Is the quart or two of mucus that you sinuses produce each and every day causing you major problems? The production of mucus is a necessary part of a healthy body functioning properly. However, if you have an excess of mucus sometimes the sinus openings will get clogged and the mucus flow becomes blocked. When this happens your sinuses fill up and sinus pressure can become a problem.
At other times, this blockage can keep the mucus out of your sinuses and guess what happens? Sinus pressure. Even if there is not one drop of mucus in your sinus cavities, you can still feel the full impact of sinus pressure. What happens is that you get a vacuum inside the sinus and this vacuum pulls in the sides of your sinuses. If you have even seen a plastic pop bottle when there is a vacuum caused by a difference in internal and external temperatures, you can imagine the impact on your sinuses. The sides of the bottle are sucked in.
When this happens to your sinuses, the delicate membranes are pulled away from the sinus walls. This air-locked feeling is a sinus pressure that might be even more painful than the pressure caused by overfilled sinuses.
While the immediate sources of sinus pressure are described above, the big question is what causes the sinusitis and sinus infection that underlies the pressure pain that presents as a headache, earache or toothache.
The obvious cause of a sinus infection is the usual illness such as a cold caused by bacteria or a virus. Sinus infections can be bacterial, viral, or fungal in origin, but all of them have the same end result and that is inflammation of the various areas of the sinus cavities, which result in symptoms that can vary from stuffiness, runny nose, sore throat, cough, sinus headaches, and pressure.
Your mouth and nose are open doors to your environment and once the germs or allergens get in, the first barrier they hit is the cleansing mucus behind your nose and throat.
Allergic reactions are also another of the common causes of sinus pressure. When allergens enter the sinuses, they are “rejected” and the result is irritation and inflammation. Swelling and inflammation is the most common reaction the body has to a foreign body to which it is allergic. This can lead to many of the same symptoms as listed above. Chronic sinus problems that are related to allergens are often referred to as “hay fever”.
Colds and flus are also another common culprit for sinus problems. As you can see, there are a wide variety of reasons that one can find themselves having sinus troubles.
Regardless of the causes of sinus pressure, one is more concerned with how to get rid of it. Intense sinus pressure can be at best uncomfortable, and at worst, agonizing, as it can cause very intense sinus headaches. Thankfully, there are a number of ways that one can obtain some relief.
One of the easiest things to do for your general health as well as your sinuses is become familiar with the impact of food on your body. Yes, food that you eat can affect your body’s functioning even at the sinus level. Some foods are mucus-producing and up to a point, this is good.
It is no surprise that the best foods for preventing sinusitis include fruit and vegetables. These are well known sources of good health for your entire body. Fresh fruit and veggies are best but some people claim that frozen are better than fresh because they are frozen at peak freshness. Whichever you choose, they will work just fine. Canned fruit and vegetables will do in a pinch but fresh or frozen is better.
Some fruit are more proactive in sinus help. Pineapples lead the list because they contain bromelain, which is an anti-inflammatory substance. It aids in lowering the swelling in your sinus membranes. It also slows the growth of tumor cells and slows down blood clotting.
Lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit are a close second. They are all about vitamin C. If you already are suffering from sinus attacks, squeeze a lemon into a cup of hot water and drink it. You will be pleasantly surprised at the relief.
Other good fruit choices are avocados, apples, pears, apricots, and peaches. Vegetables are ideal anti-mucus foods. That should be stated as anti-too-much-mucus foods. You don’t want your mucus production to be too low. Remember the vacuum factor in sinus pressure.
Suggested vegetables include carrots and turnips as well as the leafy greens used in salads such as lettuce and watercress. Garlic, onions, chillies, ginger, and cayenne pepper are also great natural foods that help your general health, including your sinus issues.
Coconut water, which is a precursor to coconut milk, comes from young coconuts. This is the liquid that matures into the meat of the coconut. You can buy it canned or bottled and it is a fabulous source of potassium. Sometimes it contains coconut jelly, which is the part of the coconut that is being transformed into coconut meat. It is such a potently healthy drink that it has even been used for intravenous hydration fluid in place of medical saline.
When you choose the holistic, homeopathic route, you are choosing a whole body route. Most often any treatments that are used are completely natural and have been proven safe and effective. And when you chose a holistic approach, you are choosing one that takes into account underlying causes and seeks to focus on working to balance those, as well as treating the current symptoms that ail you. More and more people, plagued with chronic disorders or other problems are now turning to holistic medicine as a viable alternative to traditional Western medicine to treat the causes of sinus pressure and many have had more than satisfactory results.
One of the most effective natural sinus relief solutions is to use a Neti pot. Use sea salt if possible – just don’t use too much thinking that more is better. Too much salt will make your sinus burn a little bit. A half teaspoon of salt in lukewarm water will do it. You can test to see if the water is lukewarm by sticking your finger into the water and if it is lukewarm, you won’t be able to feel the water against your finger. Just make sure that the water you used has been filtered or boiled as recommended by the manufacturer.
Lean over the sink and pour this into one nostril. Let it wash out your sinuses or at least open the sinus passage and lower the pressure. Then repeat this with the other nostril. Blow your nose and some of the blockage should be gone.
Other remedies include herbal teas and acupressure. One acupressure method that is proven to relieve sinus pressure in some people involves pressing a finger into that hollow at the top of your neck and bottom of your skull and holding the pressure for three or four minutes.
The whole point is to relieve congestion and sinus pressure. While there are many over the counter remedies available, it is sometimes a better idea to take steps to prevent your sinuses from become impacted, infected, and painful before the problem begins and so it is certainly worth trying some of these more natural approaches to see if they can work for you.
Hi, my name is John and I have been searching for some relief from my chronic sinus problems for some time. I have tried sinus surgery without much success and as a consequence I have been researching and testing alternative approaches to sinus relief. This site is the result of that research and testing and so my hope is that the information provided here can make a real difference to improving the quality of your life. Read more here ...
