Sinus Congestion: Causes and Strategies for Support

by Dr. Nick Zyrowski April 29, 2023

If you have constant facial pressure and difficulty breathing through your nose, you may be experiencing sinus congestion. Now, what most people do to remedy this is get an OTC medicine they have to take every four hours just to get through the day. That’s not only bothersome but also unhealthy for your body. These medicines may be OTC, but they still come with a host of side effects.

These medications can cause dizziness, nausea, weight gain, and sleep problems, just to name a few. Some of the more serious side effects include heart palpitations and difficulty urinating. (1) So, you may be wondering, if you shouldn’t take your usual medications for sinus congestion, what can you do? In this article, we will give you the causes of sinus congestion and the strategies you can begin using today to feel better fast.

What causes sinus pressure? When you feel that familiar sinus pain, it’s usually caused by irritants that invade your sinuses, like allergens, or when you have anatomical issues that block the sinuses. For most people, sinus pain is caused by allergies or illnesses. Think about how hard it is to breathe when you get a bad cold or the flu. (2)

Something that many people don’t think about when it comes to sinus pressure is food sensitivity issues. These can cause some gradual reactions that lead to long-term symptoms. One of those issues is sinus congestion. If you’ve never had a food sensitivities test, it can be a powerful tool to help pinpoint the exact foods that cause your reactions. Sometimes simply removing a food can relieve your sinus congestion.

Symptoms of sinus problems

Some people not only have sinus pressure, but they may experience bouts of a runny nose, too. You may get headaches and feel facial pain that temporarily eases off when you massage the areas.

Another symptom that comes along with sinus pressure is fatigue. So many people have chronic fatigue and don’t realize it could be attributed to sinus congestion.

Other symptoms may include a sore throat, tooth pain, and a loss of taste or smell. Sometimes the pressure may be worse on one side of the face or in one nostril. Either way, it’s no fun and many people look for ways to get some relief.

Are you having gut inflammation issues? Your body is connected by design, and sometimes sinus congestion causes problems with your gut health. The reverse can also be true.

Natural strategies

Even if you’ve dealt with sinus congestion your entire life, you don’t have to continue to suffer. You also don’t have to take handfuls of pills every day to get some relief. There are numerous ways to support your sinus pathways and feel better today!

1. Eliminate food problems

We mentioned earlier that getting a food sensitivity test is a good idea to find out if that’s causing any of your sinus congestion. You don’t always have allergies but can have simple sensitivity issues that make breathing misery. If you don’t want to get tested, you can try to eliminate some of the common foods that many people are sensitive to like wheat, dairy, soy, and eggs. (3) Don’t eat these foods for four weeks and then introduce them back one by one to see how your sinuses react. Keeping a food diary can help.

2. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet

Now, this is a little different than food elimination. With an anti-inflammatory diet, you’ll reduce the symptoms associated with sinus congestion because your body has less inflammation overall. That means you must remove things like refined sugar, processed foods, and inflammatory seed oils. Instead, you’ll eat a diet that includes vegetables, fermented foods, and healthy fats. A ketogenic diet is a popular anti-inflammatory diet. (4)

3. Support your gut microbiome

Making sure you reduce the harmful bacteria in your gut and increase the good bacteria is an effective way to support your microbiome. That will affect your sinuses, too, and help your immune system function better. (5) You can also take a quality probiotic to increase the healthy bacteria in your gut.

4. Use natural antihistamine relief

Before reaching for the common antihistamine that will leave you feeling tired and foggy during the day, try a quality natural allergy supplement. When your sinus congestion is due to allergies, you want relief fast that won’t interfere with your active lifestyle. These natural supplements can slow down your hyper-immune response and decrease the histamine levels within your body. The best natural antihistamine product will combine NAC, quercetin, vitamin C, and other ingredients to act synergistically within your body to give you results faster.

5. Check your air quality

Mold is a huge issue when it comes to sinus congestion. If you suspect you have mold in your home, get it checked by a professional right away. You also want to keep your home vacuumed to reduce dust and other allergens.

A high-quality air purifier can make a dramatic impact on your exposure to allergens. (6) You may want one in your bedroom to help you sleep better and not have disturbances caused by sinus congestion.

6. Try a Neti pot

Some people don’t like the idea of using a neti pot because it’s a little different than what they may be used to, but it can be highly beneficial for sinus congestion. Rather than using a nose spray that can cause rebound sinus pressure, a neti pot will irrigate your sinuses. You can use salt water to help flush out substances that block the sinus cavity. Irrigating your nasal pathways can also moisten your mucous membrane to improve breathing. (7)

7. Stay hydrated

Most of us don’t drink enough water. Staying properly hydrated will loosen mucus so that it helps clear out irritants. When you’re dehydrated, your sinuses become clogged, causing pressure and pain. In more severe cases, you may get a sinus infection.

Eliminating sinus congestion

As you can see, there are tons of natural ways you can reduce or eliminate sinus congestion. You don’t have to suffer with this annoying issue forever. If you’ve been relying on harmful medications that have lots of unwanted side effects, try these natural methods to relieve sinus congestion. You’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel when you implement these strategies. We have programs to help educate you on holistic wellness, so feel free to reach outto us today for more information on our natural health protocols.

References :

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acute-sinusitis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351677

https://www.health.com/condition/sinus-disorders/how-to-relieve-sinus-pressure

https://archbold.org/services/ear-nose-throat-and-allergy-center/sinusitis-facts#:~:text=Sinusitis%20Overview,pain%20or%20congestive%20heart%20failure.

https://www.rxlist.com/sinus_infection_and_sinusitis_medications/drugs-condition.htm

https://www.lifeworkskc.com/sinus-congestion-causes-symptoms-and-support-strategies/

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/elimination-diet/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-80727-x#:~:text=Ketogenic%20diets%20are%20very%20low,of%20action%20is%20reducing%20inflammation.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6251963/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/air-purifiers-help-sinus-problems-night-eric-shao/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-cold/expert-answers/neti-pot/faq-20058305#:~:text=A%20neti%20pot%20is%20a,has%20been%20distilled%20or%20sterilized.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6251963/

Dr. Nick Zyrowski
Dr. Nick Zyrowski



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