How Do You Prevent Allergy Headaches
Avoiding triggers whenever possible is the best way to treat or prevent headaches.
If you arenât sure what is causing your allergy headaches, consider keeping a âheadache journalâ over a few days or weeks. This may help you identify potential causes and triggers for your allergies and headaches.
Once you have a better idea about what is causing your allergies and headaches, you can make any necessary changes to your home, schedule, or behavior. Depending on the triggers, you may need to alter the way you clean your home or the products you use, or make changes to your diet. You may have to remove specific plants or odors that can trigger your symptoms.
If you notice that your allergies and headaches are usually triggered outside, there are some options to limit your exposure.
- Stay indoors when triggers like pollen or mold are at their highest, or when it is windy.
- Keep windows closed, or avoid using window fans that can pull outdoor allergens into the house.
Amazing Ways To Relieve Sinus Congestion Naturally
If you are like us, sinus congestion is an annoying part of life. For some, it can be a serious medical condition.
Nasal congestion happens when the tissues and blood vessels fill with excess fluid. This creates a swollen effect in your nasal passages.
While there are treatments such as antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medicines these are always a smart choice. For example, the CDC has reported that antibiotics do not fight many of the sinus and ear infections. And may contribute to antibiotic resistance.
To help, we have put together this handy list of natural remedies for sinus congestion. With these methods you should be feeling better soon.
Steam For Sinus Headache
Taking a facial steam helps to moisten the nasal passages, clear the blocked nose and open up the congested sinus cavities. This eventually helps you drain out the mucus and breathe easily. It is one of the instantly effective home remedies for sinus headache.
- Take some water enough for a facial steam and bring it to boil.
- Once the water is boiled, remove from the flame and add few drops of essential oil .
- Lean forward towards the bowl containing hot water. Make sure your face is at least 30cms away from the water to avoid burns on your face.
- Cover your head with a towel or bedsheet in such a way that the steam vapours donât escape.
- Now breathe through your nostrils and feel the steam going in them.
- Release out from your mouth. Repeat this for 5 counts. Now reduce the inhaling and exhaling to 2 counts.
- Continue doing this for 10 minutes or until the water is steaming.
- Make sure to blow your nose during and after the treatment to remove the mucus draining.
- Continue doing this for 1 to 2 minute or until you can tolerate.
- Remove the towel and relax to feel calm and cooler.
- Repeat the process again one more time.
- Inhale the vapours of hot tea or soup to stimulate a steam treatment when you are at work or outside. You can repeat this treatment once in every 2 hours for relief.
Note:
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How To Get Rid Of A Sinus Pressure Headache
If you suffer from allergies, you may have congested sinuses as well, and this can lead to a sinus pressure headache. If youre wondering how to get rid of a sinus pressure headache, the first thing you need to understand is that these types of headaches can have several causes. Consequently, sinus headaches have a few different remedies.
How You Can Treat Sinusitis Yourself
You can often treat mild sinusitis without seeing a GP by:
- getting plenty of rest
- taking painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen
- avoiding allergic triggers and not smoking
- cleaning your nose with a salt water solution to ease congestion
You do not need to use all of the solution, but make a fresh solution each time you clean your nose.
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What Are Sinus Headaches
Real sinus headaches are almost always from a sinus infection. Sinus infections are common with 10% to 30% of the population experiencing at least one sinus infection each year.
Sinus infections are also known as sinusitis or rhinosinusitis. This occurs when the sinus becomes inflamed. Common symptoms include thick nasal mucous, blocked nose and facial pain. Sinus infections may be caused by an infection, allergy or air pollution. Most cases are due to viral infection. Infections are often transmitted through coughing, sneezing, kissing, contact with contaminated surfaces, food or water or contact with infected animals or pets.
To understand how sinus headaches are confused with migraine its important to know what migraine is.
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Relieve Allergy Sinus Headache
Have you tried any of these steps to get sinus headache relief? What worked for you?
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Youre Trying Too Many Headache Remedies
Mixing, matching and overusing headache treatments can potentially backfire. Sometimes, the thing youre taking for headache starts working against you, Dr. Hutchinson says. Overdoing it on painkillers can actually make the pain worseand the caffeine in some headache medications can cause withdrawal headaches, compounding the effects. Overuse of any pain medication to treat headaches can cause whats called a rebound headache.
Fix it: If youve been taking a lot of OTC medications, try stopping for a day or drastically limiting your intake. If youre able to then have a day without a headache and dont need to take anything, then you can say youre out of the rebound, says Dr. Hutchinson.
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How Do I Get Rid Of A Sinus Headache
To get rid of a sinus headache, you have to treat the underlying cause. But you can take steps to ease sinus pressure and pain at home:
- Apply a warm compress to painful areas of the face.
- Use a decongestant to reduce sinus swelling and allow mucus to drain.
- Try a saline nasal spray or drops to thin mucus.
- Use a vaporizer or inhale steam from a pan of boiled water. Warm, moist air may help relieve sinus congestion.
Sinus infection
Viruses, bacteria and sometimes fungi cause sinus infections. Viral infections often go away on their own. But if your infection is bacterial or fungal, you need antibiotics or antifungal medications. Your healthcare provider may also recommend other medications to ease discomfort, such as:
- Antihistamines to prevent allergy symptoms.
- Pain relievers to ease headache pain.
- Steroids to reduce inflammation.
Migraines with sinus symptoms
Sinus headaches that are actually migraines need a different type of treatment. The first step is to relieve your pain. You should know that frequently using over-the-counter medications when you have a headache can cause even more headaches .
Your provider may recommend prescription medication for migraine pain. You may also need a preventive medication that helps you have fewer migraine attacks.
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Why Do I Have A Headache That Wont Go Away
First things first: If your headache wont go away, you need to figure out if its a sinus headache that wont go away or something else. Sinus headaches are caused by a buildup of pressure in sinus cavities that have become inflamed and are blocking regular mucus drainage.
Sinus headaches are often accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Congestion
- Feeling of pressure and/or throbbing around your sinuses
- Increased pain upon bending over
- Toothache in your upper teeth
Many of these symptoms, including congestion and increased pain upon bending over, can also be found in patients struggling with migraines. However, migraines are unlikely to last more than a few hours, whereas untreated sinus headaches can last for days at a time.
For more information about what might be behind your latest sinus headache, reference these additional posts:
Diagnosing Swollen Nasal Passages
To help determine the cause of your swollen nasal passages, your doctor may use a variety of diagnostic methods. The doctor will make a diagnosis based on your symptoms and an examination of your nose. Other diagnostic tests used to determine the cause of your swollen nasal passages include the following:
- Nasal endoscopy: An endoscope is a thin and flexible tube with a fiber-optic light that gets inserted into your nose, and it allows doctor to see inside your sinuses. This method is also called a rhinoscopy.
- Imaging studies: A computerized tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging will reveal the health of your sinuses and nasal region to help identify any physical obstructions or deep-seated inflammation that an endoscope may have a problem detecting. It can also help pinpoint the location and size of your sinuses to evaluate the degree of inflammation.
- Sinus and nasal cultures: Nasal and sinus cultures may help pinpoint the cause of swollen nasal passages such as fungi or bacteria. That said, cultures are usually not needed for diagnosing chronic sinusitis.
- An allergy test: If your swollen nasal passages are due to allergies, an allergy test may be recommended such as a skin-prick test or an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
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When Should I Go See The Doctor About A Sinus Infection
It is pretty easy to care for most sinus conditions on your own. However, if you continue to have symptoms that concern you or if your infections continue to happen, your primary care doctor might suggest you see a specialist. This could also happen if your CT scan shows something that does not look right.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Sinusitis, or swelling of the tissues of the sinus cavities, is a common condition with many causes, including viruses and bacteria, nasal polyps or allergies. Signs and symptoms may including facial pressure, fever and tiredness. You can treat symptoms at home by resting, taking over-the-counter products and increasing your fluid intake. Make sure you contact your healthcare provider if symptoms do not improve, if sinusitis happens often or if you have any symptom that worries you.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 06/04/2020.
References
What Can An Ent Do To Reduce Or Prevent Sinus Pain
There are multiple ways to relieve sinus pain including, pain-free balloon sinuplasty. Balloon sinuplasty is an endoscopic nasal surgery that uses small balloon catheters to drain the large nasal sinuses. This is an almost immediate way to relieve pressure and can dramatically improve the quality of life for those with a deviated septum.
Request an appointment to see if balloon sinuplasty is the right treatment option for you.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Headaches Caused By Sinus Pressure
Sinus headaches are the result of swelling or inflammation in the mucosal lining of the nose and sinuses. This swelling can cause a sensation of pressure in the head, face and behind the eyes, which is often accompanied by pain in the form of a headache, pain around the eyes, and pain in the face. These symptoms can get worse with movements such as lying or bending down.
Sinus headaches typically have other symptoms that coincide with them. These symptoms usually resemble a head cold and can include:
- Nasal congestion
Treatment Options For Sinusitis
Most of the treatment options for sinusitis and sinus headaches are intended to give temporary relief from the symptoms when they occur:
- Painkillers
- Mediation to reduce the inflammation
- Using a humidifier or nasal spray
- Drinking plenty of fluids
Although these treatments can help, they arent always effective for chronic sinusitis and they wont prevent your symptoms from coming back. If you often suffer from sinus infections or sinus headaches, you might be looking for a more permanent treatment.
Permanent cures for chronic sinusitis and sinus headaches are sometimes possible, but it can depend on the reasons why you are affected.
- If your sinusitis is linked to allergies, then you can try allergy testing to find out the cause and then take steps to avoid the trigger. Although this wont always be enough to prevent your symptoms from coming back, it can make a big difference.
- If your symptoms are linked to infections, then simple steps such as washing hands regularly and getting a flu shot can reduce the chances youll be affected again.
- If there is a physical reason why you are more susceptible to sinusitis, it may be possible to correct it surgically and prevent sinus problems in the future.
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Treatment For Allergy Headaches
If your allergy headaches persist, your allergist may recommend one or more of the following treatments to offer relief.
- Pain Relievers: Advil and Tylenol can offer short-term relief for sinus pain.
- Oral & Nasal Decongestants: Available in over the counter medications, these can treat nasal congestion and relieve pressure which causes sinus headaches.
- Antihistamines: Histamines are natural chemicals in your body responsible for your bodys response to allergens. Antihistamines help block these chemicals to reduce allergy symptoms. Both OTC and prescription antihistamines are available.
- Intranasal Corticosteroids: These medications are extremely effective at treating allergic rhinitis and help reduce sneezing, itching, nasal congestion, and runny nose.
- Immunotherapy : If you dont respond well to medications or experience side effects, allergy shots may be recommended by your allergist for a more permanent solution to an allergy problem.
If youre experiencing sinus headaches and pain due to allergies, speak with your allergist for treatment options. Contact the professionals at the Allergy & Asthma Specialists of North Florida to schedule an appointment today.
The Lowdown On Stressed Sinuses
A flare-up of seasonal allergies, called hay fever, causes stuffy noses and irritated sinuses. But allergy sufferers will notice mainly that they have a runny nose with clear output and itchy, watery eyes. Their symptoms are also often tied to certain times of year and specific allergens like animal dander, dust, pollen or mold.
If youre plugged up with thick mucus thats green or yellow, you could have an infection. Sinus infectionswhether caused by bacteria or a viruscan also bring along other symptoms like mild headache, fatigue, weakness or a cough. Viruses are far more likely to be the cause of sinus infections. Certain symptoms increase the probably of bacterial sinusitis:
- Persistent sinusitis symptoms for longer than 10 days, especially with double worsening. This means symptoms start to improve and then get worse a few days later.
- A fever, especially a high one over 102 .
- Asymmetric pain in one or more sinus areas. These include under or above the eyes and above the bridge of the nose.
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Sinus Headache Symptoms & Treatment Options
Sinus headaches can bring acute discomfort to the sufferer, and are commonly experienced as pain across the forehead, nose and cheekbones. Sharp movements of the head can result in bursts of pain, making everyday life uncomfortable.
For many sufferers, diagnosing whether you have a sinus issue or a migraine can be tricky. If you or your child areexperiencing the symptoms of sinus headache or a possible migraine, Dr. Chacko will diagnose the issue and work to find the best sinus treatment solution for you. Serving families in the Atlanta area, Chacko Allergy is ready to help.
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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