A stuffy nose, or nasal congestion, may be an early COVID-19 symptom. Allergies, colds, sinusitis, and the flu may also cause a stuffy nose.
Generally, allergies will result in nasal congestion when you expose yourself to an allergen. Cold symptoms are less severe than COVID and the flu. Sinusitis, on the other hand, can be accompanied by facial pain or pressure. The only way to determine whether COVID is behind your stuffy nose is through a test.
Is a Stuffy Nose a COVID-19 Symptom?
COVID is said to produce a stuffy nose among many of its very early symptoms. One study tracking nose-related COVID symptoms involved 517 participants. Nasal congestion began within two weeks prior to official diagnoses, researchers observed.
Scientists indicate that nasal congestion is low in one of the leading COVID symptoms. A review article included 14 studies; these reported as much as 4.8 percent of 2,971 COVID patients presented nasal congestion.
This percentage is much lower than those for other COVID symptoms like:
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Muscle pain
A stuffy nose may be more prevalent in some people than others. Some studies indicate that children and individuals with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently experience a stuffy nose with COVID.
What Causes a Stuffy Nose?
A stuffy nose occurs when the tissue lining your nostrils becomes inflamed. Conditions and infections such as allergies, colds, COVID, and the flu can cause a stuffy nose.
Viruses cause colds, COVID, and the flu. These viruses raise inflammation in the body, including in your nose and throat.7 Swollen blood vessels in your nostrils cause swelling that often leads to a stuffy nose. Usually, symptoms from the common cold are milder than the symptoms of influenza or SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes a COVID infection).
Allergies are an immune response to allergens, or harmless substances like animal dander, dust, and pollen. Your immune system releases chemicals called histamines in response tothese allergens.8 Other chemicals called leukotrienes and prostaglandins target the blood vessels in your nostrils, which causes a stuffy nose.
How to Tell the Difference
A stuffy nose might indicate many sicknesses, from allergies and a common cold to flu. The person is rarely sure if the stuffiness they feel in the nose could be a result of COVID. There is no easy way of ascertaining, and getting tested is the only surefire method.
There are some ways to distinguish between allergies, colds, COVID, and the flu. Cold symptoms are generally milder than COVID and the flu. For instance, a fever and muscle aches are more common with COVID or the flu than with colds.
Sepsis symptoms develop, typically five days after infection. Flu symptoms develop abruptly within one to four days of infection.3 Allergies—contrary to colds, COVID, and the flu—are not infectious. Allergy symptoms typically go away when you eliminate the allergen.
Treatments
You can try some of the following to alleviate sinus pressure from a stuffy nose if your symptoms are mild, such as:
- Apply a warm compress to your face
- Breathe in steam two to four times daily.
- Keep your head elevated.
- Try a nasal wash or saline spray to flush mucus from your nose.
Try OTC medicines, such as antihistamines and decongestants. Discuss with a healthcare provider how often to take these medicines.
- Use a humidifier to keep the air moist.
- Wear adhesive strips, which widen your nostrils to help you breathe.
- When To See a Healthcare Provider
Most people’s stuffy noses clear on its own in one week with less-severe cases of colds, COVID, and flu. You can reduce allergy symptoms by removing the allergen.
Contact a healthcare provider if you are experiencing a stuffy nose that lasts over three weeks or is accompanied by any of the following:
- Blurred vision
- A cough lasting over 10 days
- Coughing up gray or yellowish-green mucus
- Fever over 104 degrees Fahrenheit
- Nasal discharge following a head injury or with a fever
Nasal discharge that originates from one nostril, is a color other than white or yellow, or has an odor
- Severe headache that is not relieved by OTC medication
- Swelling of your eyes, cheeks, forehead, or sides of your nose
- Throat pain
- White or yellow spots on the inside of your throat or tonsils
