Natural Remedies For Sinusitis
Its normal to want to treat the current sinus infection quickly. That said, it is a good idea to get to the root of the problem. Treating your chronic nasal congestion can end your toothaches for good. This will let you get back to your normal life.
Once you treat the tooth pain, you can tackle your underlying problem. Here are some natural remedies for sinusitis:
- Flush your sinuses. Use a neti pot or a saline solution to flush your sinuses. This will also keep them moist.
- Do not over-use nasal sprays. Over the counter, nasal sprays are habit forming and can cause more problems than they solve.
- Try a bromelain supplement. Bromelain is an ingredient in pineapple stems and can help reduce swelling in the body. Check with your doctor before taking this supplement.
- Steam your face. Hot steam can really moisten your sinuses and loosen mucus. Try a hot shower or a steam tent.
- Drink a lot of water. Staying hydrated is key when it comes to a natural remedy for sinusitis.
- Spicy foods. Chili peppers, mustard, and horseradish can all help clear your sinuses.
- Try a humidifier. This will keep the air in your home moist and easy to breathe.
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When To Consult A Doctor
If you have a headache more than 15 days even after taking medicine for it, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
If you have a sinus headache, you can take antibiotics or decongestants for a short time. You may also use inhaled nasal decongestant but only up to 3 days because more of it can make your symptoms worse.
If your severe headaches are disturbing your daily life activities and you are unable to bear it.
You can feel better with easy at-home tricks like drinking more fluids, using a humidifier and saltwater nasal spray, etc.
The most important part is to keep in touch with your doctor regularly if you are using any medication for a long time to get relief from your headache.
If you need any assistance or have a question about Sinus Headache, you can consult our HearingSol experts with your problem, feel free to call us on +91-9899437202. We are always here to help you.
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Why Do We Misdiagnose Migraine As Sinus Headache
Research studies show common sinus symptoms occur with migraine. In one study, 45% of migraine patients had at least one symptom of either nasal congestion or watery eyes. Migraine is also underdiagnosed and undertreated, meaning that a self-diagnosis of migraine is less likely.
A study involving almost 3,000 patients was important in evaluating the frequent complaint of sinus headache. In this study, the participants had at least six sinus headaches in the six months prior to entrance into the study. They had neither a migraine diagnosis nor treatment with a migraine-specific medication. What were the results? Eighty-eight percent of the participants had migraine and not sinus headaches.
Another study, called the American Migraine Study II, showed that many people who were diagnosed with migraine thought they had sinus headache. Significantly, there were almost 30,000 study participantsonly about 50% who were diagnosed with migraine knew they had migraine before the study. The most common misdiagnosis was sinus headache.
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Sinus Anatomy And Headaches
Sinuses are air-filled cavities located in your forehead, above your teeth, between your eyes, and behind your nose.
The sinuses are lined with a mucous membrane that has tiny hairs called cilia. The cilia move mucus, a sticky, gelatinous material produced by the mucous membrane, out of the sinuses and into your nose for drainage. Along the way, the mucus traps bacteria and other germs that can cause infection, and moves them out of the respiratory system.
When the linings of the sinuses and the inside of your nose become swollen from allergy or infection, fluid can build up. When that happens, bacteria can grow in the fluid and cause an infection. The congestion and infection can produce intense sinus pressure and facial and head pain.
Causes And Symptoms Of Sinus Headaches
Causes of a real sinus headache are an infection in your sinuses known as sinusitis. It may feel like the following:
- Pressure and fullness in your cheeks, forehead, and brows.
- Ache in your your upper teeth
- Swollen or puffy face
Sinusitis usually occurs after a respiratory viral infection or cold. There is normally a thick discolored mucus, a reduced sense of smell, and in a nutshell, with a sinus headache your whole face hurts.
You may develop a sinus headache from the common cold, a deviated septum where there is not sufficient air flow to help drain the mucus from your sinuses, seasonal allergies which cause congestion and mucus, and nasal polyps which also prevent mucus from draining properly.
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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.
Is It A Sinus Headache Or Migraine
Sinus headaches and migraines are often confused with one another because they have very similar symptoms. Both conditions cause throbbing pain that can be felt in front of the face. Both conditions also tend to get worse with physical activity.
Some migraines can even be accompanied by various conditions that affect the sinuses, such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and pressure behind the sinuses. This makes it very likely that the symptoms will be confused by both patients and doctors alike as a sinus headache.
However, there are some clear differences between the two types of headaches that can be used to tell them apart.
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Migraines can be accompanied by auras, which include symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to lights and sounds. About 25% of migraines are preceded by an aura about 30 minutes before a migraine attack.
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Migraines are a chronic headache condition that can affect someone for years. A typical migraine attack can last for hours if left untreated.
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Sinus headaches are not typically accompanied by classic migraine symptoms. In addition to headache pain, the only additional symptoms are generally those affecting the sinuses. The headache tends to start soon after the first sinus symptoms emerge and resolve after the underlying sinus condition is treated.
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Sinus Headaches Are Rare
Its important to note that sinus headaches are in fact extremely rare most people who have sinus headaches actually have migraine headaches, says Dr. Gottschalk.
In fact, the American Academy of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery Foundation notes that over 80% of people who have self-diagnosed themselves or received a formal diagnosis of sinus headache actually have a migraine headache or tension headache only around 3% to 5% of people diagnosed with sinus headaches actually have sinus headaches.
This happens because some of the symptoms of migraine headaches are very similar to the symptoms of sinus headaches. Migraine headaches can trigger the parasympathetic nerves that control the mucosa in the sinuses, resulting in symptoms such as congestion, runny nose, redness or swelling around the eyes, and pressure in the sinus area, says Dr. Gottschalk.
For this reason, migraine attacks that include these symptoms are often mislabeled as sinus headaches, because it is believed that the sinus irritation is the cause of the pain however, the sinus symptoms are caused by the migraine process itself, explains Dr. Gottschalk.
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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Migraine Sinus Headache And Allergies: What To Know
Spring has sprung! While this means warmer weather and more hours of sunlight, it also means allergy season.
Allergies can cause migraines and sinus headaches for some individuals. Not sure which one you are dealing with? Youre not alone. In fact, migraines are often mistaken for sinus headaches.
Learn how these ailments differ and how allergies can play a role in the severity of each.
What Prescription Medications Treat A Sinus Headache Pain And Pressure
Headaches from allergies can be relieved with a prescription for nasal steroid sprays unless there is a contraindication. This may be helpful along with nasal saline rinses to decrease inflammation within the nasal passages and treat or prevent sinusitis.
If a bacterial infection is suspected, the healthcare professional may prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection and at the same time make suggestions to treat the underlying inflammation. To establish the diagnosis of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis and the need for antibiotics, your doctor should confirm that
- symptoms of acute rhinosinusitis have been present for 10 days or are worsening.
- Symptoms should include pus-like nasal drainage, nasal obstruction, facial pain, or pressure.
- If the inflammation does not resolve before the antibiotic course is complete, the bacterial infection may recur.
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What Is A Sinus Headache
The sinuses are a group of four interconnected cavities in the skull. Since they are located around the nose, they are also known as paranasal cavities. These cavities produce a thin mucus that traps harmful particles like dust, germs, and pollutants. This fluid is typically drained out through the nose, keeping the nose clean and germ-free.
The sinuses are normally clear and filled with air, but they can sometimes become irritated, inflamed, and infected. Known as sinusitis,this can happen if the sinuses cant drain properly and become blocked, which can provide an opportunity for infectious germs to grow there.
Allergies, viral infections, and in extremely rare cases, bacterial infections can cause congestion and swelling in the sinuses, says Christopher Gottschalk, MD, a headache specialist at Yale Medicine and professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine.
Sinusitis can sometimes cause headaches, known as sinus headaches. These headaches are classified as a secondary type of headache, because they are a symptom of another condition , rather than being an independent health condition, such as a migraine.
This article explores the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of sinus headaches, and distinguishes between sinus headaches and migraines.
How Do You Treat Sinus Headaches
If you think you have a sinus headache, consider taking a hot shower, using a Neti Pot and /or warm compresses to loosen up the secretions. Make sure to hydrate with warm liquids like chicken soup and tea. You can try to reduce nasal membrane swelling with a short course of a decongestant and/or an over-the-counter nasal spray like fluticasone . Facial pain may improve with acetaminophen or an NSAID. If the symptoms persist for more than 7-10 days, you should see your doctor as a prescription for an antibiotic may be needed.
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Is There Really A Sinus Migraine
Technically, the answer is no. There are migraines and there are sinus headaches. They are not the same, but some people have coined the phrase sinus migraine to make the distinction that their migraines seem to have a sinus component. They may be familiar enough with migraines that they know the typical symptoms, so they rule it out because their headaches dont fit that mold. The truth is, there are many different types of migraines and headaches and they often have very similar, if not identical, symptoms.
Dr. Ailani explains, Migraine pain can be located in the temples or back of the head, but often is in or around the eye and can, on occasion, be located under the eye, around the nose, and into the jaw. The reason for this is that the nerve that causes facial sensation and sinus sensation and the one that also causes facial and sinus pain, are one and the same, the trigeminal nerve.
She continues, When this nerve is turned on, you can experience pain- which can be all different types such as pulsating, throbbing, pressure, searing, jabbing, tingling, and burning, anywhere in your head and face. This nerve also connects to other nerves at the back of the neck and in the sinuses. When one nerve decides to be turned on, other connected nerves can follow- where there is a party, all like to join in!
Articles On Types Of Headaches
Your sinuses are air-filled spaces inside your forehead, cheekbones, and behind the bridge of your nose. When they get inflamed — usually because of an allergic reaction or an infection — they swell, make more mucus, and the channels that drain them can get blocked.
The build-up of pressure in your sinuses causes pain that feels like a headache.
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What Is The Prognosis For A Sinus Headache
Sinus headaches are short-lived temporary problems associated with colds or hay fever. They recover quickly, once the underlying condition resolves.
Certain people develop chronic sinus inflammation and more long-standing symptoms associated with their sinusitis. Once the underlying condition is identified, preventive measures may be available and future recurrences of the sinus headache may be minimized. If the headache symptoms are not associated with inflammation of the sinuses, the underlying cause needs to be adequately addressed to relieve symptoms.
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How Can You Care For A Sinus Headache At Home
In addition to the treatment prescribed by a doctor, an at-home plan of care can go a long way towards relieving symptoms.
The following at-home strategies may help support recovery from a sinus headache:
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RestSince sinus headaches are caused by a bacterial or viral infection of the sinuses, getting plenty of rest can help the body fight off the pathogen.
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Warm compressApplying a warm compress on the cheeks or forehead may help relieve some of the congestion and sinus pressure.
- HumidifierA humidifier can help keep the sinuses moist, which may ease congestion. Taking a hot shower can produce a similar result.
- Saline rinseRunning a homemade saline solution through the nasal passages may help to clear congestion and relieve some of the painful pressure.
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Home Remedies To Cure Or Prevent Sinus Headaches
Whether or not you take preventive medications, you may benefit from lifestyle changes that can help reduce the number and severity of headaches. Thus, one or more of these suggestions may be of some great help to you:
1. Avoid Things That Might Trigger Sinus Headaches
If certain foods or odors seem to have triggered sinus headaches in you in the past, then it is advised to strictly avoid such foods and smell, or any such things you do not feel pleased about.
Your doctor may also suggest you reduce the intake of caffeine or coffee, alcohol, and tobacco. In general, it is best to establish a daily routine with regular sleep patterns and regular meals.
2. Make A Habit Of Exercising Daily
A study suggests that regular exercise helps in reducing tension and stress in individuals. This can also help in preventing sinus headaches, migraine headaches, or any other form of a headache.
You can do any exercise such as walking, running, swimming, or cycling. When exercising, warm up slowly and avoid doing intense exercises as that may cause headaches.
You may also try Shiatsu self-massage techniques as shown below for pain relief and relaxation :
3. Maintain A Balanced Body Weight
Over-weight or obesity and under-weight both have a direct or indirect effect on an individual and thus, cause headaches, it could also be sinus headaches.
It is, therefore, necessary to keep control or maintain balanced body weight by eating healthy foods and doing exercises regularly.
Can Sinus Pressure Cause A Migraine
Sinus headaches and migraines have many symptoms in common, but theyre not the same type of headache. Once the underlying sinus issue is resolved, sinus headaches should go away. But with migraines, ongoing medication may be needed to help prevent them from recurring.
Sinus pressure may be somewhat linked to migraines, however. If you have allergic rhinitis, your nasal passages can become inflamed and irritated in response to an allergen. Its thought that the histamine release that occurs as part of the allergic reaction can cause migraines. In fact, people who have allergic rhinitis are more than 10 times more likely to suffer from migraines.
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