Can allergies cause a stuffy nose?

How allergies cause it

A stuffy nose is a feeling of reduced airflow through the nose or of fullness in the face.² In an allergic reaction, chemicals released in the nose cause swelling and fluid secretion, which results in congestion and other nasal symptoms.² Blood fills the veins of the nasal lining, tissue inside the nose swells, and airflow through the nose is blocked.²

The allergic reaction in the nose has an early and a late phase.³ The early phase, with symptoms such as sneezing, itching, a runny nose and nasal congestion, begins almost immediately after exposure to the allergen and subsides within one to several hours.³ During the late phase, nasal congestion is the most dominant symptom.³

The allergens behind it depend on the season. Symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis can occur in spring, summer and early fall, and are usually caused by airborne mold spores or pollen from trees, grass and weeds.⁴ Perennial allergic rhinitis brings symptoms year-round and is generally caused by dust mites, pet hair or dander, cockroaches or mold.⁴

Sleep and children

A blocked nose can follow you to bed. Lying down can make the nose feel more blocked, an effect that seems to be greater in people with rhinitis symptoms, and nasal congestion can contribute to the onset or worsening of sleep problems, including obstructive sleep apnea.² Fatigue is a hay fever symptom, often reported because a blocked nose leads to poor-quality sleep.⁴

Children feel it too. Allergies are the most common cause of chronic nasal congestion in children.⁵ Sometimes a child’s nose is so congested that the child breathes through the mouth, especially while sleeping, and may not get a restful night’s sleep and then be tired the next day.⁵

Allergies or something else?

Hay fever shares many of the same symptoms as a common cold, but it is not caused by a virus or bacteria.⁴ Hay fever does not cause a fever, and its symptoms continue as long as your exposure to the allergen continues.⁴ A cold may bring a low-grade fever, will most likely begin a day or two after exposure to the virus and can last a few days to a week.⁴

Many people with rhinitis symptoms don’t have allergies.¹⁰ Non-allergic rhinitis usually begins in adults and causes year-round symptoms, especially a runny nose and stuffiness, and strong odors, pollution, weather changes, smoke and other irritants may cause its symptoms.¹⁰ Congestion can also come from structural causes, such as a deviated septum.²

Sinusitis can bring pressure around your nose, eyes or forehead, a stuffy nose, thick, discolored nasal drainage, bad-tasting post-nasal drip, cough, head congestion, ear fullness and a headache, and it may also bring a toothache, tiredness and, occasionally, a fever.¹¹ Allergic rhinitis may put you at risk for developing sinusitis, because allergies can make the sinuses and nasal linings swell and keep the sinuses from draining.¹¹

When to see a doctor

If your stuffy nose and cough last longer than 10 to 14 days, or get worse after 7 to 10 days, you may have more than a cold.¹¹ For a possible sinus infection, see a healthcare provider for severe symptoms such as severe headache or facial pain, symptoms that get worse after improving, symptoms that last more than 10 days without getting better, a fever longer than 3 to 4 days, or multiple sinus infections in the past year.¹²

An allergist can find out what you are or aren’t allergic to, and can also screen for allergic asthma, which is common in people with rhinitis.¹⁰