9 Natural Ways to Relieve Sinus Pressure | Everyday Health

Sinus pain and headaches are symptoms of the common cold, allergies, and sinusitis. Learn out how to relieve sinus pressure with natural ... Cold&Flu9NaturalWaystoRelieveSinusPainandHeadacheHavingsinuspainorasinusheadachedoesn'talwaysmeanyouhavesinusitis.Learnaboutwaystorelievesinuspainwithoutmedication.By ChrisIliades,MDMedicallyReviewedby JustinLaube,MDReviewed:August28,2017MedicallyReviewedSinusPainHasaVarietyofCausesGettyImagesIfyourheadisthrobbingandyoufeelpressurearoundyoureyes,cheeks,orforehead,youcouldhaveasinusheadache. "Manyfactorscan causeasinusheadache,"saysSubinoyDas,MD,chiefexecutiveofficerandinterimmedicaldirectorfortheU.S.InstituteforAdvancedSinusCareandResearchinColumbus,Ohio.Themostimportantfactorisswellingoftheliningofthenoseandsinuses,causingpressureandpainoninthefaceandhead.Symptomsofsinuspainandheadacheincludepainassociatedwithcongestionfromacommoncoldorallergies;painaroundyoureyes,forehead,oroveryourteeth;painthatisworseinthemorning;andpainthatgetsworsewhenyoubendover.Someofthemorenaturalmethodsofrelievingsinuspainthatreduceswelling,thinmucussecretions,andimprovesinusdrainageareoftenveryhelpful.TreatSinusPainWithHumidityGettyImage"Dry,thickmucusinyournoseandsinuspassagescanformcruststhatblocksinusdrainageandtrapvirusesandotherparticles.Increasinghumidityandgettingmorefluidintoyourbodycanhelpyourmucusthinoutandgetmovingagain,"saysDr. Das.Somenaturalwaystogetyoursinusesdrainingandrelievesinuspressureincludedrinkingplentyoffluids;usingahumidifier;avoidingcold,dryair;takingplentyofsteamyshowers;anddrinkingacupofhotteaorsoup.IrrigatetoRelieveSinusPressureGettyImages"Saltwaterirrigationisthebestwaytocleansethenoseandsinuses—thiscanhelppreventorrelievesinuspain.Youcanuseanover-the-countersalinenasalspray,butIrecommendusingasinusrinsebottle,netipot,orbulbsyringeirrigationkitthatyoucangetatthedrugstore,"advisesDas.Trythis commonly-used,easy-to-makenasalirrigationsolutionwithyourownsinusirrigationkit:Fillaclean8-ounceglasswithdistilledorsterilizedlukewarmwater.Donotusetapwaterunlessithasbeenboiledforatleast1minute(3minutesathighelevations).Add1/2teaspoonofnon-iodizedsaltandapinchofbakingsoda.Andbesuretocleanallequipmentandmakeafreshbatchofsolutioneachtimeyouuseyourkit.AlternateHotandColdCompressesGettyImages"Recliningwithahotwashclothoveryoureyesandnosecanhelpwarmthenasalpassagesandloosensecretions,"saysDas.Youcanalsoalternatewarmandcoldcompressestorelievesinuspainandsinuspressure.Here’showtodoit:Startbyplacingahottowelorwashclothacrossyoursinusesforaboutthreeminutes.Thenplaceacoldcompressacrossyoursinusesfor30seconds.Alternatetwomoretimes,andrepeatthetreatmentaboutfourtimesaday.SpiceUpYourDiettoEaseSinusPressureThinkstock"Manypeoplefindthatspicyfoodlikepeppersorhotmustardopensuptheirnasalpassagesandgivesthemsomerelieffromsinuspain.Thereisgoodevidencethatcapsaicin,whichistheactiveingredientfoundinchilepeppers,iseffectiveinrelievingsometypesofpain,"saysDas.Capsaicinpreparationshavebeeninvestigatedforthetreatmentofsomefacialpainsyndromesandofrhinitiswithpromisingresults.Butifyouhavethetaste(andstomach)forthem,youcantryspicyfoodstohelpwithsinusdiscomfort.DifferentiateBetweenSinusHeadacheandMigraineHeadacheGettyImagesManypeoplewhoassumetheyarehavingsinuspainduetosinuspressureareactuallyhavingamigraineheadache.Migrainepaincaninvolvethesamenervesasthesinuscavitiesandisfrequentlyaccompaniedbynasalcongestion,nausea,andaggravationbybrightlight."Ifsinuspainiscausedbyamigraine,thebestnaturaltreatmentislyingdowninadark,quietroom,"advisesDas.HumYourWaytoSinusPainReliefJoseLuisPelaez/GettyImages"Somepeoplereportthathummingforonehourimprovessinuspain,"saysDas.ResearchersinSwedenhavefoundthat hummingcankeepyoursinusesclear. Howcouldthatbepossible?Hummingmayincreasebothairflowthroughyoursinusesandthelevelofnitricoxideinyoursinuses.Thecombinationofnitricoxideandairflowmayreduceyourriskofsinusitis.Soifyouhaveacommoncoldorallergies,wanttopreventasinusinfection,andknowahappytunethatyoudon'tmindhearingforanhour,youmaywanttotryalittlehumming.MaketheSinusPainandMind-BodyConnectionThinkstock"Techniquesthattakeadvantageofthemind-bodyconnection,suchasdeepbreathingpracticesandrelaxationexercises,canbeveryeffectiveforrelievingsinuspain,"notesDas.Thesepracticesrelyonthemind'sabilitytoinfluencepainperceptionandareespeciallyhelpfulwithchronicorrecurrentpainthatisoftenseenwithsinuspressure.Someexamplesincludebiofeedback,meditation,yoga,andhypnotherapy.AvoidSinusPainTriggersThinkstock"Oneofthemostimportantthingstoavoidisover-the-counternasaldecongestantsprays.Theymaygivesomefastrelief,butafterafewdaystheymakesinuspressureandnasalcongestionmuchworse,"warnsDas.Someotherthingsyoucandotopreventsinuspainincludeavoidingalcohol,whichcanaggravatesinuspainandcongestion;cleaningyourhumidifiertoavoidfungalallergies;washingyourbeddinginhotwatertodecreaseallergyexposure;andavoidingswimming,diving,orflyingwhenyouhavesinusitis,acommoncold,ornasalallergy.KnowtheLimitsofNaturalSinusPainReliefiStock.comYoushouldnottrytoself-treatyoursinuspainifyouhavesymptomssuchasasyelloworgreenmucusdischarge;persistentfeverorstiffneck;painformorethan24hours;confusion,weakness,numbness,ortingling;andpersistentnauseaorvomiting.Thesesymptomscouldbeasignofasignificantinfectioninyoursinusesthatmightneedantibiotics."Usingnaturalsinuspainreliefisfineifyouhavemildchronicpainoraheadacherelatedtoacommoncoldoranallergy,butifyouhaveseverepainthatisnotrespondingtothesetechniques,youneedtoseeyourdoctor,"advisesDas.MostRecentinCold&FluHealthcareProvidersWeighinonHigh-DoseFluShotsforPeople65andUpCigaretteSmokingDoublestheRiskofDevelopingBothTypesofHeartFailureSleepProblemsAreTiedtoaRiskofLife-ThreateningCOPDFlare-UpsU.S.SmokersHaveUnequalAccesstoCessationAssistanceNEWSLETTERSSignupforourHealthyLivingNewsletter!EnteryouremailSubscribeBysubscribingyouagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.TheLatestinCold&FluYourFallVaccinationGuide:ProtectYourselfAgainsttheFlu,Pneumonia,andShinglesFallistheperfecttimetogetyourflushot,andwhileyou’reatit,makesureyou’reup-to-dateonothercriticalvaccinesandboosters.ByBrianP.DunleavyMay11,2022SummerColdsAreMakingaComebackAreyoufinallyseeingfriendsandrelativesagainafteralongyearofsocialdistancingandmasks?Watchout:Youjustmightcatchacold.ByPaulaDerrowAugust9,2021AreYouWashingYourHandsProperlyDuringCOVID-19?TakeThisQuiztoSeeifYouHaveGoodHand-HygieneTechniquesWhichmethodofhandwashingkillsthemostgerms?Ishotwaterorcoldwaterbetter?Shouldyouusesoapandwaterorhandsanitizertoprotectagainst...ByAlyssaEtierOctober13,2020CantheKetoDietHelpFighttheFlu?Astudyfoundthatalow-carb,high-fatdietprotectedmicefrominfluenza. ByDonRaufDecember5,2019WhatYouNeedtoKnowAboutthe2019–2020FluSeasonThedeathofa4-year-oldinCaliforniaunderscorestheseriousnessoftheillnessandtheimportanceofvaccination,healthofficialssay.ByDonRaufSeptember20,2019AntibioticsMayMaketheFluVaccineLessEffectivebyDisruptingGutMicrobesAnewstudysuggeststhatoralantibioticsmayreducethebody’simmuneresponsetothevaccine.ByDonRaufSeptember12,2019OverviewofXofluza,FirstNewFDA-ApprovedDrugforFluTreatmentin20YearsByJulieLynnMarksDecember3,2018NumberofChildrenMissingCriticalVaccinesContinuestoRiseFirstcaseofflu-relatedpediatricdeathinunvaccinatedchildcomesasCDCissuesreportsonoverallvaccinationcoverageforotherinfectiousdiseases...ByFranKritzOctober17,2018NewFluResearchMaySignalaNovelTreatmentAstudyhaszeroedinonwhatmakesaparticularinfluenzastrainsohardtofight.ByShariRoanMarch23,2018StayingHealthyonanAirplaneMayHavetoDoWithWhereYouSitAgerms-on-a-planestudytrackedhowinfectiousdiseasesarespreadonpassengerflights.ByShariRoanMarch20,2018