Switch methods. Use a nasal saline (like a nasal rinse or Neti pot).They can flush out stuffy airways. Cut the cord. Don’t use a spray more than once every 12 hours, or longer than 3 days.

Whether you’re fighting off a cold, the flu, or seasonal allergies, a sinus-rinse kit or neti pot — nasal irrigation tools to help clear sinus congestion — can help loosen thick mucus ...