Do nasal strips help a stuffy nose from a cold?

Nasal strips can make a stuffy nose from a cold easier to breathe through, but they work on a different part of the problem than cold medicine does. A strip widens the narrow opening near your nostrils from the outside. A cold blocks your nose mostly by swelling the lining further in. So a strip usually takes some of the effort out of each breath without fully clearing the blockage, and it works best alongside other simple steps.

Do nasal strips work for a stuffy nose from a cold?

Nasal strips do help many people breathe a little more easily through a congested nose, because they open the front of the nose, where airflow is tightest. They don't touch the swollen tissue deeper inside. No study has tested nasal strips in people with a common cold specifically, so the best evidence comes from people with other kinds of nasal blockage.

The clearest comparison is a 2007 study of 89 patients with nasal blockage. Researchers compared a nasal strip with a decongestant spray. The strip widened the front 3 cm of the nose more than the spray did but had no effect further back, while the spray also opened the deeper nasal cavity. Even so, the two gave comparable gains in nasal airflow and in how blocked people felt. The authors suggested the strip may be an alternative to decongestant sprays for nasal blockage.

A 1998 study in Laryngoscope adds a useful detail. It tested a strip in three groups, including 33 people whose blockage came from swollen nasal lining. The strip lowered measured nasal resistance in every group, but the swollen-lining group didn't report feeling less blocked. That fits what many people notice with a cold. The strip is doing something real, yet when the main problem is swelling, you may not feel it as much as you'd hope.

How is a strip different from cold medicine?

A nasal strip works mechanically and a decongestant works chemically. A strip has flexible bands that try to straighten once you press it onto your nose, which gently lifts the sides of the nose outward. In the 1998 study, this increased the narrowest cross-section of the nose and lowered resistance to airflow in every group tested. That narrowest point, called the nasal valve, sits just inside the nostrils.

Decongestants work on the lining instead. The NHS says they reduce the swelling of the blood vessels in the nose, which helps to open the airways. That's why sprays can reach blockage the strip can't.

The two approaches don't compete. If your nose is still tight after a decongestant, a strip can add a little extra room at the front. If you'd rather not use medicine at night, a strip is a drug-free place to start.

What can't nasal strips do for a cold?

Nasal strips can't clear mucus, reduce swelling, or shorten a cold. They change the shape of the front of your nose and nothing else. If both sides of your nose are packed with mucus, there may not be much air for a strip to help through.

Strips also won't help symptoms outside the nose, like a sore throat or cough. And they aren't a reason to put off seeing a doctor. The NHS says to see a GP if your cold symptoms don't improve after about 10 days, if they get worse, or if you have a high temperature for more than 3 days or feel short of breath.

How do you use nasal strips while sick?

You use a strip the same way during a cold as any other night, with a little extra care for your skin. Blowing your nose all day can leave the skin raw, and a strip's adhesive sits right over that area.

• Wash and dry your nose before bed, and skip lotion or balm where the strip goes.
• Place the strip on the soft part of the nose, just above the flare of the nostrils, rather than on the bony bridge.
• Press the ends down and hold for a few seconds so the adhesive grips.
• In the morning, loosen it with warm water and peel it off slowly.

Our step-by-step guide to applying nasal strips has more detail, and how long you can wear a nasal strip covers wear time. If you also have sinus pain or pressure, see our article on nasal strips with a sinus infection.

Should you pair strips with saline or a humidifier?

Pairing a strip with saline and a humidifier makes sense, because each one handles a different part of cold congestion. The strip opens the front of the nose, saline clears what's blocking the passages, and humidified air keeps the lining from drying out.

Saline rinses and sprays

Saline is gentle and widely used for colds, though the research is modest. A Cochrane review of five trials found that most studies were small, but the largest, in 401 children, found fewer nasal symptoms and less use of decongestant medicine. The review says nasal saline is safe but may cause minor irritation or a burning feeling.

If you use a rinse bottle or neti pot, the water matters. The FDA says to use only distilled, sterile or previously boiled water, because tap water isn't adequately filtered or treated for use in the nose. Boiled tap water should be boiled for 3 to 5 minutes and cooled until lukewarm. Our guide to using a saline rinse walks through it. A rinse 20 to 30 minutes before bed, then a strip, is an easy routine.

A humidifier in the bedroom

Dry air can make a congested nose feel worse. Cleveland Clinic says a humidifier helps thin mucus, which makes blowing your nose more effective, and that keeping the upper airway moisturized helps it work more smoothly. It cites the EPA's advice to keep home humidity between 30% and 50%, and says to keep indoor humidity below 50% and the humidifier clean. See our article on a humidifier for sleep for setup tips.

Raise your head a little

Lying flat tends to make nasal breathing harder. A 2021 meta-analysis found that moving into a lying position increases nasal resistance and reduces nasal airflow. An extra pillow won't fix a cold, but along with a strip it can make the first hour in bed easier. Our full guide on how to sleep with a stuffy nose brings all of these together.

Can you mouth tape while you're congested?

No. Don't use mouth tape while your nose is blocked by a cold. Mouth tape only makes sense when you can breathe comfortably through your nose with your mouth closed, and a cold often takes that away for days at a time.

Cleveland Clinic's sleep specialist says you should never use mouth tape if you have nasal congestion, nasal obstruction or a sinus infection. A 2025 systematic review in PLOS One notes that four of the studies it reviewed discussed a possible risk of asphyxiation when the mouth is closed and the nose is blocked. A nasal strip doesn't change this. It can widen the front of the nose, but it can't guarantee your nose stays open all night when you're sick.

Put the tape away until your cold has cleared and you pass a simple check: close your mouth and breathe through your nose for a few minutes while sitting quietly. If that feels easy, you can pick up where you left off. Our article on mouth tape with a cold covers when to stop and when to restart. We don't recommend mouth tape for children.

When should a stuffy nose get checked?

A stuffy nose from a cold usually clears with the cold itself, so congestion that hangs on is worth a closer look. If you're blocked on most nights long after your cold has gone, the cause may be something else, like allergies, a deviated septum or swollen turbinates. Our nose test can help you think through what's going on.

Decongestant sprays need care too. The NHS says not to use decongestant sprays or drops for more than 5 days at a time, because longer use can make stuffiness worse. If you find you can't sleep without a spray, see our article on decongestant spray rebound. Strips are one way to get through a night without reaching for the spray again.

Our pick (paid partner): TitanAir Nasal Strips

If you want a strip for cold-season nights, our pick is TitanAir Nasal Strips. Titan says they're drug-free external nasal dilators with flexible, spring-loaded bands. Because they work from the outside, you can use them alongside saline and a humidifier.

Titan's placement advice matches what you want when your nose is sore from a cold. It says to put the strip just above the flare of the nostrils, on the soft part of the nose rather than the bony bridge, on clean, dry skin with no moisturizer. For removal, Titan says to loosen the strip with warm water and peel slowly from the ends inward. Titan says the strips are third-party tested and certified PFAS-free, and they come with a 30-night guarantee.

Read next

• How to sleep with a stuffy nose
• Mouth tape with a cold: when to stop and when to restart
• Nasal strips vs. nasal spray

* This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your health.