If your nasal passages became blocked after a serious infection or due to a physical change, like a heavy knock on the nose, then by all means try the following procedure. But if you still have a stuffy nose then you may have to seek professional help from your health specialist.

Most commonly, a stuffy nose is due to either, an allergy, an infection, a virus or an out of balance breathing system.

If you have a persistent infection then you should seek professional help from your physician. Yellow or green discharge is a sign of a bacterial infection. To clear your Stuffy Nose
When your nose starts to block the natural reaction is to start breathing through your mouth. It’s just easier than trying to fight to get the air through the nose. The down side is that mouth breathing tends to shift the oxygen carbon dioxide balance. The body, in trying to rectify this balance, causes the nasal passages to become even more constricted making the situation even worse.

When you feel your passages are starting to get blocked or if they are blocked right now this is what you can do…

Take two or three light breaths (through the nose if you can). After breathing out the third time, hold your breath. You want to hold it as long as possible without creating the urge to gasp for air. When taking your next breath in, breathe through the nose. You must breathe gently. Don’t try and take all the air you need in one big snort. If you try and suck the air in too quickly your nasal passage may collapse making it even harder to breathe.

Once you have cleared the nasal passages, its important to keep breathing only through your nose and not through your mouth. Air passing through the nasal passages helps to dry them out and keep them open. Much in the same way as breathing through your mouth leaves your throat dry in the morning.

I find while holding my breath, pinching my nose and shaking my head helps as well.

It sounds a little silly and all too simple to clear a stuffy nose, but it does work. You may have to repeat the proceedure four or five times. Go ahead, give it a try.
By holding your breath you increase your carbon dioxide level. Your brain goes to work telling your body it needs more oxygen. It tells your body to take a breath and also aids breathing by dilating the smooth muscles of the breathing passages.

It is very easy to slip back to mouth breathing whenever your nose starts to get blocked. To keep breathing through the nose you may want to look at some breathing exercises . A good time to practice breathing through your nose is while you sleep. Unfortunately this is the easiest time to slip in to mouth breathing because you don't have the opportunity to conciously think about how you are breathing. In this instance a breathing aid like a chin strap or even plain medical tape can be of great benefit in retraining your breathing.

It is important to the long term balance of your breathing system that you do breathe through your nose. It will definitely aid in getting rid of your snoring.

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