How Sinus Massage Helps
Massaging the sinuses is thought to help sinus pain and congestion by relieving pressure and helping the sinus drain out mucus. The gentle pressure and warmth from the hands may also help by increasing blood circulation to the area.
However, not a lot of research has been done on sinus massage. A few smaller studies show promising results, but more research is needed.
In one recent study, facial massage therapy significantly reduced the severity of sinus headaches in 35 women. In another study in male athletes with chronic sinusitis, facial therapeutic massage was shown to significantly reduce facial congestion and facial tenderness compared to the control group who didnt receive a massage.
Use Decongestants But Only Temporarily
You can definitely pop some Sudafed tablets or even spritz some Afrin into your nose, but beware: you cant do this forever.
In an acute infection, a decongestant can be useful, but Afrin can become addicting if used for more than a few days and oral decongestants used regularly can have cardiovascular effects, says Dr. Thompson. These are targeted for short-term use.
Also, FYI, patients with high blood pressure shouldnt use these OTC products, and people who are sensitive to stimulants, like caffeine, might have trouble sleeping when using them, per Dr. Takashima.
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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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Remedies And Treatments For Sinus Infection Pain
There are several effective home remedies and treatments for sinus infection pain. Many remedies are available over the counter at a low cost.
Common sinus infection treatments include:
Allergy Medicines
Many cases of sinusitis are linked to uncontrolled allergies. If you have allergies, taking medications like antihistamines and avoiding allergens can help treat your sinusitis symptoms.
Steam Inhalation
If your sinuses are blocked, it can help to moisten your sinus cavities by inhaling steam. Doing so loosens the blocked mucus and allows it to drain. Try draping a towel over your head as you breathe in the vapor from a bowl of hot water. Alternatively, you can take a hot shower or bath, breathing in the warm, moist air.
Nasal Irrigation
This home remedy, called nasal lavage, can help clear your sinuses. Nasal irrigation can clear sinus drainage from the nose to make it easier to breathe. It also thins the mucus in your nose, reduces inflammation, and washes away irritants in the nasal passages.
Saline rinses require sterile water, which can be either boiled or purchased. To avoid introducing additional bacteria to the nasal passages, keep your Neti Pot clean between uses.
Nasal Corticosteroid Sprays
Nasal corticosteroid sprays help prevent and treat inflammation and excess mucus in the nasal passages. They also treat polyps .
Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs
Rest
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 Is The Long
Sinus infections are primarily caused by allergies. The most common allergens are pollen, dust mites and pet dander. Those with repeated sinus infections may have chronic sinusitis, which means long-term solutions may be a better option.
Immunotherapy can help. These allergy shots enable your body to decrease sensitivity to common allergens. The Raleigh sinus doctors at Raleigh Medical Group specialize in helping patients with chronic allergy and sinus problems. While immunotherapy is effective, the treatment can take as long as one year to achieve noticeable results and maintenance treatment will likely be needed.
To find out if youre a candidate for immunotherapy, schedule an appointment with one of our internal medicine doctors. We welcome the opportunity to serve you.
Ways To Relieve Sinus Headache Pain And Pressure
When you have a sinus headache, all you want is relief…fast!
As the makers of BC® Sinus Pain & Congestion , were going to tell you to take our powder formula for fast relief. It can help you quickly relieve the sinus headache, congestion and pressure that can come with allergies, a cold, sinus infection or the flu.
But we also want to give you other optionssimple things you can do at home to help relieve sinus congestion and pain.
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Warm Or Cool Moist Air
Dry air can make sinus pain worse, but moist air can help relieve sinus congestion. Do NOT hold your head over a steaming pot of boiling water or soup. As tempting as it may be when you feel bad, the hot steam can actually burn your skin and eyes. To be safe, inhale steam from your morning shower, either while youre showering or sitting in a steamy bathroom.
At night, you can use a humidifier or vaporizer to help keep your sinuses open and your nasal passages moist. Just be sure to clean the machines as directed so you dont introduce more bacteria into the air and into your airways.
Pressure Points To Relieve Sinus Pressure
There are various pressure points on the face, all of which are known for alleviating sinus pressure. Find out where these sinus pressure points are and how you can apply the right amount of pressure to them.
1. Between the Eyes
The first pressure point is located between the eyes and just above the bridge of the nose, as shown in the image below:
You can do one of two things: tap the point or press it for about two minutes. You can use any of your fingers. This helps the mucus to run out instead of drying up and creating infection in the sinuses. This pressure point can also help alleviate the discomfort brought about by a cold.
2. Both Sides of the Nostrils
First, locate the two points on either side of your nostrils as shown in the picture below:
Next, use your index fingers to press both points firmly and at the same time. Your fingers should be at right angles to the point in question. This is particularly effective for any pain behind the cheeks. Keep pressing for a minute at a time, in order to allow the sinuses to drain out without getting dried up and getting inflamed. Using this pressure point also helps prevent respiratory illnesses.
3. Bridge of the Nose
These are two points located just at the edge of the bridge of the nose, right where the nose connects to the two ends of the eyebrows. The picture below explains the exact location of the points:
4. Under the Cheeks
5. The Philtrum
This is the spot located right under the nose, as seen below:
6. Eyebrows
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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 Causes Sinus Headaches
Sinus infections cause sinus headaches. Anything that makes mucus buildup in the sinuses can lead to a sinus infection, such as:
- The common cold is most often to blame.
- Seasonal allergies trigger mucus production.
- Nasal polyps, abnormal growths in the nose or sinuses. Nasal polyps can block mucus from draining.
- Deviated septum, which is when the line of cartilage and bone down the center of the nose isnt straight. A deviated septum can prevent mucus from properly draining.
Too much mucus gives germs an opportunity to grow. As germs build up, they irritate the sinuses. In response, sinus tissue swells, blocking the passage of mucus. Swollen, irritated sinuses filled with liquid make your face feel tender and achy.
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How Is A Sinus Infection Treated
First, you will need to find out what’s causing your sinus infection. Is it bacterial or viral? If it’s viral, it will not likely last more than a couple of weeks. To obtain relief from symptoms of a sinus infection, you can use:
-
Topical and oral antihistamines
-
Nasal saline washes
Antibiotics are often prescribed for bacterial infection. But, you don’t want to jump too quickly to antibiotics because being overprescribed antibiotics can lead to you developing antibiotic resistance. Usually, allergists suggest you only take antibiotics if your symptoms have lasted over seven to 10 days. If medications don’t work for you, your doctor might recommend surgery to correct defects in the bone that separates your nasal passages, open closed passages or remove nasal polyps.
Natural Remedies For Congestion
A nose and sinus condition can make you feel your absolute worst, causing painful pressure behind your eyes and making your nose run endlessly. Over 35 million people suffer from chronic sinusitis each year, making it one of the most common health complaints in the United States.
Although sinus problems can be uncomfortable, there are effective remedies that can help alleviate pain and discomfort. Here are five effective home remedies that can help you tackle the problem naturally:
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See Your Doctor If All Else Fails
The pressure within your sinuses may be due to another condition. Pain in your ears could be due to a more serious problem. You will want to speak to your doctor if the sinus pressure persists after trying everything. See your doctor if it persists for longer than three to four weeks.
Unfortunately, a lot of sinus pressure is due to a viral infection. Antibiotics will not help clear viral infections up, and you will have to work with your body to clear them up naturally. Eat food that will boost your immune systems capabilities and look after your overall body to help overcome the problem right away.
Your doctor will consider all the reasons for your sinus pressure. You will then get the exact help you need, rather than just treating symptoms as you go. Your doctor may still recommend the above seven proven techniques for removing the symptoms while you get rid of the reason.
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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.
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Releasing Your Sinus Pressure Using Home Treatments
Sinus Headache Vs Migraine
According to the American Migraine Foundation, 50 percent of migraine misdiagnoses start with a person thinking they have sinus headache. Up to 90 percent of people who go to the doctor for sinus headache find out they have migraine instead.
People with migraine may develop symptoms similar to sinusitis, like a runny nose or congestion. Migraine headaches also cause pain along the trigeminal nerve, which interacts with the sinus passages. People experiencing migraine may think this pain is related to the sinuses.
If you dont have any of the symptoms that come specifically with a sinus headache, you may be experiencing a migraine. Migraine is treated differently from sinus headache. Symptoms specific to migraine include:
- sensitivity to light and sound
If youre experiencing symptoms specific to migraine, youre likely experiencing a migraine attack and not a sinus headache.
Sinusitis directly causes sinus headaches, so they share the same causes and triggers. These include:
- Viral infection. This is the most common cause of sinusitis and sinus headache. About
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Treat Sinus Pain With Humidity
“Dry, thick mucus in your nose and sinus passages can form crusts that block sinus drainage and trap viruses and other particles. Increasing humidity and getting more fluid into your body can help your mucus thin out and get moving again,” says Dr. Das. Some natural ways to get your sinuses draining and relieve sinus pressure include drinking plenty of fluids using a humidifier avoiding cold, dry air taking plenty of steamy showers and drinking a cup of hot tea or soup.
What Can I Do About Recurring Sinus Headaches
Many sinus headaches, especially those that recur, are actually migraines. But its smart to see your healthcare provider to figure out the cause of your headaches.
You may find that the best long-term solution is figuring out what triggers your migraine headaches so you can avoid them. Its helpful to keep a headache diary to track potential triggers. Triggers you can control include:
- Specific foods, such as chocolate, red wine or strong cheese.
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Is It Necessary To Go To The Dentist When Feeling Sinus Pressure
If you arent too sure of the primary cause of your toothache, its best to visit your dentist. It is also best to go to the doctor if the symptoms persist after using expectorants and other prescribed drugs. The dentist will check to see the cause of the pain by x-raying the teeth to check for abscesses and cavities. If the teeth in question look healthy and do not show any signs of dental infections/problems, you most likely have sinus pressure or infection.
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Can Sinus Headaches Be Prevented
Sinus headaches are due to inflammation of the sinuses and their ability to drain to the back of the nose.
- Avoid smoking, secondhand smoke, and other allergens because they may decrease the risk of developing sinusitis and a sinus headache. Smoking reduces the ability of the sinuses to clear mucous and fluid.
- Avoid colds and other respiratory infections because it may decrease the risk of sinus inflammation, for example, frequent hand washing, and avoiding people who are sick.
- Flying is not recommended if you have a cold, sinus infection, or an upper respiratory infection because of the pressure changes in the face that occur with flying.
- Maintaining adequate hydration and breathing humidified air at home and work will allow the normal mucus that is produced in the sinuses to drain more easily.
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Sinus Pressure Points To Relieve Sinus Pressure Congestion And Pain
Disclaimer: Results are not guaranteed*** and may vary from person to person***.
Sinus pain and pressure can be unbearable at times, which is why itâs good to be aware of the various sinus pressure points that can help relieve sinus pain.
This recurring and frustrating source of pain often becomes more noticeable during allergy season. The pressure is frequently a result of blocked nasal passages, which can lead to inflammation in the face and head.
Aside from seasonal allergies, sinus pressure is also a potential symptom of the common cold.
Pressure builds in these areas because of the construction of the sinuses. They are paired and found in the following four facial regions: