Staying hydrated is equally important. When you drink plenty of water, juice, or broth, it helps keep the mucus in your nose thin. Thick mucus is what leads to that heavy, "stuffed up" feeling. Warm liquids, like herbal tea with honey and lemon, provide the double benefit of hydration and soothing steam.

The next morning, Leo sniffed his mom’s pancakes. Cinnamon. He sniffed the garden flowers. Sweet. He roared a clear, loud, un-muffled roar:

“ Hnnnngggghhhh, ” went Leo, trying to sniff his mom’s pancakes. Nothing.

Steam is one of the oldest and most effective ways to break up congestion. You can sit in a bathroom with the shower running on hot, or carefully lean over a bowl of hot water with a towel over your head. Adding a drop of eucalyptus or peppermint oil to the water can provide an extra cooling sensation that makes breathing feel easier.

That night, Doctor Dill tucked Leo into bed but added a second pillow. “Lying flat lets the stuffy settle like mud in a puddle,” he said. “But if you raise your head— mountain high —the mud slides down and your nose can breathe.”