What is the Cause of Nasal Congestion?

What Causes Nasal Congestion?

Nasal congestion can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'troubling' to 'serious'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose nasal congestion, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "nasal congestion" as a symptom. Here are eight possibilities:

Sarcoidosis
Vasomotor Rhinitis
Mercury Toxicity
General Toxicity
Indoor Allergies
Vitamin Pantothenic Acid Need
Milk Allergy
Chronic Fatigue-Fibromyalgia

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

high current exposure to solvents

extreme moodiness

occasional unexplained fevers

preauricular node problems

heavily coated tongue

being easily irritated

rapid decline in speaking ability

shortness of breath when at rest

one to five tender points

very bloodshot eyes

numb/burning/tingling extremities

metallic taste in mouth

... and more than 100 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of nasal congestion:

Cause	Probability	Status
Vasomotor Rhinitis	93%	Confirm
Milk Allergy	15%	Unlikely
Mercury Toxicity	12%	Unlikely
Chronic Fatigue-Fibromyalgia	2%	Ruled out
Sarcoidosis	2%	Ruled out
General Toxicity	2%	Ruled out
Indoor Allergies	2%	Ruled out
Vitamin Pantothenic Acid Need	1%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

In the Nose/Smell Symptoms section of the questionnaire, The Analyst™ will ask the following question about nasal congestion:

Do you suffer from nasal congestion (blocked nose) or post-nasal drip?

Possible responses:

→ No / don't know
→ Occasionally / moderately
→ Often / severely

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate nasal congestion, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Chronic Fatigue / Fibromyalgia Syndrome

General Detoxification Requirement

Indoor Allergies

Mercury Toxicity (Amalgam Illness)

Mild nasal congestion / stuffy nose can be a sign of mercury toxicity.

Nonallergic / Vasomotor Rhinitis

Sarcoidosis

Nasal symptoms and signs occur in 1-6% of sarcoidosis patients [McCaffrey TV, Donald TJ. Sarcoidosis of the nose and paranasal sinuses. Laryngoscope 1983;93: pp.1281-4], including crusting, nosebleeds (epistaxis) and bilateral obstruction. Distinctive tiny yellow submucosal nodules can sometimes be seen.

Vitamin Pantothenic Acid Requirement

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