Avoid Blowing Your Nose
When youre sick with a cold, you might have the urge to blow your nose frequently. However, before you reach for the tissues, keep in mind that blowing your nose too hard can cause excess pressure. This strain may cause fluid from your nose to release into your sinuses.
If you do need to use a tissue, try to be as gentle as possible, and dab the area instead of blowing. If you decide to blow your nose, doing so lightly may help avoid any adverse effects.
Best Position To Sleep With A Stuffy Nose
by Enticare Updates | Oct 12, 2021 | Allergy, Ear Nose Throat, Sleep
With fall here and the weather fluctuating between summer heat and winter chill, a sensitive nose may get stuffy. With less humidity in the air and the radiators coming alive, the drier air can also leave your nose more susceptible to cold and flu season. You may even suffer from autumn allergies. Trying to sleep with nasal congestion is challenging. Lets look at the best position to sleep well with a stuffy nose.
Daytime Effects Of Sinus & Allergy Induced Insomnia
Sinus and allergy issues can both lead to difficulty sleeping, which has serious side effects on a persons life during the day. Without restful sleep during the night the body is unable to recharge and recuperate. While in the short term this isnt always a problem, having insomnia or sleeping issues for an extended time can negatively affect everything in your daily life from your energy and motivation, to your mental and physical health.
Your body relies on the hours of being shut down to convert calories into energy and refresh the brain. When allergies or sinusitis get in the way of good sleep, you can wind up feeling stressed, flustered, foggy and exhausted. It can be harder to get things done and to enjoy the usual activities because your mind isnt processing at full capacity. You may not even realize that lack of quality sleep is the underlying reason for stress or tension in your life and body. Being continually stressed or tense as a result of poor sleep can lead to serious health risks like high blood pressure.
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Blood Flow Means More Inflammation
One possibility is that the change in blood flow may increase inflammation.1,2,3 When you lie down, blood pressure changes and blood may remain in the upper body longer than it does when you sit or stand. In addition, the pull of gravity on the bodys internal tissues can compress blood vessels in the sinuses. This can cause tissue to swell up, leading to worse sinus symptoms.
We tend to lie down toward the end of the day, particularly when we go to bed. Its the change in physical position that can contribute to a worse sinus infection at night.
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Inhale Diffused Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus oil has a strong odor that often helps patients find instant relief from sinusitis. Research has found that cineole, the main ingredient in eucalyptus oil, helps people recover from sinus infections more quickly than those who dont use eucalyptus oil. You can inhale eucalyptus oil through a diffuser, or rub some on your temples and chest to open your breathing passages. You can even use food-grade eucalyptus oil and place a drop on the roof of your mouth.
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Sleep In An Elevated Position
Often, CPAP users that are also back sleepers have the most trouble dealing with a cold. Nasal congestion is often much more uncomfortable for back sleepers which makes it difficult to utilize your CPAP machine.
One way around this is to sleep in an elevated position. By simply putting a few pillows under your neck, youll decrease the amount of mucus buildup. If this doesnt help, you could also try sleeping on your side.
Anatomy Of The Paranasal Sinuses
The paranasal sinuses comprise four pairs of sinuses that surround the nose and drain into the nasal cavity by way of narrow channels called ostia . Mucus leaving the frontal and maxillary sinuses drains through the ethmoid sinuses , so a backup in the ethmoids is likely to clog the other two types of sinuses. The sphenoid sinuses are located deep in the skull, behind the eyes. Sinusitis develops when one or more sinuses become blocked.
There are millions of bacteria in our noses, and most of the time, they’re harmless. Even when a few creep into the sinuses, they don’t cause trouble, as long as they keep draining into the nose along with mucus. But if sinus drainage is blocked, glands in the sinuses continue to produce mucus, and the resulting pool of backed-up mucus provides what Dr. Metson calls “the perfect culture medium.” The bacteria grow out of control, causing infection, and the immune system kicks off an inflammatory response. The result: swelling, which causes and facial pain mucus buildup, which produces congestion and an influx of white blood cells to fight the bacteria, which thickens the mucus and may tint it yellow or green. Other symptoms include loss of smell or taste, cough, bad breath, fever, toothache, and fullness in the ears.
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Eat Chicken Noodle Soup
Your grandmothers cold remedy might have something to it. Research suggests that chicken soup may have medicinal benefits, including a mild anti-inflammatory effect.
While the results arent conclusive, chicken soup doescontain important nutrients and improves hydration. In other words, having a bowl of chicken soup in the evening cant hurt.
How A Pharmacist Can Help With Sinusitis
A pharmacist can advise you about medicines that can help, such as:
- salt water nasal sprays or solutions to rinse out the inside of your nose
You can buy nasal sprays without a prescription, but decongestant nasal sprays should not be used for more than a week.
Some decongestant tablets also contain paracetamol or ibuprofen. Be careful when taking painkillers and a decongestant. Do not take more than the recommended dose.
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Can Allergies Cause Insomnia
Suffering from allergies, also termed allergic rhinitis, can cause breathing issues and other frustrating symptoms that lead to trouble sleeping when severe. Allergens such as dust, pollen, pet dander and mold can easily linger in the air and on surfaces in the home or bedroom. If you are sensitive to an allergen or irritant, exposure can trigger the bodys production of histamine chemicals as a response. These histamines are what cause symptoms like uncomfortable itching and sneezing, which can make relaxing and falling asleep difficult.
The symptoms of allergies that most commonly lead to sleeping problems are the inflammation and excessive mucus that also stem from the bodys histamine response. This often leads to a stuffy or runny nose, a dry or swollen throat, and other symptoms that make it very difficult to breathe easily while asleep. The inflammation and mucus caused by year-round or seasonal allergies can contribute to snoring while asleep. It can even worsen sleep apnea, a condition where the sleeper momentarily stops breathing throughout the night.
If your insomnia and sleeping problems are connected to allergies, you may also experience:
Stop Counting Sheep And Get Proper Sleep With Balloon Sinuplasty
If youve lost more nights than you can count to sinus issues caused by sinusitis, allergies, or even a deviated septum, it may be time to consider balloon sinuplasty.
During the procedure, a small balloon is inserted into your sinus cavities through your nasal passageways. When these balloons are expanded, healthy drainage is restored.
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How Does My Sleep Position Affect Sinus Pain And Congestion
Sinusitis refers to a sinus infection caused by sinus swelling and excessive mucus buildup. It is common in the general publicespecially for those who have allergiesand can cause a number of painful symptoms. These include sinus pressure, headaches, pressure below the eyes, and nasal congestion, among other uncomfortable side effects. Ear, nose, and throat doctors recognize that your sleep can impact sinusitis and other respiratory conditions. For example, many find that allergies tend to worsen while sleeping. Others complain that sinuses become clogged while lying down. While there are other factors that can affect your sinus health at night, sleep posture is an important consideration.
Avoid Caffeine After 2 Pm
Caffeine is a stimulant found in tea, coffee, and soda. It can give you an energy boost when youre feeling under the weather, but it may have a mild diuretic effect.
So, if youre having difficulty staying hydrated with fluid, you dont want to risk anything that could add to the potential of becoming dehydrated and forming thick mucus.
Caffeine and sleep dont mix, either. According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, having caffeine up to six hours before bed can result in disruptive sleep.
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Making Proactive Changes To Your Sleeping Environment
Do you have a blocked nose at night only? If you do, making the following adjustments in your bedroom may help alleviate your congestion.
- Keep your pets out of your bedroom, especially if you are allergic to pet dander or dust.
- If the air in your house tends to be dry, purchase a humidifier. This suggestion is especially relevant during the winter months when the air is often drier.
- Avoid drinking alcohol and caffeine before bed. Both can make you dehydrated, which can aggravate your sinuses.
- On that same note, do what you can to stay hydrated. Hydration will help you feel better overall, but it can also work to alleviate some sinus pain.
Disinfect Your Supplies With A Cpap Sanitizer
Using a CPAP with congestion can be a vicious cycle when caused by a cold or the flu virus. After your body works all day to fight the sickness, you end up putting your germ infected mask back on that night and reintroducing yourself to the problem.
There are three different automated CPAP sanitizers that kill 99% of germs and bacteria and require no handwashing, soap or water. The SoClean, VirtuClean, or Lumin are all great sanitizing options, while sick, and also act as a fantastic preventative measure to ensure that that you dont get sick in the first place.
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How To Handle The Issue
Sleeping with a humidifier near the bed and taking over-the-counter nighttime decongestants may help with sinus symptoms.4 However, in the case of a serious infection, they may not completely resolve the problem.
If you have a sinus infection, or any sinus symptoms that are severe or that persist for longer than a couple of weeks, then you may want to see a doctor. They will have the ability to diagnose the problem, recommend a solution, and get you breathing correctlyday and night.
References
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Can A Cpap Machine Cause It
Quite the contrary! But first, well provide some background. A CPAP machine is what people with sleep apnea use to help keep oxygen flowing through their air passages.
Whats interesting about tinnitus and sleep apnea is that they seem to go hand in hand with many people who have tinnitus also having a sleep apnea diagnosis. However, the CPAP machine could help, rather than exacerbate a ringing ear. The reason is that it could equalize the pressure in the middle ear. However, this is still speculation, and more research needs to be done to prove this theory.
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What Are Complications Of Sinus Infection Or Sinusitis
While serious complications do not occur frequently, it is possible for a sinus infection to cause a direct extension of infection into the brain through a sinus wall, creating a life-threatening emergency .
In addition, other adjacent structures can become infected and develop problems, such as osteomyelitis of bones in the skull and infection around the eye . Rarely, these infections may cause death. The most susceptible individuals to complications are patients with suppressed immune systems, diabetes, and relatively rarely from multiple trauma injuries that may occur in natural disasters.
Killer Sinus Infection How To Tell If Yours Is Viral Or Bacterial
You know the symptoms: nasal congestion, facial pressure, pain, fever, too much mucus. Ugh. Its probably another sinus infection.
But is your infection caused by a virus or bacteria and does it really matter?
It does matter. Doctors treat viral and bacterial sinus infections differently. Here is what you need to know about both kinds of infection and how to treat them.
Viral or bacterial?
Most sinus infections are viral, and most are caused by the virus that causes the common cold. How can you tell, based on symptoms, whether your infection is viral or bacterial?
Normally, you cant.
Symptoms like bad breath, yellow or green mucus, fever and headache are not reliable signs of a bacterial infection. They can be present with viral infections, too. Even your doctor cant tell if your infection is viral or bacterial based solely on symptoms or an exam.
Instead, your doctor looks at symptom duration to determine the source of your infection. A viral sinus infection will usually start to improve after five to seven days. A bacterial sinus infection will often persist for seven to 10 days or longer, and may actually worsen after seven days.
4 steps you can take
Whether your sinus infection turns out to be viral or bacterial, you can help to ease your symptoms early on with supportive care:
Use saline spray two to three times per day in each nostril.
Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid per day.
Get plenty of rest.
What to do for chronic sinusitis
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What Are Common Side Effects Of Sinus Infection Medications
The most common side effects of sinus infection medications differ by the type of medication you use. Decongestants tend to cause nervousness, insomnia, and a loss of appetite. Side effects of antibiotics include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Antihistamines and steroids can cause dizziness and sleep disturbances.
This is not an exhaustive list of sinus infection medication side effects. If you experience any adverse reactions from a medication or treatment, its always best to consult with your healthcare provider.
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What Tests Diagnose The Cause Of Sinus Infections And Sinusitis
Sinus infection is most often diagnosed based on the history and examination of a doctor. Because plain X-ray studies of the sinuses may be misleading and procedures such as CT and MRI scans, which are much more sensitive in their ability to diagnose a sinus infection, are so expensive and not available in most doctors offices, most sinus infections are initially diagnosed and treated based on clinical findings on examination. These physical findings may include:
- redness and swelling of the nasal passages,
- purulent drainage from the nasal passages ,
- tenderness to percussion over the cheeks or forehead region of the sinuses, and
- swelling about the eyes and cheeks.
Occasionally, nasal secretions are examined for secreted cells that may help differentiate between infectious and allergic sinusitis. Infectious sinusitis may show specialized cells of infection while allergic sinusitis may show specialized white blood cells of allergy . Physicians prescribe antibiotics if the bacterial infection is suspected. Antibiotics are not effective against viral infections many physicians then treat the symptoms.
In addition, both rigid and flexible endoscopy has been used to obtain diagnostic material from sinuses. These procedures are usually done by an otolaryngologist under topical and local anesthesia. Occasionally, there may be a need to sedate the patient. Some investigators suggest that endoscopy specimens are comparable to those obtained by needle puncture.
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Why Are My Sinuses Worse At Night
Weve all been there: you think your sinus problems are getting better, but the minute you lay down, your nose gets stuffy, and youre stuck staring at the ceiling. Ultimately, you find yourself wondering, Why are my sinuses worse at night?
The answer to this question why are my sinuses worse at night? isnt always straightforward, and it can differ from person to person. What holds true for everyone, however, is that if your nose is blocked at night on one side or both, or if you are struggling with any other sinus-related issue, your sleep is going to suffer.
What follows is a list of common conditions or circumstances that might make your sinuses worse at night, along with some potential remedies.
How To Tell If You Have An Actual Sinus Infection
Even though we often say we have a sinus infection even if its just inflammation or an allergic response, there are symptoms of an actual infection that may be treatable with antibiotics. Nasal congestion and pain under the eyes or around the temples are, of course, main symptoms, but others include the loss of the sense of smell, green nasal discharge, mucus dripping down your throat, cough, fever, fatigue, sore throat, and even bad breath.
Sometimes, a sinus infection will clear up without intervention, but if you develop a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher, have your symptoms for 10 or more days, notice that your symptoms are getting worse and are not improved by OTC medications, or you have multiple infections in a years time, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
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Certain Autoimmune Conditions Like Rheumatoid Arthritis
Notice a pattern with tuberculosis, brucellosis, and HIV/AIDS? Theyre all bacterial or viral infections that can lead to a fever, and thus be one of the underlying night sweat causes. It makes sense that anything that can make your temperature spike with a fever can also lead to night sweats. That includes causes beyond infections, like rheumatoid arthritis.
This condition happens when your bodys immune system mistakenly goes to battle with your synovium, the lining of the membranes that encase your joints, according to the Mayo Clinic. You may be most familiar with the joint-related symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, like having achy, swollen joints that are stiff, especially in the mornings or after not moving in a while. But thanks to that inflammation, the condition can also cause issues, like a fever, that lead to night sweats.
If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your doctor can recommend the best medicine to help soothe pain and inflammation, along with slowing the progression of the illness, the Mayo Clinic says. They can also weigh in on whether or not physical therapy or surgery makes sense for you.