Sinuses are air-filled spaces that are located in your forehead, cheekbones, and behind the bridge of your nose. The sinuses produce a thin mucus that ideally drains out of the channels of the nose. Sinus headaches are a result of the sinus passages behind your eyes, nose, cheeks, and forehead becoming congested.
A sinus headache can be felt on either or both sides of your head. The pain or pressure can be felt not just in your head, but anywhere in the sinus area.
Most commonly, a sinus headache is related to a cold or a sinus infection. It can also be caused by repeated daily exposure to allergens, such as ragweed, dust or pollen. A less common cause is chronic inflammation in the sinuses, which may not be related to allergy or infection.
Symptoms Of A Sinus Headache
Sinus headaches are described as a deep and constant pain in your cheekbones, forehead, or the bridge of your nose. The pain usually gets stronger when you move your head suddenly or strain. Other symptoms can include a runny nose, fever, feeling of fullness in your ears, ache in upper teeth, and swelling in your face.
Natural Sinus Headache Relievers
- Use A Humidifier. While a humidifier won’t cure an infection of the sinuses, it is a great natural remedy for sinus symptoms that are persistent. Moist air is recommended for people experiencing sinus pain as it moisturizes the sinuses and helps reduce congestion. Consider keeping a humidifier in the bedroom during sleeping hours or sit in the bathroom with the hot water running to inhale the steam.
- Saline Spray. Nasal irrigation is another home remedy option for natural sinus pain relief. By using a mild and sterile saline solution, sinus pain sufferers can rinse out the nasal passages to flush out mucus and other allergens.
- Hydrate. Simply put, the body needs water to function properly at all times this is especially true when it is ill and fighting off an infection. Increased water intake will help thin the mucus secretion and help it to drain and heal itself.
- Adjust Diet. Dietary adjustments can make a big impact on helping natural sinus pain relief strategies to work better. Consider avoiding highly processed foods, dairy products, sugars, and salts when experiencing sinus pain to prevent the symptoms from becoming worse.
- Avoid Additional Irritants.
Things such as strong perfume, cigarette smoke, and other chemicals can irritate your nasal passages and worsen your symptoms.
- Warm Compress. Holding a warm washcloth to the face can ease pain and pressure. This is done easily by running a clean washcloth under hot water and wring it out apply across the bridge of the nose and cheeks hold and repeat several times per day.
- Relax.
Tension can only make a headache worse so try to relax in a dark quiet room. Gently massaging your head and face may also help.
Sinus Specific Chiropractic
- Dr. Martin Blankenship D.C. at Family Chiropractic
Plus practices a technique called Nasal Specific. This is a form of physical medicine that gets results. Dr. Blankenship has been practicing Nasal Specific since 1995. He has seen patient’s sinus problems resolve, allergies resolve, snoring go away and more. Patients have had their sense of smell return; unresolvable headaches stop and allergies diminish and even disappear. Sinus cavities drain into the nose and back of the throat. The function of the sinus is to drain! That’s what they are supposed to do. For whatever reason, the small holes that allow them to drain can close which can cause a multitude of problems. When your sinuses don’t work properly they can cause headaches, snoring, breathing problems, sinusitis, allergies, and just plain old misery.
- Nasal specific Chiropractic
is a technique where Dr. Blankenship goes into the nose and manipulates the bones that surround the sinus cavities. This allows the sinuses to do their job and drain. And drain they will. One downside of the procedure is that you will most likely have to carry some tissues with you for the rest of the day after the procedure!
The Takeaway
Sinus headaches can range in severity and include pain in the face that may worsen with bending down or straining; pain that radiates to the forehead, temple or cheek, runny or stuffy nose, and post-nasal drip. Sinus headaches are often a symptom of sinusitis, in which the sinus becomes inflamed from allergies or other triggers like an infection.
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