Is There A Right Way To Blow Your Nose
If you have a stuffy nose, trying to force yourself to blow your nose could make it worse. The best thing to do is to blow one side of your nose at a time gently into a tissue. You might want to first use some type of nasal rinse to loosen any material in your nose before blowing. Make sure you dispose of the tissue and then clean your hands with soap and water or an antimicrobial sanitizer.
How Is Sinusitis Treated
Sinusitis is treated in several ways, each depending on how severe the case of sinusitis is.
A simple sinusitis infection is treated with:
- Drinking fluids .
If symptoms of sinusitis don’t improve after 10 days, your doctor may prescribe:
- Antibiotics .
- Oral or topical decongestants.
- Prescription intranasal steroid sprays. .
Long-term sinusitis may be treated by focusing on the underlying condition . This is usually treated with:
- Intranasal steroid sprays.
- Topical antihistamine sprays or oral pills.
- Leukotriene antagonists to reduce swelling and allergy symptoms.
- Rinsing the nose with saline solutions that might also contain other types of medication.
When sinusitis isn’t controlled by one of the above treatments, a CT scan is used to take a better look at your sinuses. Depending on the results, surgery may be needed to correct structural problems in your sinuses. This is most likely to happen if you have polyps and/or a fungal infection.
Problems That Can Develop If You Have Postnasal Drip
You probably dont give nasal mucus a thought until its aggravated by a cold or allergies. Then, it can dominate your days until the underlying cause is over. While in most cases,postnasal drip is a temporary symptom that clears up with time, it can have complications, or it may be part of other rare health conditions that may not clear up naturally.
When postnasal drip becomes chronic, visitAlexis Furze, MD in Newport Beach. As an otolaryngologist and facial surgeon, Dr. Furze is uniquely qualified to diagnose and treat many of the conditions that cause post nasal drip and its complications.
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How To Stop Sinus Drainage In The Throat
Mucus is a substance normally produced by the body. It serves an important role, as it moistens, cleans and protects the lining of the nose and sinuses. But when this mucus is abnormally thick or produced in excess, its presence can be more noticeable and annoying as it drains down the back of the throat.
This sinus drainage, or post-nasal drip, leads to coughing and irritation, and contributes to the misery of colds and seasonal allergies. While sometimes medical attention is indicated, this symptom can usually be alleviated by home treatments.
How To Deal With Bad Breath Caused By Sinusitis
Having a regular bout with sinusitis is already handful enough to deal with, but what if it is coupled with bad breath? That certainly makes things worse.
Why You Experience Bad Breath When You Have Sinusitis
Most people fail to make the connection between their sinusitis and their bad breath. They dont know that bad breath is, in fact, a lesser-known secondary symptom of sinusitis. Heres why having sinusitis leads to bad breath:
Whenever your sinuses are packed with fluids, it leads to swelling and infection. It also leads to the accumulation of mucus in the nasal cavities, causing the foul smell.
When the cavities get clogged, the mucus is forced to travel down the back of the nose and throat instead. The excess mucus leaves behind a trail of a white or yellowish film, creating an ideal breeding ground for bad breath-causing bacteria to multiply.
Mouth breathing is also another cause of bad breath. When the sinuses are clogged with mucus, the tendency is to breathe through ones nose during night time. Mouth breathing dries out the saliva, which is important in keeping the oral cavity healthy and clean. The absence of saliva results to dry mouth, which in turn results to bad breath.
Treatment of Bad Breath Caused by Sinusitis
Drinking plenty of water helps thin out the mucus build up in your sinuses, making it easier to drain. Frequent gargling with warm water and salt as well as tongue scraping also help prevent bad breath.
How a Balloon Sinuplasty Can Help
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I Have Chronic Sinus Infections And Thus A Chronic Post
When you are suffering from chronic sinus infections, chances are that you are also regularly dealing with a slew of sinusitis symptoms, including post-nasal drip and sore throat. And if your sinus infections havent responded to regular treatment, you may feel out of options. Fortunately, thats not the case.
Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive new sinus treatment that helps restore proper drainage. During the procedure, your sinus doctor uses a tiny endoscopic balloon to widen your nasal passages and open up your blocked sinuses. The procedure takes less than 30 minutes, can be performed in-office, requires very little recovery time, and provides long-term relief. It is a wonderful alternative to traditional sinus surgery, which often necessitates the cutting of bone or tissue.
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Where Does Sinus Drainage Go
It is natural and healthy for your sinuses to produce mucus but at the end of the day, where does mucus go? Is sinus drainage normal? And if so, why does it sometimes make us sick? Here, we answer the question, Where does sinus drainage go? and share potential remedies for excessive sinus drainage / post-nasal drip.
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Can Balloon Sinuplasty Help Your Chronic Sinus Drainage Issues
From chronic sinusitis surgery to the Clarifix procedure, and from septoplasty to nasal polyp removal, there are a wide variety of treatments to treat the underlying cause of your chronic sinus drainage issues.
One treatment, however, has become increasingly popular in the ENT field. Balloon sinuplasty differs from most other types of chronic sinusitis procedures in that it is minimally invasive and can be performed in-office. The procedure involves the inflation of a balloon that has been endoscopically inserted into the sinus cavity, opening the sinus passageways and restoring proper drainage in less than 20 minutes.
Also unlike traditional sinusitis surgery, balloon sinuplasty aftercare is easy, with patients often return to work within 24 hours. The procedure has provided thousands of patients nation-wide with long-lasting results and sinus relief.
Nasal Saline Washes And Topical Nasal Corticosteroids
Additional treatment options include nasal saline washes, which help move thick secretions from the nasal passages, and topical nasal corticosteroid sprays that reverse inflammation and swelling. The latter also effectively shrink and prevent nasal polyps. Corticosteroid sprays do not get absorbed into the bloodstream and can be used for extended periods without the risk of dependency.
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Drinking Plenty Of Water
Drinking plenty of water and increasing intake of fluids helps cure such conditions owing to allergies and environmental factors. Proper hydration can thin out your mucus secretions, which can help get rid of the problem fast. You can drink plenty of fluids except for dehydrating ones like alcohol and caffeine.
When To See A Healthcare Provider
Home remedies may help provide some relief from the uncomfortable symptoms of post-nasal drip. While they may offer relief in mild cases, call your healthcare provider if:
- You have trouble breathing because youre congested.
- You have new symptoms, or your symptoms are worsening.
- You have a fever, severe sinus pain, or other signs of an infection .
While post-nasal drip is sometimes temporary, if you experience symptoms regularly, be sure to talk with your healthcare provider to determine the underlying cause.
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Check If You Have Sinusitis
Sinusitis is common after a cold or flu.
Symptoms of sinusitis include:
- pain, swelling and tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead
- a blocked nose
- a reduced sense of smell
- green or yellow mucus from your nose
- a sinus headache
- toothache
- bad breath
Signs of sinusitis in young children may also include irritability, difficulty feeding, and breathing through their mouth.
The sinuses are small, empty spaces behind your cheekbones and forehead that connect to the inside of the nose.
Sinusitis causes the lining of the sinuses to swell up.
This stops mucus draining into your nose and throat properly, making you feel blocked up.
Saline Spray And Sinus Rinses
Using a saline solution, rinse your nose and sinuses with a neti pot or other irrigation system.
You can buy saline solution over the counter or make your own at home with distilled water and saline packets. Saline spray also comes in small bottles that you can spray directly into your nose.
Sinus rinses like these work by flushing mucus out of the nose and sinuses to keep things flowing freely.
Saline also has a natural decongesting effect, meaning it shrinks your swollen nasal tissues and makes it easier for you to breathe through your nose!
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What Are The Best Home Remedies For Postnasal Drip
Many people rely on home remedies and natural treatments to help treat their postnasal drip. Certain lifestyle changes may help prevent postnasal drip from worsening. Home remedies, natural treatment options, and lifestyle changes are all ways that people who have postnasal drip can try to reduce their symptoms. Here are some popular home and natural remedies for postnasal drip:
More Ways To Minimize Dust Mites
- Use a bed with a wooden or metal frame.
- Wash bedding in hot water. Cold water does not kill dust mites.
- Wash sheets and pillowcases at least once a week. Wash comforters and bedspreads every one to two months.
- Consider using an electric blanket, which can reduce humidity on bed surfaces.
- Wash and dry stuffed animals often and keep them off beds.
- Clean mattresses in late winter and early spring by vacuuming them with the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner or a powerful handheld vacuum. That will kill any dust mites that survived the winter and reduce their numbers in the summer months.
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Keep Fluid Intake High
Thick mucus is more likely to be uncomfortable and disrupt your breathing. Thinning it out can help to reduce blockages, reducing your risk of sinus or ear infections. An easy method to thin your mucus is to drink an adequate amount of fluids each day.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that women take in about 9 cups of fluid per day, and that men drink about 12.5 cups. By checking the color of your urine, its easy to tell whether youre adequately hydrated. Urine should be a pale yellow color. Urine that is darker can be a sign of dehydration.
It is estimated that almost 33% of American adults are inadequately hydrated.
Untreated Sinus Infection Risks
Sinus infections often start to improve on their own after about 10 days. If your symptoms last longer without improving or if they worsen, a doctor may need to treat the underlying cause of the infection.
If a sinus infection affects a sinus cavity close to the brain, it can spread to the brain if left untreated. Though rare, an infection can also pass into the eye socket and cause vision changes or blindness. These types of infections are more common in kids.
While uncommon, a serious fungal sinus infection left untreated may pass into the bones.
Make an appointment with a doctor if you have severe symptoms, or if the following symptoms last longer than 10 days or keep coming back:
- fever
- congestion
- facial pain
Because the cause of your sinus infection can affect your treatment options, its important to see a doctor for a diagnosis. The Healthline FindCare tool can provide options in your area if youre looking for a doctor.
If you believe you have chronic or recurring sinusitis, consider asking for a referral to an otolaryngologist, also known as an ear, nose, and throat specialist. You may need imaging and other tests to determine the cause of your symptoms.
An ENT specialist can take a culture of nose drainage to better understand the cause of an infection. The ENT specialist can also examine the sinuses more closely and look for any problem in the structure of the nasal passages that could lead to chronic sinus problems.
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Try A Homemade Saltwater Rinse
Using a saltwater rinse can help temporarily reduce the intensity of a bad smell in the nose.
To make a saltwater rinse at home:
People can also use a soft rubber ear bulb syringe or a commercial nasal saline rinse product from a drug store.
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What Does A Sore Throat From Post
Have you ever asked yourself where sinus drainage goes? Knowing how sinuses drain is critical to understanding why having post-nasal drip feels like it does.
Typically, your sinuses drain through your nose and your throat. The sinus drainage that goes down your throat is typically so thin and watery that you dont even notice it.
When you get sick, however, your sinus drainage system can go awry. For example, if youre congested, your sinuses are no longer draining through your nose. And typically, the mucus created when youre ill is thicker than usual. All of that combines so that more mucus that average and thicker mucus that average is making its way down your throat. As a result, post-nasal drip has its own set of symptoms.
Post-nasal drip symptoms include:
- Nausea from excess mucus draining into the stomach
- Cough, typically worse at night.
If youre not sick frequently, it may be difficult for you to tell the difference between a sore throat caused by post-nasal drip or, say, a sore throat from mold exposure. But if you are suffering from sinusitis, its a safe bet that your sore throat is likely caused by post-nasal drip.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Post
Symptoms of post-nasal drip can include:
- Feeling of mucus drainage into the throat
- Frequent swallowing
- Sore irritated throat
- Feeling a lump in the throat
In children, thick or foul-smelling secretions from one side of the nose can mean that something is stuck in the nose such as a bean, wadded paper, or piece of a toy. If these symptoms are observed, seek a physician for examination.
Post-nasal drip often leads to a sore, irritated throat. Although there is usually no infection, the tonsils and other tissues in the throat may swell. This can cause discomfort or a feeling that there is a lump in the throat. Successful treatment of the post-nasal drip will usually clear up these throat symptoms.
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Causes of post-nasal drip can include:
- Bacterial infections
- Vasomotor rhinitis
- Medications that thicken mucus
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Age
Thin clear secretions can be due to colds and flu, allergies, cold temperatures, bright lights, certain foods or spices, pregnancy, and other hormonal changes. Various drugs and irregular nose cartilage can also produce increased mucus.
Thick secretions in winter often result from dryness in heated spaces. They can also come from sinus or nose infections and allergies, especially to foods such as dairy products. If thin secretions become thick, and turn green or yellow, it is possible that a bacterial sinus infection is developing.
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Sinus Infection Sore Throat Sore Throat From And Infected Sinus
Sinus infection, or sinusitis if you like, is typically painful and can cause you considerable discomfort. It occurs when sinuses hollow cavities that occur in the skull around the forehead, cheekbone and nose areas around your nose get irritated and swollen .
Sinus infection is mostly caused by a virus but as The Healthline website points out, it can as well be caused by fungi or bacteria although this is rare.
Nasal polyps , tooth infection, and deviated septum can also trigger sinus infection.
Sinus infection tends to linger on for longer even after other upper respiratory symptoms caused by the viral or bacterial attack have cleared. Some people wake up with sore throat in the morning because of gravity-driven flow of mucus to the throat as they sleep.
Sinus infection is often associated with sinus drainage which often causes in throat irritation that may then culminate in sore throat. Sore throat is as a matter of fact one of the most common symptoms of sinus infection. Sore throat is attributed to the fact that the mucus draining down the throat carries infection with it.
Other symptoms associated with sinus infection are headaches, fever, cough, bad breath, cough, and nasal congestion.
Sinus drainage sore throat starts as an annoying tickle in your throat, but gets progressively painful. It can in fact get very painful if the infection continues for more than a few weeks.
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Choose The Expert In Ent Treatment And Smell Clearly Again
Dr. Nguyen is a national expert in ear, nose and throat treatment. For more than 15 years, he has been helping people seek relief from their nasal and sinus conditions. Let Houston Sinus and Allergy use the newest technology and our vast experience to customize a solution for your health needs.You can reach us by calling , or fill out the form at the top of the page tobook an assessment to start feeling better!
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