Stuffy Nose

• Blow the nose as often as needed. 
• Drink water, herbal tea or broth. 
• For young children: offer water, milk, juice or warm broth often.
• If the nostrils are red and dry, apply a non-medicated ointment, such as petroleum jelly (Vaseline).
• To relieve pain, take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil). When in doubt, ask a pharmacist for advice. 

Important: Ibuprofen is contraindicated for children under 6 months of age.

To help make beathing easier

• Take a warm bath or shower. 
• For children: let them play in the bath, or stay with them in the shower.

How to relieve a stuffy nose in children and adults

• Use a saline solution purchased at a pharmacy, or make your own by mixing:
  • 240 mL (1 cup or 8 oz.) of drinking water or boiled water that has been left to cool
  • 2.5 mL (½ tsp.) of salt
• To rinse the nose, use a nasal rinse bottle:
  • 4 oz. for children
  • 8 oz. for adolescents and adults
• Wash hands.
• Lean over a sink and keep the mouth open while rinsing.
• Gently squeeze the saline solution into one nostril until it drains out through the other nostril.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Blow the nose afterward, if needed.
• Wash the bottle after each use and replace it every 3 months or when it becomes discoloured.

How to relieve a stuffy nose in babies and young children

• Rinse the nose about 4 times a day, or more often as needed. 
• Use a nasal aspirator to help remove mucus.
• Wash hands before and after cleaning the child's nose. 
• Fill an irrigation syringe with 1 to 3 mL of saline solution.

For babies under 6 months: the lying-down technique

• Lay the baby on their side and swaddle them.
• Gently insert the saline solution into the upper nostril using the syringe. Mucus should drain from the lower nostril, both nostrils or the mouth.
• Turn the baby onto the other side and repeat for the other nostril.

For children over 6 months: the seated technique

• Sit the child on an adult's lap and keep their head upright.
• Wrap the child in a large towel to keep them dry and limit movement.
• Hold the child's chin with one hand and gently rinse one nostril with the other while the child leans slightly forward. Mucus may drain from either nostril or the mouth.
• Repeat in the other nostril.