Women in Menopause Are 1.5× More Likely to Suffer From Nasal Congestion. Here Are 7 Reasons Why, and How You Can Breathe Like You Used ToFor women 45+ who are tired of carrying tissues
Women in Menopause Are 1.5× More Likely to Suffer From Nasal Congestion. Here Are 7 Reasons Why, and How You Can Breathe Like You Used ToFor women 45+ who are tired of carrying tissues
If your nose started misbehaving around the same time as the hot flashes, it isn't a coincidence and it isn't a cold that never quite leaves. Here's what's actually going on inside it, and what helps.
See what helpsFalling estrogen changes the lining of your nose
The soft lining inside your nose is one of the places estrogen quietly looks after. It keeps that tissue moist, calm and well behaved. As levels drop and swing, the lining can turn puffy and touchy at the same time.
That's why so many women end up both blocked and drippy, sometimes in the same hour. Nothing new got into your nose. The tissue itself changed.
Your nose gets its own version of a hot flash
A hot flash is blood vessels opening wide without warning. The lining of your nose is packed with tiny vessels too, and they can do the same thing.
When they flood, the inside of your nose swells and starts to run, with no pollen and no cold behind it. It's also why it often gets worse the week before a period, or every time a hormone dose changes.
Lying down sends more blood into a lining that's already swollen
Upright, gravity helps drain your nose. The moment your head meets the pillow, blood pools in that already-puffy lining, and the airway narrows within minutes.
So you can feel fine on the sofa and blocked in bed. Many women describe a mini-cold that arrives at bedtime, peaks around one in the morning and is gone by breakfast. It's the same nose, just flat.
Your nose now reacts to things it used to ignore
Cold air on a morning walk. Steam from the kettle. Brushing your teeth. A stranger's perfume. A touchier lining overreacts to everyday things, and suddenly you're the one who always has a tissue up her sleeve.
It's not age catching up with you overnight, and it's not something you're doing wrong. It's a sensitive lining doing its job too eagerly.
It isn't an allergy, so allergy pills barely touch it
Plenty of women take the allergy test, wait for the results and hear the same thing: you're not allergic to anything. Then they're handed an antihistamine anyway.
Antihistamines are built to block an allergic reaction. When the swelling comes from vessels and hormones instead, there's very little for the pill to block. That's why it helps a bit on some days and not at all on others.
If you've read this far, you already know which of these is your nose.
See what helpsMost fixes treat your whole body for a problem the size of your thumb
Tablets travel through your bloodstream to reach a few centimetres of tissue, and bring dry eyes, foggy afternoons or groggy mornings along for the ride. Decongestant sprays open you up for a night, then make you need them.
None of that makes you wrong for using them. It just explains why your nightstand slowly turned into a pharmacy shelf, and you're still reaching for tissues.
A problem that lives in your nose is best met in your nose
That's the thinking behind red light therapy for the nose. Vantrel Lumen is a small device, about the size of a matchbox, with two soft tips that rest just inside your nostrils and shine red light on the swollen tissue itself, not through the rest of your body.
Ten minutes in the evening, before your head meets the pillow. No hormones, so it doesn't matter whether you're on HRT, can't take it, or would rather not. Give it a few weeks of daily use: the change builds rather than switching on overnight.
Three women who had this same problem
In their own words, from reviews of this device.
Ten minutes before bed, instead of another pill
Vantrel Lumen: red light therapy for the nose, about the size of a matchbox. Drug-free and hormone-free, for evenings that end with you actually asleep.
In their own words
Free US shipping, and 60 days to decide once it arrives.
Get Vantrel Lumen · 33% OFFVantrel Lumen is a general wellness device. It is not a medical device and not a medicine, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, including sleep apnoea. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This page explains common experiences in general terms and is not medical advice. Results vary from person to person. If your symptoms are severe, persistent or getting worse, speak with your doctor. If you take medication that makes you sensitive to light, or have a light-sensitive condition, ask your doctor before use.
ADVERTISEMENT. This page is published by Vantrel Labs to promote Vantrel Lumen and is not a news article or an independent review. The 1.5× figure comes from a study of 2,197 French women aged 50 to 64, in which menopause was linked to 1.47 times the odds of rhinitis (a blocked or runny nose). Reviews are quoted word for word and reflect individual experiences, not a promise of the same result. The rating comes from 701 reviews of this same device. Photos of people are illustrative.