Keep The Head Elevated
When the buildup of mucus is particularly bothersome, it may help to sleep propped up on a few pillows or in a reclining chair. Lying flat can increase discomfort because it may feel like mucus is collecting at the back of the throat.
A person may also benefit from hypoallergenic pillows when elevated.
Mouth Throat And Other Cancers
In a study of 968,432 men and women, participants who drank than 4 cups of coffee a day had a 49-percent lower risk of death from oral cancer, compared with those who drank no coffee at all or only an occasional cup.
Other possible cancer-related benefits include:
- a lower risk of endometrial cancer
- a reduced risk of prostate cancer
- protection against head and neck cancer
- protection against the recurrence of breast cancer
Inflammation Cell Damage And Mucus
Cold and flu viruses attack our bodies through our nasal lining. In response, our immune systems try to fight back by opening a pandoras box of inflammatory chemicals.
Prof. Morice goes on to explain that human rhinovirus infection is known to lead to high levels of pro-inflammatory molecules, such as bradykinin also implicated in causing sore throat tachykinins, calcitonin gene-related peptide, and leukotrienes.
While these play important roles in the battle against the common cold, some scientists point the finger squarely at these molecules as the reason for our cough.
Damage to the cell lining in our airways is common in influenza infections and may be why we tend to experience more severe coughing fits with flu than with the common cold, others think.
Mucus production is also in the mix of factors to lay the blame on, as it is known to stimulate nerve receptors. This leads us to the crux of cough: nerve endings in our airways.
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For Children Contact A Doctor If Their Nasal Congestion:
- Is accompanied by a fever and the child is under 2 months old
- Is causing difficulty with breastfeeding or eating or drinking
- Is causing problems with breathing
- Is accompanied by swelling, pain, or pressure in the face, cheek, or forehead
- Is causing difficulty with vision
- Is accompanied by a yellow, green, or off-colored nasal discharge
- Is accompanied by a bloody discharge
- Is accompanied by a sore throat and/or visible signs of white or yellow spots on the tonsils
Pressure Points To Drain Sinuses
In addition to manual massages, you can also access sinus pressure points using a technique called acupressure. This ancient healing technique originated in China and uses the same principles as acupuncture except you use your fingers to trigger the pressure points instead of needles.
Here are some pressure points to trigger to help relieve sinus pain and congestion. Simply press and gently massage these areas for several minutes or until you feel relief.
- Acupresssure Point BL2: Located where your eyebrow meets your nose, this pressure point can help relieve frontal headaches.
- Acupresssure Point GB20: Located at the back of your head where the skull meets neck muscles, this pressure point can relieve midline headaches.
- Acupresssure Point L3: Located on your foot between the tendons of your big toe and second toe, this pressure point can help with headaches.
- Acupresssure Point LI4: Located on your hand between the thumb and index finger, this pressure point can help relieve sinus congestion.
- Acupresssure Point LI 20: Located at the base of your nose, this pressure point can help relieve sinus pressure.
- Acupresssure Point SI18: Located where your cheekbones meet your nose, this pressure point can relieve sinus congestion.
While at-home remedies can provide relief from mild sinus infections and sinus-related congestion, you should see an otolaryngologist for more chronic symptoms. To learn more about what these specialists do, visit our blog on ENTs.
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How To Relieve Sinus Pressure And Pain
Now that you know what causes sinus congestion, you can determine how to relieve sinus pain. Here are a few tips and tricks for easing sinus pain. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.
Chill Out Your Sinuses
Anything you can do to cool your head can ease sinus pain symptoms. An ice mask, bag of ice or a cold compress can help.
Massage and Relax
Stress often makes your sinus symptoms feel worse. Gently massaging your neck and shoulders, while not linked to your sinuses, can help you relax, giving you relief.
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Holistic Dietary Strategies For Gerd
A comprehensive GERD treatment plan needs to consider additional factors beyond basic dietary changes.
For many people with digestive issues, restoring balance to the bacterial flora in the intestines may be beneficial. Eating fermented and prebiotic foods might also help achieve this.
People call the bacteria in fermented foods probiotics. They digestive issues by supporting a healthy balance of microorganisms in the gut. Prebiotics are foods rich in fibers that grow beneficial bacteria selectively.
Foods that naturally contain probiotics include:
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What To Do About Sinusitis
If you’ve ever had a cold that just wouldn’t go away, it may have been sinusitis an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, the cavities within the bones that surround the nose. The sinuses are lined with a thin membrane that produces mucus, which is normally swept along by hair cells and drains through small openings into the nasal cavity. Sinusitis starts when this drainage system becomes blocked, usually from swelling due to inflammation caused by infection or allergy. Soon, your head hurts, you feel facial pressure or pain, and thick mucus clogs your nose. The symptoms may clear on their own, but often they persist or repeatedly return.
What Causes Excessive Phlegm
Possible causes of excess mucus can be food allergies, an acid reflux from the stomach, or an infection. The consistency of mucus in the throat also varies depending on what is going on in your body. Common causes of too much mucus in the throat include a cold or flu, acute bronchitis, sinusitis or pneumonia.
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Home Remedies For Clearing Nasal Congestion
You must have experienced that annoying feeling when you are neither able to inhale nor exhale easily due to a stuffy nose. Even blowing your nose does not solve the problem. Quite suffocating, right? Your nose feels stuffy likely because the blood vessels inside swell and block the airways. Here are some natural and home remedies to get rid of the congestion.
Administering Herbal And Natural Remedies
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To Help Prevent Nasal Congestion From Allergic Or Environmental Causes Such As Hay Fever Or Vasomotor Rhinitis:
- Wash your hands often
- Avoid touching your face, especially your eyes and nose
- Avoid triggers, such as dust, pollen, perfumes, smoke, and other irritants
- Avoid food and beverages with high levels of histamines, such as alcohol and fermented dairy products
- Wear a mask on days with bad air quality
- Take a hot shower and rinse your sinuses with a saline solution before bed
- Change your pillowcases and bedding often
- Keep dust to a minimum
- Close the windows and use AC when possible
- Use air filters and purifiers when possible
How Is Sinus Infection Diagnosed
Diagnosis depends on symptoms and requires an examination of the throat, nose and sinuses. Your allergist will look for:
- Discolored nasal discharge
If your sinus infection lasts longer than eight weeks, or if standard antibiotic treatment is not working, a sinus CT scan may help your allergist diagnose the problem. Your allergist may examine your nose or sinus openings. The exam uses a long, thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera and a light at one end that is inserted through the nose. It is not painful. Your allergist may give you a light anesthetic nasal spray to make you more comfortable.
Mucus cultures: If your sinus infection is chronic or has not improved after several rounds of antibiotics, a mucus culture may help to determine what is causing the infection. Most mucus samples are taken from the nose. However, it is sometimes necessary to get mucus directly from the sinuses.
Knowing what kind of bacteria is causing the infection can lead to more effective antibiotic therapy. A fungus could also cause your sinus infection. Confirming the presence of fungus is important. Fungal sinus infection needs to be treated with antifungal agents, rather than antibiotics. In addition, some forms of fungal sinus infection allergic fungal sinus infection, for example do not respond to antifungal agents and often require the use of oral steroids.
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Why Do I Have Nasal Congestion
The causes of nasal congestion or a âstuffy noseâ is when membranes in the nasal passages in your face become irritated and/or inflamed. This inflammation blocks your nasal passages, giving you that âstuffed upâ feeling. When your passage gets irritated, your body makes extra mucus that may build up and cause a blockage. When you find yourself breathing through your mouth, this is the cause. Its commonly caused by colds, sinus infections, allergies, and some more serious conditions. There are several options to help relieve your symptoms. Many sufferers choose to use home remedies for nasal congestion or visit an ENT.
Learn more about nasal congestion causes
Other Ways To Relieve Sinus Pain
People can relieve sinus pain by combining sinus massage with the following treatments:
- These medications help relieve congestion and sinus pain by reducing blood flow and swelling in the sinus membranes. Decongestants are available over the counter .
- Nasal sprays: Nasal sprays contain saline to help loosen and thin mucus that has become trapped inside the nose. Some sprays also contain a corticosteroid, which reduces inflammation in the sinuses. Nasal sprays are available OTC.
- Nasal irrigation: This type of personal hygiene practice involves using a nasal irrigation device or âneti potâ to flush saline solution through the nose. While most NIDs are generally safe, people should use them with caution. According to the
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Ways To Clear Clogged Sinuses
Food alone may not be enough to get rid of the symptoms of your seasonal allergies and infections. e may not be enough to get rid of the symptoms of your seasonal allergies and infections. When it comes to sinus problems the foods you eat are just as important as the foods you dont eat. Other lifestyle factors such as regular exercise and staying hydrated can all help prevent sinus problems and leave you feeling clearer. Try these easy activities to stay decongested and breathing fine even when sinus infections are at their worst:
Warm Salt Water Gargles
Warm salt water can help clear mucus that is holding tight the back of your throat while gargling. It might even eliminate germs and relieve your sore throat. Combine some water with 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Warm water works best since it breaks down the salt all the more rapidly. Its additionally a smart thought to utilize separated or filtered water that doesnt contain chafing chlorine.
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What Are Mucus And Phlegm
Mucus has an important role in your body. Its made by cells in your mouth, throat, nose and sinuses. Its slippery consistency helps protect and moisturize, and traps potential irritants.
Phlegm is made of mucus membranes, but its produced and used by your respiratory system to combat inflammation.
Slather On A Vapor Rub
Vapor rubs also contain decongestive ingredients, but theyre applied topically instead of ingested.
In one 2010 study, researchers studied children who received either vapor rub treatment, petrolatum ointment, or no medication. Vapor rub scored the highest in providing relief from cough and congestion.
The ointment didnt relieve symptoms significantly better than no treatment at all. So, its thought that the combined camphor and menthol of a vapor rub supplies the most symptom relief.
You can purchase vapor rubs at any drug store. Common OTC chest rubs that contain camphor and menthol include:
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When To Contact A Medical Professional
- Your symptoms last longer than 10 to 14 days or you have a cold that gets worse after 7 days.
- You have a severe headache that is not relieved by over-the-counter pain medicine.
- You have a fever.
- You still have symptoms after taking all of your antibiotics properly.
- You have any changes in your vision during a sinus infection.
A green or yellow discharge does not mean that you definitely have a sinus infection or need antibiotics.
How To Drain Your Sinuses
Its possible to relieve nasal congestion, drain your sinuses, and get rid of your runny nose with reactive measures like:
- Using a humidifier or vaporizer
- Taking a hot shower or steam bath
- Hydrating with warm fluids, such as chicken noodle soup or tea
- Use a nasal nebulizer as part of your daily nasal hygiene routine. Rinse your sinuses with a saline spray and moisturizer to reduce excessive mucus build-up
- Applying hot facial compresses
- Taking over-the-counter antihistamines
- Taking over-the-counter decongestants
- Propping your head up with a pillow when lying down
Nasal congestion is often a symptom of other conditions or ailments, such as allergies or a virus, affecting the body. Therefore, to clear it up, its important to remedy the underlying cause.
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What Causes Sinus Pain And Pressure
Your sinuses are air-filled spaces connected to your nasal passages that help humidify air as you breathe in and produce mucus that helps trap bacteria and foreign particles. When nasal passages and their tissues become irritated, mucus can build up instead of draining normally. This build-up causes swelling and often causes pain and pressure in your sinuses. Swollen and inflamed tissues can also cause pressure on nerve endings around your sinuses. This leads to dull or throbbing pain and aches.
Several factors can cause nasal passage irritation and bring on sinus pressure symptoms.
- Environmental irritants Airborne pollutants such as those that cause allergies can trigger mucus build up and sinus pressure.
- A sinus infection Sinusitis, more commonly known as a sinus infection, could be a cause of your sinus pressure and pain. If you think you may have a sinus infection, talk to your doctor for a diagnosis and treatment recommendations.
- The common cold Not every cold is the same but sometimes symptoms include mucus build up, which can mean sinus pressure and pain.
Treating Acute Frontal Sinusitis
Your treatment depends on whether your sinusitis is caused by bacteria, polyps, or some other factor.
Since most cases of acute frontal sinusitis are caused by a viral infection, your doctor may recommend taking a nasal spray or decongestant to decrease inflammation, assist with mucus drainage, and relieve pressure in the frontal sinuses.
You may also be advised to take an over-the-counter pain reliever to treat the symptoms caused by acute frontal sinusitis. However, children shouldnt be given aspirin. It can cause a deadly condition known as Reyes syndrome. Antihistamines are also frequently used given their drying effects, but overuse can also lead to discomfort.
If your symptoms dont improve within seven to 10 days, the cause of your sinusitis may be bacterial. Your doctor will likely prescribe you antibiotics to treat a bacterial infection.
Surgery can be used to repair a deviated septum causing acute frontal sinusitis.
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Sinusitis And Sinus Infections
Most sinus infection medicine ultimately seeks to relieve inflammation around the sinus cavities. This inflammation is most often caused by a virus or bacteria and results in a blockage that prevents mucus from naturally draining out of the sinus cavities. This inflammation results in painful symptoms and the blocked mucus may lead to additional infection. A single sinus infection can last 2 or more weeks.
Patients who suffer from chronic sinusitis often seek relief from a variety of over-the-counter sinus infection medication or prescription antibiotics, such as a sinus infection z pack. Patients may find temporary symptom relief through pharmaceuticals however, these medications often carry a number of undesirable side effects including:
- Drowsiness or insomnia
- Individual complications