Congestion manifests when your body is attempting to flush out an irritant within your hollow spaces (yang organs):
The irritant could be something that came into your body that you are allergic to, an allergen such as pet dander, mold spores, or a food. Or it can be something in your body that is allergen-like, such as a parasite.
The Humoral-Allergy aspect of your immune system (Th2) detects the allergen and begins producing IgE antibodies specific to it.
Your mast cells (in your tissues) immediately release their pre-formed histamine in an attempt to trap and expel the allergen.
The IgE antibodies also attach to your basophils (in your blood), arming them with surface-bound IgE, ready to react if there is a re-exposure to the allergen. If there is a re-exposure, eosinophils are recruited and release toxic granules and mediators that cause tissue inflammation, mucus production, and airway irritation.
Elevated eosinophils is a sign of chronic allergic reactions or the presence of a large extracellular parasite, especially Helminths (worms). Unlike parasites, allergens are harmless, so eosinophil activity causes pathology rather than protection.
How you treat your congestion depends on what is stimulating the Th2 wing of your immune system.
| Externally-Generated | Environmental exposures to allergens or pathogens can invade your body from the outside in |
| Internally-Generated | Imbalances from within your body |
You have numerous defense systems in place to keep pathogens from invading your body:
When an external invasion occurs, it is believed that your defenses (Wei Qi – governed by the Gold Element = Lungs and Large Intestine) were not strong enough to keep the pathogen out. These external invasions are categorized as either Wind-Heat or Wind-Cold.
When the presentation is a new, initial onset, the following herbal formulas can be used to expel wind, clear heat or warm cold. When heat or cold are not dominant, a neutral formula can be used – Bi Yan Pian. This can be found in my Reduce Congestion Protocol.
| Wind-Heat Cang Er Zi San | Feeling warm or have a fever Sweating Irritated or sore throat Yellow nasal discharge Red tongue, thin yellow coating Pulse feels bigger and a little faster |
| Wind-Cold Xin Yi San | Aversion to cold No sweating Maybe feel a chill Thin, clear nasal fluid |
Congestion is annoying and sometimes debilitating. I encourage you to utilize a treatment tool that supports your body, versus blocking what it is trying to do.
| Saline Nasal Sprays & Rinses Example: Neti Pot or Xlear Nasal Spray | Saline (saltwater solution) helps to thin your mucus and flush out irritants, which will calm your immune reaction. You can add xylitol, a biofilm disruptor, which will penetrate the barrier pathogens built to avoid being killed |
| Homeopathic Remedies Example: Boiron Homeopathic Remedies | These are readily accessible at most drug stores. They are non-drowsy, non-habit forming, and no risk of rebound congestion. AllergyCalm: Classic allergy symptoms SinusCalm: Sinus pressure, congestion, sinus-related pain or headache Oscillicococcium: Initial onset flu-like symptoms |
These tools are great when you don’t have any of the above and you are miserable.
Example: Afrin
Fast acting by shrinking swollen blood vessels in your nasal tissue.
Negative: You should not use it for more than 3 days in a row since you could experience rebound congestion.
Example: Sudafed
Reduce your nasal swelling systemically.
Negative: Can raise your blood pressure, cause heart palpitations, or insomnia.
When your congestion is allergy-related, antihistamines can be used to block your histamine production.
If you are experiencing a chronic, internally-generated condition that causes high histamine production, blocking histamine can be a helpful strategy to calm the excessive activation. This is often from a disregulated immune system.
When your congestion it is from an acute exposure, blocking histamine will interfere with your body attempting to protect you from the allergen.
There are different categories of antihistamines available on the market, based on which histamine receptor it is blocking. Here we are going to focus on H1 Receptor Blockers that target allergens:
First Generation
Looking for a quick effect for a shorter duration? These 1st generation H1 Blockers will deliver. But it does cause drowsiness since it crosses the Blood Brain Barrier.
| Benadryl | Drowsiness: High Duration: 4–6 hours Uses: Sleep, motion sickness |
| Chlor-Trimeton | Drowsiness: Low Duration: 4–6 hours Uses: Seasonal allergies |
| Tavist | Drowsiness: Moderate Duration: 12 hours Uses: Allergic rhinitis, urticaria (hives) |
Second Generation
Looking for something that will support you most of the day? These 2nd generation H1 Blockers are less sedating and often used for chronic allergy management such as allergic rhinitis and urticaria (hives).
| Claritin | Drowsiness: Minimal Onset: 1–3 hrs Use: Works well for mild-moderate symptoms |
| Zyrtec | Drowsiness: Mild Onset: 1 hour Use: Often gives the most consistent relief |
| Allegra | Drowsiness: None Onset: 1-2 hrs Use: Best if sedation must be avoided |
Third Generation
Both are effective for most of the day for season allergies, allergic rhinitis, or urticaria (hives), at a lower dosage than other generations.
| Xyzal | Drowsiness: Mild Onset: 1 hour |
| Clarinex | Drowsiness: Minimal Onset: 1-3 hours |
In addition to the histamine released by mast cells and eosinophils, histamine can be produced by certain bacteria within your microbiomes.
Key histamine-producing bacteria include:
If you are experiencing chronic congestion, it can be helpful to reduce your exposure to histamine producers and utilize histamine reducers.
| Blend of flavonoids, antioxidants, herbs, and proteolytic enzymes | Supports nasal and sinus passageways for seasonal allergies |
| Diamine Oxidase | An enzyme that breaks down histamine from food in the gut |
| Histamine-friendly probiotic | Promotes beneficial gut bacteria that are less likely to produce histamine |
Improving your foundational health (Wholistic Health Path) allows you to start delayering the noise often disguising the underlying why for your chronic congestion. This is something that has to be done anyway in order to repair most deeper underlying mechanisms at play, and the order of operations matters. To increase your efficacy, you can personalize your healing journey by scheduling a Personalized Consultation.
Step into Action
| Improve your diet | Earth Element of the Cleansing Lifestyle Program and Repair Diet |
| Purchase Natural Decongestants | Reduce Congestion Protocol |
| Determine your Pattern of Disharmony | Schedule a Personalized Consultation |