Why Do I Get Nasal Congestion After Eating?
By Stephen Chandler, MD |20 October 2021|
Nasal congestion can be very uncomfortable to deal with. You might be experiencing interrupted sleep, difficulty when working out, or trouble focusing due to discomfort. If your nasal congestion is related to times when you have just eaten, there are some reasons that this might be the case. This can cause embarrassing situations when you are out to eat with friends or when you have to eat on the go and you might want to avoid this discomfort in the future.
If you are ready to learn more about why you are experiencing nasal congestion after eating, read on!
Nasal Congestion After Eating
This condition can occur after you eat for a variety of reasons. When your nose is congested, it will feel like it is hard to breathe and you might experience coughing or nasal discharge as well. This is because the membranes inside your nose are swollen and inflamed due to histamines building up in the bloodstream in response to the body’s reaction to a food or another inflammatory agent.
If this reaction is caused by a certain food, you can solve the problem by avoiding eating this food. This can resolve the problem if it is allergic in nature and can also help you to avoid foods that cause this reaction in many people, such as spicy foods. Alcoholic beverages can also cause this condition to occur and you might need to be careful about what you drink as well as what you eat.
Your doctor can offer you medications that will treat flare-ups of this kind of nasal congestion, but if allergies or negative reactions to foods are the underlying cause, you will need to avoid these irritants to avoid the nasal discomfort that comes along with them. While this might not be a very serious condition in most cases, it can sometimes be quite uncomfortable and well worth avoiding.
Some medications can also cause this condition and you will need to speak with your doctor about possible causes that are not food-related. You might need to be put on other medications that are not known to have this side effect. Your doctor can also advise you about treatment for hormone changes and other potential underlying causes for your nasal congestion that might be made worse by contact with certain foods.
Nasal Congestion Can be Managed
If you are experiencing this kind of nasal congestion, you might want to avoid the foods that you think are causing the problem. It is always worth going to your doctor and making sure that there are not other underlying conditions that might be to blame for your nasal discomfort. For many people, these symptoms can be well managed by over-the-counter medications, but your doctor can also advise you on treatments that will help you to handle flare-ups that might lead to trouble sleeping or being comfortable during daily activities.
Managing your nasal congestion does not have to be difficult if you have the help of a doctor working on the issue with you.
Dr. Stephen Chandler is a practicing Otolaryngologist in Montgomery, Alabama and Clinical Director of Sandler Scientific, LLC, manufacturer of CompleteRinse®. To schedule a visit with Dr. Chandler call 334-834-7221 Learn more at https://www.jacksonclinicent.org/. Complete Rinse is available on Amazon and at www.completerinse.com.