Placing a warm, damp cloth over the bridge of the nose and forehead can help alleviate sinus pressure and reduce swelling. Physical Techniques for Quick Relief

To win the war, you need to shrink the swelling, not just attack the snot.

For fast relief, you can use these simple methods to thin mucus and open airways:

Capsaicin—the chemical that makes chili peppers hot—is a natural decongestant. You don't need to eat a ghost pepper. Put a drop of Tabasco sauce on a cotton swab and dab it just inside the nostril (not up the brain, just the entrance). Or, eat a spoonful of wasabi. It will burn. But your eyes will water, the blood vessels will constrict from the shock, and you will breathe freely for the next 20 minutes.

The most immediate way to soothe irritated nasal tissues is through hydration and steam. Moisture helps thin out thick mucus, making it easier to drain.

Your nasal passages are lined with erectile tissue (yes, the same kind found elsewhere in the body). When you catch a virus, encounter an allergen, or get dry winter air, that tissue swells up like a sponge. The blood vessels dilate, and suddenly the narrow corridor of your airway becomes a pinched straw. The mucus is just the angry landlord locking the door.

If you are truly desperate at 2:00 AM, try this: