Nasal Sprays Could Protect You From Serious Covid
Angela Underwood’s extensive local, state, and federal healthcare and environmental news coverage includes 911 first-responder compensation policy to the Ciba-Geigy water contamination case in Toms River, NJ. Her additional health-related coverage includes death and dying, skin care, and autism spectrum disorder.
How Can You Tell If You Have Chronic Sinusitis
Does it feel like your sinus infection just wont quit? If you experience at least two of the following for 12 weeks or more even though youve been treated it may be chronic sinusitis:
- A stuffed nose
- Discharge of mucus or postnasal drip
- Pain or pressure in your face
- Problems with smell
Chronic sinus infections can be triggered by colds but are typically caused by long-term inflammation. Sometimes, when treatments to control that inflammation fail, people with chronic sinusitis need surgery to drain their mucus.
How To Relieve Sinus And Nasal Congestion
You can use your fingers to gently massage your sinuses to get nasal congestion relief. For example, place your index fingers on both sides of your nose where the nose and cheek meet , and apply moderate pressure for 2 to 3 minutes. You can also use your index fingers to apply pressure on the bridge of your nose, right between your eyebrows hold for 2 to 3 minutes. This sinus massage will bring comfort to your nasal passages.
Flushing out your sinuses with salt water can help clear out mucus and other irritants and reduce inflammation of the mucous membrane, resulting in better drainage. This can be done with a neti pot, syringe or various other products that can be found in drug stores. When using a nasal rinse, be sure to use sterile or previously boiled water, and rinse and dry the device thoroughly after each use.
Over-the-counter nasal decongestants reduce blood flow to the nasal membranes, which decreases swelling and congestion. They can help open up your nasal passages and decrease pressure in your sinuses. For fast relief, try Sinex⢠Severe All-in-One Sinus Liquicapsâthe non-drowsy formula contains a powerful pain reliever and phenylephrine, a safe and effective decongestant.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Rid Of Chronic Sinus Infection
What Causes Nasal And Sinus Pain
Nasal and sinus membranes respond to viruses, allergic triggers, and common bacterial infections similarly. The membranes become swollen and congested. The congestion then causes pain and pressure. Your mucus production increases during the inflammation. This results in a runny nose. The nasal secretions may begin to thicken and slow the drainage. This can result in a sinus bacterial infection.
When the nasal membranes become congested, it may block the eustachian tubes leading to the ears, which results in a feeling of pressure in the ear or fluid behind the eardrum. Nasal airway congestion causes mouth breathing.
Every year, over 37 million Americans suffer from sinusitis. This includes nasal congestion, thick yellow-green mucus, facial pain, and pressure around the eyes. Frequently, before visiting a doctor, people try to get relief for their nasal and sinus discomfort by taking non-prescription or over-the-counter medications.
How Is Saline Spray Beneficial For Sinus Infections
To be clear, using saline will help soothe irritated sinuses and may help prevent future sinus infections, but it does not treat the infection. Sinus issues are susceptible to changes in the weather, the humidity, and climate. Those who fly frequently should take special care as altitude also affects sinus issues.
Saline will reduce the thick mucus secretions in the sinuses and nose and help wash away particles, allergens, and germs.
Saline sprays are not habit forming and can be used multiple times a day to aid in the healing process and to alleviate symptoms especially if you are prone to chronic sinus infections.
Read Also: Sinus Pressure Points On Feet
How Can Sinus Blockage Lead To Hearing Loss
Because the sinuses are super close to the ear canal, congested sinuses can cause blockage in whats called the Eustachian tube. It is a section of your ear that is between the middle and your throat, which keeps your ear pressure in check. When it becomes inflamed, it collects fluid into the space, which causes pressure on the eardrum. This often causes pain and, sometimes, temporary hearing loss. Things may sound like youre underwater, or as if you have just descended in an airplane. In most cases this type of hearing loss is temporary and once the sinus infection clears, the fluids drain out of the Eustachian tube.
Sinus blockage is unpleasant and painful, but chronic congestion can also lead to hearing loss and other ear issues. #HealthStatus
- 1Keep your nose and sinuses hydrated.
- 2Take a decongestant or regular allergy medication.
- 3Avoid drastic weather changes
- 4Get a hearing test if you suspect you might have hearing loss.
If an existing ear infection is not treated, it can cause permanent injury to bones in the middle ear, which can cause bleeding or rupturing of the eardrum. Sinus-related ear issues or hearing disruption can be curbed if you treat the sinus infection before it spreads. Sinusitis causes pressure and stuffiness to interfere with your hearing and if it seems to be a constant issue, its important that you consult with an ear, nose and throat specialist who may prescribe a steroid or perform a minimally invasive procedure.
What To Do For Sinus Pressure And Pain At Home
Here are the top 10 at-hometreatments to help ease your sinus pain and inflammation to get rid of your sinus infection faster.
Also Check: How To Stop A Sinus Infection Fast
How An Antiviral Nasal Spray Works
A nasal spray is built to disrupt the cold virus infection cycle but how it does that, lets find out :
During a common cold or flu, millions of viruses take their place in the nasal passages, and that is how an infection is spread in the nose and to other people through droplets, but when we use a nasal spray it interrupts the infection cycle and alleviates its symptoms thus help you cure.
How To Get Rid Of Nasal Congestion At Night
If your symptoms are keeping you up at night and you are looking for natural remedies for nasal congestion, nasal strips may be the answer. These drug-free strips open up your nose so that breathing is easier and you can sleep more soundly. Nasal strips can also help reduce snoring. Since it may feel easier to breathe with your head elevated slightly, you may want to consider propping yourself up with some pillows to help with nasal congestion at night.
Also Check: Antibiotics For Mrsa Sinus Infection
Types Of Otc Nasal Sprays
OTC nasal sprays can be categorized by their active ingredients .
- Steroid. OTC steroid nasal sprays are mean to reduce inflammation. Thats why theyre recommended for treating allergies and chronic sinusitis. The steroid sprays may contain budesonide or fluticasone.
- Antihistamine. Antihistamine sprays are meant to blunt the impact of an allergen that your body is reacting to. These products are mostly recommended for allergies. Active antihistamine ingredients in nasal sprays are azelastine or olopatadine.
- Nasal decongestant. These types of sprays aim to shrink irritated blood vessels that line your nose, reducing inflammation to help you breathe more easily. Ingredients may include oxymetazoline hydrochloride or phenylephrine hydrochloride.
- Saline. Saline sprays dont contain active ingredients, but they can loosen mucus and help you to breathe more easily.
How Does It Work
Saltwater rinses moisturize your nasal passages, which helps improve the symptoms connected to sinusitis. When there is an excess of mucus in the nasal passages and sinuses, it is easier for bacteria to build up and to cause infection. Saline helps to rinse away any dry or excess mucus, providing relief and lowering your risk for infection.
Another way that saline can help your sinuses is by helping the cilia, the tiny hairs that line the nasal cavity. Its the job of the cilia to help brush away dirt and dust. When the nasal passages are too dry, the cilia isnt able to do its job as well.
Recommended Reading: Sinus Pressure What To Take
What Are Some Other Nasal Congestion Remedies
If you are feeling discomfort resulting from dry nasal passages, using a saline nasal spray to lubricate the area may help. If you are looking for a natural nasal decongestant, a sinus wash may provide temporary, non-medicated relief of your symptoms. Similar remedies include using a nasal irrigator like Navage or a Neti Pot. These treatments can help provide relief because keeping your nasal passages and sinuses moist may help you breathe more easily and will also help keep the membranes from becoming further inflamed due to dryness.
Neti Pot Or Saline Spray
As the studies suggest, you dont have to use a neti pot to ease sinus congestion. But if you are curious about how to use this Aladdins-lamp-shaped implement, you can read more about it here. This ancient Ayurvedic practice appeals to many people and is not difficult to master.
Some folks prefer a more modern system of nasal irrigation, such as one made by NeilMed. Another reader found that using plain saline nasal spray twice a day was helpful in preventing sinus problems.
Bonnie compared using a neti pot and sinus irrigator:
I have used both. Both offer great relief from the congestion and runny nose of allergies and colds. The preservative-free nasal sprays such as Simply Saline are convenient and a lot less messy than the neti pot. I stress preservative-free. Its also buffered and makes it comfortable as well as effective. If youre using a netti pot, make sure you use sea salt, kosher salt or pickling salt. They have no preservatives or iodine. And use a pinch of baking soda to buffer your solution.
Lucy found she had a chronic sinus infection:
I had chronic nasal congestion and discovered a long-term sinus infection, thanks to a CT scan at the time of a TIA. After the antibiotic treatment my EMT MD told me to use a full bottle of saline every am and again in the pm. I mix up my own and just use tap water because the risk of parasitic infection is minimal in city water. That clears out the congestion nicely and I almost never need a chemical decongestant.
Also Check: Sinus Pressure Relief For Kids
Can Saline Spray Help With Your Sinus Infection
Posted on by Coastal Ear, Nose & Throatin Sinusitis
Facial pressure and pain, pounding headaches, and congestion are all typical hallmarks of a sinus infection, which is also known as sinusitis. There are many treatments available both OTC and by prescription, but how exactly does saline spray help sinus infections?
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.
Recommended Reading: How To Relieve Severe Sinus Pain
How To Clear A Stuffy Nose
There are several things you can do to clear a stuffy nose, including using a humidifier or vaporizer to help loosen mucus in the nasal passages. Take a long, hot shower or breathe in some steam from a pot of warm water to help with temporary relief. Stay hydrated and drink a lot of fluids to keep your mucus thinned out, which can help prevent your sinuses from getting blocked. A saline nasal spray can help keep your nasal passages from getting dried out or clogged. You can also try a neti pot or a nasal irrigator to remove excess mucus from the nose. Always make sure you use distilled sterile water, and clean the neti pot or irrigation device thoroughly after each use. A warm, wet towel on your face can also help open the nasal passages. When you sleep, try to stay propped up to make breathing easier.
Fridababy Nosefrida Saline Snot Spray
The Fridababy Saline Nasal Spray is an all-natural nasal mist that softens stubborn blocked nasal passage in a natural way. The saline mist in this nasal spray is made of two ingredients, sea salt, and water making it the most natural & gentle formulation perfect to moisturize nasal passages. IT comes with a small applicator tip specially designed for small noses for kids.
Recommended Reading: Medicine For Sinus Infection Otc
Ease Sinus Congestion With Saline Spray:
Q. I have had sinus congestion problems since serving in Saudi Arabia back in 1969. My brother told me about a nasal rinse called NeilMed, but it took me a long time to try it. Now I use it morning and night. It really does work.
This part of the body is a filter, and it needs to be washed out. Is it messy? Yes. Do you need to keep the spray bottle clean? Yes. Do you need to use clean water? Yes.
Try it in privacy of your bathroom. You will be surprised at the results, that is if you actually sniffle the fluids up and down to wash the nasal spaces. Wait a while for the mucus to loosen up. Then wash and rinse again. Blow out the baddies and enjoy life.
My annual health problems associated with pollens and other junk in the air have disappeared since I started this daily regimen.
How To Get Relief From Sinus Pain & Post Nasal Drip
Sinus pain and postnasal drip are usually symptoms of sinusitis, which is an inflammation of the sinuses with frequent thick nasal secretions that drip back in the throat when the person lies down. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, most sinusitis begins with a cold that eventually leads to a bacterial infection due to trapped nasal secretions. Sinusitis can stretch a cold into weeks of discomfort, coughing and aggravation of existing pulmonary problems such as asthma.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
Use a sterile saline nasal spray, available at your local pharmacy. Saline won’t irritate the already sore nasal passages and can help clean the nasal discharge that has accumulated. Be sure the nasal spray only contains saline and not medication that can actually cause more pain. If the saline spray isn’t effective, talk to your physician about a prescription nasal spray that may be more effective for severe inflammation.
Drink at least 64 oz. of water every day. Thickened nasal secretions move slowly through the nasal passages, especially if the individual isn’t fully hydrated. Drinking adequate and even additional water will help to thin the secretions and prevent dehydration that can occur when taking certain medications for sinus problems. Cut back on caffeinated beverages too, because they can force water out of the body faster, leading to thickened nasal secretions.
Read Also: Premier Allergy Asthma And Sinus Care
How Does A Nasal Decongestant Work
The main function of a nasal decongestant is to reduce the congestion, or stuffiness you feel in your nose when youre sick.1
When you have a cold or allergies, your immune system responds by sending a flood of white blood cells to your nasal area to combat the invading virus or allergen.2 These cells produce a range of inflammatory substances to fight off the invaders but these substances also cause the blood vessels in the linings of the nasal passages to swell and increase the production of mucus. This combination of narrower nasal passages and increased mucus create the feeling of a blocked, stuffy nose in other words, nasal congestion.3
Nasal decongestants work by narrowing the blood vessels in the lining of the nose. This reduces the blood flow through the area. The swollen tissue inside the nose then shrinks and allows air to pass through more easily, easing congestion.3