Pregnancy blocks a lot of noses. It also removes most of the usual options, because the decongestant spray in the bathroom cabinet is now something to check before using, and nobody wants to guess.
Nasal strips get recommended in this situation for one specific reason: they contain no medication. That makes them a reasonable thing to consider, and it is worth understanding both why the nose blocks in pregnancy and why new snoring during pregnancy is something to mention to a midwife rather than ignore.
This article is general information and not medical advice. Anything you use during pregnancy is worth a quick word with your midwife, GP, or pharmacist first.
Why the Nose Blocks During Pregnancy
A blocked nose in pregnancy is common enough to have its own name: pregnancy rhinitis. It means nasal congestion that appears during pregnancy, lasts six weeks or more, has no infection or allergic cause, and clears after delivery.
Two changes drive it.
Hormone levels rise substantially, and the tissue lining the nose responds by swelling. The lining is rich in blood vessels, and it behaves rather like other tissues that become fuller during pregnancy.
Blood volume also increases considerably over the course of a pregnancy. More blood circulating through vessels in an already swollen lining means a narrower nasal passage.
The result is a nose that feels blocked without a cold, without allergy, and without responding to any of the usual explanations. It often worsens in the later stages, and it is usually worst lying down, when drainage from the head slows and the lining swells further.
New Snoring in Pregnancy Is Worth Reporting
This is the part of the article that matters most, and it is the reason a blocked nose in pregnancy is not simply a comfort issue.
A prospective cohort study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2012 recruited 1,719 women in the third trimester and asked about snoring, distinguishing between women who had always snored and women whose snoring began during the pregnancy.
Thirty four percent reported snoring, and 25 percent reported snoring that started during pregnancy. After adjusting for other factors, snoring that began during pregnancy, but not long standing snoring, was independently associated with gestational hypertension, with an odds ratio of 2.36, and with pre-eclampsia, with an odds ratio of 1.59.
The authors concluded that new-onset snoring during pregnancy is a strong risk factor for gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia, and suggested simple screening may have clinical utility.
Two things follow from that, and they pull in different directions, so it is worth being clear about both.
The first is that if you did not snore before and you snore now, tell your midwife or GP. That is not scaremongering, it is the practical implication of the study. It is a marker worth flagging, alongside the other things they already monitor.
The second is that this is an association, not a diagnosis. Snoring in pregnancy is very common, most women who snore do not develop these conditions, and the appropriate response is to mention it at your next appointment rather than to worry.
What a nasal strip must not do here is quieten a symptom that should have been reported. Use one for comfort by all means, and still mention the snoring.
Where Nasal Strips Fit
Nasal strips are external adhesive bands. Springs inside the strip pull the soft outer walls of the nose outward, widening the nasal valve, which is the narrowest part of the nasal airway.
Three features make them worth considering during pregnancy:
They contain no medication. Nothing is absorbed, and there is no active ingredient. This is the entire reason they come up in pregnancy discussions, because it removes the question that surrounds oral and topical decongestants.
There is no rebound effect. Decongestant sprays such as oxymetazoline generally should not be used for more than about three consecutive days, because congestion can return worse than before. A mechanical device has no equivalent problem, so it can be used nightly across weeks of pregnancy rhinitis.
They act on the right part of the problem, partly. Pregnancy rhinitis is swelling inside the passage. A strip widens the outside. It does not reduce the swelling, so it offsets some of the narrowing rather than treating the cause. For many women that partial improvement is the difference between breathing through the nose and giving up and opening the mouth.
What they will not do is treat the underlying congestion, stop snoring that comes from the throat rather than the nose, or address sleep apnoea. We set out that last limitation in do nasal strips help with sleep apnoea.
The practical points are the same as for anyone else: clean, dry skin before applying, placed over the soft part of the nose just above the nostril flare rather than high on the bony bridge, and sized to your nose. Massner strips come in medium and large. Skin can be more sensitive during pregnancy, so if the bridge of your nose becomes red or sore, take a night off or reposition slightly.
Other Drug Free Things That Help
Strips work better alongside these than instead of them.
Saline spray or rinse. Salt water contains no medication, clears mucus and irritants, and can be used as often as needed. This is usually the first thing recommended for pregnancy congestion. If using a rinse device, use sterile, distilled, or previously boiled and cooled water and clean the device after each use.
Sleep on your left side. Side sleeping is generally advised in later pregnancy for other reasons, and it also reduces snoring compared with lying on the back, since it stops the tongue and soft palate falling backwards.
Raise the head of the bed. Elevating the head end, or using a wedge, reduces the fluid pooling that swells the nasal lining when lying flat. It often helps reflux at the same time, which is another common late pregnancy problem.
Humidify the room. Dry air thickens mucus and irritates an already swollen lining. Aim for moderate humidity and keep the humidifier clean.
Stay hydrated. Thin mucus drains better than thick mucus.
Reduce allergens in the bedroom. Where allergy is contributing on top of pregnancy rhinitis, washing bedding weekly and keeping pets off the bed reduces the load without any medication. Our guide on allergies and snoring covers this in more detail.
Avoid irritants. Smoke, strong cleaning products, and aerosols all inflame the nasal lining further.
Why It Often Gets Worse in the Third Trimester
Most women who develop pregnancy rhinitis notice it worsening as the pregnancy progresses, and there are several reasons that stack in the final months.
Blood volume peaks in the third trimester, so the vessels in the nasal lining are at their fullest. Hormone levels are also at their highest, which maintains the swelling of that lining.
At the same time the growing uterus pushes upward on the diaphragm, which reduces the volume of air held in the chest. Lung volume helps hold the upper airway open, so a smaller reserve means a slightly floppier airway, which is one reason snoring can appear late in pregnancy in women who never snored before.
Sleep position also changes. Later pregnancy makes many women uncomfortable in some positions and pushes them towards others, and reflux, which is common in the third trimester, discourages lying flat. Any of these can make breathing at night feel worse without the nose itself having changed.
The practical implication is that this is the period when the drug free measures earn their keep, and it is also the period when new snoring is most likely to appear. If your snoring begins in the last few months, that is exactly the pattern the research above was describing, so raise it at your next appointment rather than putting it down to the size of the bump.
What to Check With a Professional
Ask your midwife, GP, or pharmacist rather than deciding alone about any of the following:
- Decongestant sprays and tablets. These are the ones that genuinely need checking during pregnancy, and advice differs by product and by trimester.
- Antihistamines. Some are used in pregnancy and some are not, so this is a pharmacist question rather than a guess.
- Steroid nasal sprays. Often continued where they were already prescribed for allergy, but this is a decision for whoever is looking after you.
- Anything that closes the mouth during sleep. Mouth taping and chin straps are a poor idea in pregnancy, particularly with the reflux that commonly comes with it, and published safety reviews specifically flag regurgitation as a hazard of closing the mouth. We covered the evidence in mouth taping vs chin strap.
Contact your midwife or maternity unit promptly, rather than waiting for a routine appointment, if you have severe headache, visual disturbance, swelling of the face or hands, pain below the ribs, or if you are told your blood pressure is raised. Those are the symptoms that matter alongside the snoring finding above, and they are always worth acting on quickly.
Also mention it if anyone has seen you stop breathing or gasp during sleep, or if you are exhausted in a way that feels beyond normal pregnancy tiredness. Sleep apnoea is more common in pregnancy and it is treatable.
What Happens After the Birth
Pregnancy rhinitis resolves. Congestion driven by hormones and blood volume typically settles within a couple of weeks of delivery, and snoring that began during pregnancy usually goes with it.
That is useful for two reasons. It means you are managing a temporary problem rather than starting a permanent regime, so drug free measures that are merely adequate are often the right choice. And it gives you a clear checkpoint: if the congestion or the snoring is still there a couple of months after birth, it was probably not pregnancy rhinitis, and it is worth looking at allergy or nasal structure instead. Our guide on one-sided night time blockage is a useful starting point for that.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are nasal strips safe to use during pregnancy?
They are a mechanical device with no medication, no active ingredient, and nothing absorbed, which is why they are commonly suggested when medicated options are restricted. As with anything used in pregnancy, check with your midwife, GP, or pharmacist, particularly if you have sensitive skin or a skin condition.
Why is my nose so blocked during pregnancy?
Most likely pregnancy rhinitis. Raised hormone levels cause the nasal lining to swell, and the increase in blood volume during pregnancy adds to that. It has no infection or allergy behind it, tends to be worse lying down, and usually clears within a couple of weeks of delivery.
Is snoring during pregnancy dangerous?
Snoring that starts during pregnancy is worth reporting. In a study of 1,719 women, pregnancy-onset snoring was independently associated with gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia, with odds ratios of 2.36 and 1.59. That is an association rather than a diagnosis, but it is a good reason to mention it to your midwife.
Can I use a decongestant spray instead?
Ask a pharmacist first. Decongestants are the category that genuinely needs checking in pregnancy, and separately they are not suited to long term use, since congestion can rebound worse after about three days. Saline is unrestricted and is usually the first recommendation.
Will a nasal strip stop me snoring while pregnant?
It may reduce snoring that is driven by a blocked nose forcing you to breathe through your mouth. It will not help snoring that comes from the throat, and it does not treat sleep apnoea. Sleeping on your side generally does more for snoring than any device.
Will the congestion go away after the baby is born?
Usually yes, within a couple of weeks of delivery, as hormone levels and blood volume return towards normal. If congestion or snoring is still present a couple of months later, it is worth investigating allergy or nasal structure as the cause instead.
Sources
- O'Brien LM et al., Pregnancy-onset habitual snoring, gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia: prospective cohort study, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2012
- Hypertension, snoring, and obstructive sleep apnoea during pregnancy: a cohort study, BJOG, 2014
- NHS, Common health problems in pregnancy
This article is general information, not medical advice. Always check with your midwife, GP, or pharmacist before using any product during pregnancy, and contact your maternity unit promptly about severe headache, visual disturbance, sudden swelling, or raised blood pressure.
