributes to nasal congestion and difficulty breathing. To eliminate the manifestations of the disease, it is necessary to identify and eliminate causally significant allergens. To do this, it is advisable to replace wool blankets and down pillows with hypoallergenic materials. Vasoconstrictors and antihistamines - Ebastine, Cetirizine, Clemastine, etc. - will help eliminate obstruction in the nasopharynx.

Violation of vascular innervation

The inner surface of the nasopharynx is covered with ciliated epithelium, which is penetrated by a network of blood capillaries. In its thickness there are unicellular glands that produce nasal mucus. It plays the role of a filter that cleans the air of allergens, pathogens, dust particles, etc.

When a person assumes a horizontal position, the blood supply to the vessels in the mucous membrane increases. In case of disruption of the neuro-reflex reaction mechanisms, the elasticity of the capillaries decreases. In this regard, part of the blood plasma can leak into the intercellular space and provoke swelling. Violation of the outflow of intercellular fluid leads to thickening of the mucous membrane in the nasal turbinates. This leads to obstruction of the nasal passages and, as a result, nasal congestion.

The above pathology is called vasomotor rhinitis. It can occur without obvious reasons as a reaction to:

cold air;
allergens;
pungent odors;
dust.

Chronic vasomotor rhinitis often leads to the development of pulmonary pathologies - bronchial asthma, pneumonia, etc. With vasomotor rhinitis, the nasal cavity is filled with clear fluid, which clogs the choanae. In some patients, nasal congestion worsens at night when lying down. As a rule, it is not possible to eliminate an unpleasant symptom even with the help of vasoconstrictor drugs, since the disease is characterized by a violation of vascular innervation.

Nasal polyp

Polyps are benign tumors that form during hypertrophy (growth) of the mucous membranes in the nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses. Neoplasms most often arise due to chronic inflammation of the nasopharynx and long-term allergic rhinitis. The process of polyp growth is not accompanied by pain or discomfort, so a person may not be aware of the development of pathology for a long time.

In the lying position, benign tumors stretch a little and therefore block the airways. This causes difficulty in nasal breathing exclusively at night. The development of the disease can be suspected based on the following symptoms:

decreased sense of smell;
frequent relapses of inflammation in the nose;
periodic nasal stuffiness.

In the early stages of development, tumors can be eliminated using topical glucocorticosteroids and saline solutions for rinsing the nasopharynx. Large polyps are removed surgically using a laser or radio wave knife.

Conclusion

Nasal stuffiness in a horizontal position is a pathological sign indicating obstruction of the nasopharynx. Nasal breathing disorders are most often caused by infections, benign tumors, vasomotor and allergic rhinitis. Inflammation of the soft tissues leads to swelling of the mucous membrane and, accordingly, blockage of the choanae.

Very often, nasal congestion occurs against the background of the development of postnasal drip. Mucus accumulating in the nasal cavity creates a barrier to the passage of air through the choanae into the lower parts of the respiratory tract - larynx, trachea, bronchi, etc.

To eliminate the unpleasant manifestations of the disease, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the underlying pathology that led to obstruction of the nasal passages.