Infections in your respiratory tract — most commonly colds — can inflame and thicken your sinus membranes and block mucus drainage. These infections can be caused by viruses or bacteria. Allergies such as hay fever. Inflammation that occurs with allergies can block your sinuses.
Use both thumbs to apply pressure to the inner point of each eyebrow, between the bridge of your nose and eye socket. Press for 30 seconds and release. Repeat until you feel your sinuses begin to open.
On the other hand, repeated and forceful nose-blowing can generate pressures that are high enough to force mucus into the sinuses, which could be a factor in chronic sinusitis. If you are going to blow your nose, stick to one nostril at a time and do it gently.
Balloon sinuplasty allows the surgeon to dilate a blocked sinus, creating open space, which allows the sinus to drain normally. The surgeon uses a flexible endoscope with a light to guide the insertion of a thin wire. The wire is then moved through the nasal passages toward the opening of the blocked sinus.
Your ENT specialist may recommend a nasal/sinus irrigation to open you your nasal passages if you have allergies, sinusitis (sinus infection), or a viral URI.
Sinus drainage is usually caused by a cold or an allergy. The sickness usually goes away within 10 days.
When you're fighting sinus symptoms, you can put the kettle on for caffeine-free teas — (caffeine dehydrates the body, so options like black tea can irritate the sinuses). Some top herbal choices, which can also help clear congestion, are peppermint, chamomile, eucalyptus, wild thyme and blackberry teas.
A saline spray or irrigator can clear mucus and allergens from the nose and sinuses. Look for sterile sprays containing only sodium chloride, and use sterile or distilled water when rinsing. Find out how to make a saline spray at home here.
The frontal sinus has the most complex and variable drainage of any paranasal sinus.
Try using a medicine that thins mucus and improves sinus drainage (mucolytic). Guaifenesin is a commonly used mucolytic. Mucolytics are often combined with other medicines such as cough suppressants. Acetaminophen can be found in many forms and comes in different doses.
“If you're sick, no matter how much you blow, your nose will keep making new mucus,” Dr. Lane says. “You can't really 'clear' it.” That's because the stuffiness you feel comes from your nasal passage tissue swelling.
You can use your fingers to gently massage your sinuses to get nasal congestion relief. For example, place your index fingers on both sides of your nose where the nose and cheek meet (with one finger on each side), and apply moderate pressure for 2 to 3 minutes.
Hoecker, M.D. Vicks VapoRub — a topical ointment made of ingredients including camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol that you rub on your throat and chest — doesn't relieve nasal congestion. But the strong menthol odor of VapoRub may trick your brain, so you feel like you're breathing through an unclogged nose.
Hot liquids like tea and broth can help open the nasal passages, allowing you to breathe easier. They also contain nutrients linked to better immunity. Try to avoid foods that cause inflammation when you have a sinus infection. Examples include sugar-sweetened beverages, processed meat, and alcohol.
You might need surgery if you have badly damaged sinus tissue, benign growths (called polyps), a fungal infection or structural problems that are preventing your sinuses from draining.
Your doctor might advise you to have surgery if: You have many sinus infections that need treatment with antibiotics. Home treatment doesn't stop your pain and other symptoms. You've taken medicines and done home treatment for 4 to 6 weeks, and tests show that you have a sinus problem that surgery can fix.