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:

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

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:

much reduced sense of smell

afternoon headaches

bloodshot eyes

being an unsocial person

recurrent bronchitis

moderate mercury toxicity

frequent sneezing / attacks

frequent painful inguinal nodes

having a CFS diagnosis

much past amalgam filling removal

occasionally feeling unusually cold

diminished perspiration

... 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
Chronic Fatigue-Fibromyalgia	94%	Confirm
Indoor Allergies	24%	Unlikely
Vasomotor Rhinitis	18%	Unlikely
Sarcoidosis	0%	Ruled out
General Toxicity	0%	Ruled out
Mercury Toxicity	0%	Ruled out
Vitamin Pantothenic Acid Need	0%	Ruled out
Milk Allergy	0%	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:

Allergy to Cow's Milk

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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