How To Give Yourself A Sinus Massage
If you have sinus pain, doing a sinus massage may help. Massaging your sinuses can help drain them and relieve pressure and pain.
Here’s how to do a general sinus massage:
You have different sinuses located in different parts of your face and neck: frontal sinuses, maxillary sinuses, and ethmoid/sphenoid sinuses. Each sinus can be targeted with these techniques.
Natural Sinus Pain Relief
In addition to remedies and medications, practices that promote relaxation may help you to manage and prevent sinus pain. This can include:
- Massage: Relax in a dark, quiet room. Gentle head and neck exercises or gently massaging your head and face may also help.
- Meditation: Research suggests that mindfulness meditation may help decrease the intensity of head pain. Focusing on your breathing, body sensations, and surroundings can be a useful coping strategy to manage pain.
You may want to enroll in a local mindfulness-based stress reduction training program to learn techniques commonly used in studies on meditation and head pain.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Sinus Headache
Sinus headaches often cause the following symptoms:
- Pressure and pain in your face or head
- Pain that gets worse when you bend over, move suddenly, or lie down
- Pain thats worse in the morning
- Pain that gets worse when youre exposed to sudden temperature changes
- Swelling in your face
- Pain in your upper teeth
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How Are Sinus Headaches Diagnosed
Most of the time when people diagnose themselves with a sinus headache, its really a migraine. So, its important to see your healthcare provider to get an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Your healthcare provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms. If your symptoms are severe or ongoing, you may also need imaging tests. A magnetic resonance imaging test can rule out serious brain conditions. Multiple imaging tests can reveal sinus blockages and include:
- Computed tomography scan.
- Nasal endoscopy .
When Should I See An Ent For Sinus Pain And Pressure
A good rule of thumb is to talk to your doctor if sinus pain and pressure is affecting your daily life. Other things to look out for include:
- It makes it difficult to sleep
- Youve had a stuffy or runny nose for over a week
- Your sinus headaches more frequently
- Over-the-counter treatments dont work
- You injured your nose
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Five Ways To Relieve Sinus Pressure
The pain, facial pressure and congestion of sinus infections affect more than 26.9 million Americans roughly 11 percent of adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Most sinus infections, also called sinusitis, do not need to be treated with antibiotics, and will usually go away within 7-10 days.
One of the most annoying symptoms is the sinus pressure around the eyes, head and cheeks. Fortunately, there are several home remedies and medications that can help provide relief.
What Does Sinus Pressure Feel Like
Pain or pressure is felt not just in your head, but anywhere in the sinus area. Where you feel pain depends on which sinuses are affected.
While pressure is most common behind and around the eyes, nose, and cheeks, it can extend forward to the teeth and backward to the back of the head. These areas will often be sensitive to touch.
Sometimes sinus headache can also give you a feeling of fatigue or aching in your top jaw. Redness and swelling of the cheeks, nose, or forehead can occur.
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Is It A Sinus Headache Or Migraine
If you have sinus pain with no congestion, you may actually have a migraine. If you are congested and have an extremely painful headache, you may have either a migraine OR a sinus headache.
Migraines are more common, but sinus headaches do occur and can be just as painful. Thats why were explaining how to get rid of sinus pain.
How Does It Work
In traditional Chinese medicine , your health depends on the flow of qi in your body. This energy travels along invisible pathways, known as meridians. These are found throughout your body.
Qi is believed to help keep your body in balance and promote its natural ability to heal itself. A blocked or disrupted flow of qi can negatively impact physical and emotional well-being.
During an acupuncture session, very thin needles are inserted into your skin to stimulate certain points, based on the symptoms youre addressing. This stimulation, according to TCM, helps to clear blockages along your meridians, restoring the flow of qi through your body.
People use acupuncture to help with a range of sinus issues, including headaches, pressure, pain, and nasal congestion.
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How To Deal With Sinus Headaches
When it hits you, you know it. Sinus headaches can throw off your whole day, making it hard to concentrate, work or appreciate time with friends and family. You can learn to fight the headaches when they come, but the first step is understanding the problem to get sinus headache relief.
Sinusesthe cavities behind your cheekbones, your forehead and the bridge of your nosecan become inflamed because of infections, allergic reactions or other health conditions. That swelling can lead to excess mucus, which then becomes blocked and causes discomfort.
Sinus headaches are similar to regular headaches, but with a few distinctive symptoms:
- Increased pain with sudden movements
- Constant, deep pain in the forehead, cheekbones or nose
- Nasal discharge
- Facial swelling
The fever is one of the keys signs of a sinus headache. Properly diagnosing your ailment is critical to recovering as quickly as possible.
Under your doctors guidance, the following treatments can often help:
To see if the pain youre feeling is the result of a sinus headache, call our office for a professional opinion and sinus headache relief. Well offer expert advice for dealing with your discomfort and helping prevent it in the future.
What Causes Sinus Pressure And Headaches
Bacteria or viral infectionSinus pressure and headaches are often caused by inflammation from a bacterial or viral infection. The lining of your sinuses begin to swell, which traps mucus and pus in your sinus cavities causing pressure in the face, over the cheeks or forehead, or between or behind the eyes.
Weather change
For people with sinus problems or allergies, a shift in weatherespecially from summer to fallcan cause sinus headaches. Sinus pressure from weather is more prevalent in Houston and other coastal cities where high pressure and low pressure systems meet.
Stress
Stress-induced sinus pressure can also occur because stress weakens your bodys immune system, making you more vulnerable to the effects of allergens, as well as germs, bacteria, viruses, infections.
Injury or genetics
A deviated septum or narrow sinuses dont cause sinus pressure but can make it easier to get congested and more likely to have chronic sinus infections.
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What Causes A Sinus Headache
Most often, a true sinus headache stems from a viral infection or a condition called sinusitis, says Clifford Bassett, MD, a New York-based allergist and spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Sinusitis is a result of inflammation in the tissue that lines your sinuses, which are air-filled cavities in your forehead, cheekbones, and behind the bridge of your nose. Pain in those areas is essentially what is labeled as a “sinus headache.”
But here’s the thing: Migraines are actually frequently misdiagnosed as sinus headaches, says Isaac Namdar, MD, an otolaryngologist at Mount Sinai West in New Yorkwhich means the only true way determine whether or not you have a sinus headache or a migraine is to get checked out by a doctor, specifically an allergist or an otolaryngologist. This can happen through a physical exam or doctors can also get a look at your sinuses through nasal endoscopy.
Another misconception: Sinus headaches are often associated with allergies, and they shouldn’t be, says Dr. Bassett. “It is not a symptom in general due to seasonal and/or year-round allergies.”
Cleaning The Nose With Salt Water
A 2019 review found some indication that saltwater solutions can treat sinusitis. However, the researchers state that there was not enough evidence to confirm it helps or the best delivery method.
People can purchase nasal rinsing kits with premixed saltwater solutions. Alternatively, they can make the solution at home. To do this:
People should dispose of any leftover salt water, and make a fresh solution if using this technique repeatedly. A person should also clean any nasal irrigation devices thoroughly after each use. People should not use nasal rinses in children unless instructed by a doctor.
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Whats The Best Way To Treat A Covid
If youve had headaches before testing positive for the virus, you may know your specific triggers or what brings on your symptoms. For many, headache triggers include stress, lack of sleep, drinking alcohol, and certain smells, among others, according to the NHF.
You can try OTC medications, such as aspirin and acetaminophen , though they may not help with COVID-19 headaches, Monteith says. Still, other commonly used remedies can help, including rest, massaging your temples, and cold compresses applied to the forehead, the NHF says.
If youre experiencing headaches due to long COVID, youll need to talk to your doctor to develop a workable, long-term treatment plan.
Sinus Pain Has A Variety Of Causes
If your head is throbbing and you feel pressure around your eyes, cheeks, or forehead, you could have a sinus headache. “Many factors can cause a sinus headache,” says Subinoy Das, MD, chief executive officer and interim medical director for the U.S. Institute for Advanced Sinus Care and Research in Columbus, Ohio. The most important factor is swelling of the lining of the nose and sinuses, causing pressure and pain on in the face and head.
Symptoms of sinus pain and headache include pain associated with congestion from a common cold or allergies pain around your eyes, forehead, or over your teeth pain that is worse in the morning and pain that gets worse when you bend over. Some of the more natural methods of relieving sinus pain that reduce swelling, thin mucus secretions, and improve sinus drainage are often very helpful.
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What Does A Sinus Headache Feel Like
Again, because of the placement of your sinuses, “the pain is above the eyes, between the eyes, or over the cheekbones,” says Dr. Namdar. In addition to that pain, patients might also feel “tenderness over the affected sinuses,” says Dr. Bassett. More symptoms of sinus headaches include Additionally, “post-nasal drainage, congestion, discharge, as well as oral, facial or dental pain can occur with an infection, such as sinusitis,” Dr. Bassett adds.
And, interestingly, the severity of a sinus headache might differ depending on the time of day. “Some sufferers suggest their headache may be more significant earlier in the day (perhaps due to collection of mucus from during the nighttime,” says Dr. Bassett.
If you don’t have a runny nose, fever, or bad breath , you’re likely suffering from a migraine rather than a sinus headache, per the American Migraine Foundation.
What Are The Complications Of Sinus Headache
In rare cases, complications around the eye area can happen, resulting in the area being swollen and inflamed. This may even affect your vision.
If you have a high fever that persists, discolored nasal discharge, rattling in your chest, or difficulty breathing, see your doctor about these symptoms. While a sinus headache might seem like a harmless health condition, its important to determine its cause.
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Hum Your Way To Sinus Pain Relief
“Some people report that humming for one hour improves sinus pain,” says Das. Researchers in Sweden have found that humming can keep your sinuses clear. How could that be possible? Humming may increase both airflow through your sinuses and the level of nitric oxide in your sinuses. The combination of nitric oxide and airflow may reduce your risk of sinusitis. So if you have a common cold or allergies, want to prevent a sinus infection, and know a happy tune that you don’t mind hearing for an hour, you may want to try a little humming.
Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
Functional endoscopic sinus surgery or FESS is another approach your doctor may recommend to treat chronic sinusitis.
An ear, nose, and throat surgeon will use a special tool with a lighted camera on the end to visualize the inside of your nose.
They will then use small instruments to remove excess tissue, nasal polyps, or nasal cysts to widen your sinuses.
Your ENT surgeon will perform the procedure under anesthesia. They may use general anesthesia or conscious sedation .
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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.
How To Relieve Sinus Pressure
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Sinus pressure
Many people experience sinus pressure from seasonal allergies or the common cold. Sinus pressure results from blocked nasal passages. When your sinuses cannot drain, you may experience inflammation and pain in your head, nose, and face.
Your sinuses are paired in two, and are found in four main areas of the face:
While some over-the-counter treatments can help reduce symptoms, there are also many effective natural remedies.
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Make The Sinus Pain And Mind
“Techniques that take advantage of the mind-body connection, such as deep breathing practices and relaxation exercises, can be very effective for relieving sinus pain,” notes Das. These practices rely on the mind’s ability to influence pain perception and are especially helpful with chronic or recurrent pain that is often seen with sinus pressure. Some examples include biofeedback, meditation, yoga, and hypnotherapy.
Avoid Sinus Pain Triggers
“One of the most important things to avoid is over-the-counter nasal decongestant sprays. They may give some fast relief, but after a few days they make sinus pressure and nasal congestion much worse,” warns Das. Some other things you can do to prevent sinus pain include avoiding alcohol, which can aggravate sinus pain and congestion cleaning your humidifier to avoid fungal allergies washing your bedding in hot water to decrease allergy exposure and avoiding swimming, diving, or flying when you have sinusitis, a common cold, or nasal allergy.
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How Do You Diagnose Sinus Headaches Caused By Migraines
Sinus headaches are most likely due to migraines or tension headaches. Migraines are diagnosed by symptoms, including the frequency and severity of symptoms, family history, and by physical exam. Migraines can also include nausea and vomiting. These episodes may be triggered by hormonal changes, lack of sleep, certain foods or alcohol or caffeine, stress, or environmental changes like weather, altitude changes, or allergens. Many patients with migraines have family members who also experience migraine headaches.
If you have unusual or severe symptoms, additional tests such as an MRI of the brain may be ordered to rule out more serious conditions that can cause headache pain, such as tumors or bleeding around the brain. If you have repeated episodes of sinus pain and pressure, a nasal endoscopy or imaging such as an MRI or CT scan can determine if sinus pain or pressure is due to a sinus infection or other sinus pathology. A normal sinus CT scan while you have symptoms could help rule out sinusitis, and determine if migraines, headaches, or other causes of facial pain and pressure are causing the sinus symptoms.
Other causes of facial pain and pressure can include temporomandibular joint syndrome, clenching or grinding your teeth, trigeminal nerve pain, temporal arteritis , dental infection, or other neurologic causes of facial pain.
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