Natural Home Remedies for Sinus Headache Relief

Sinuses are a kind of cavities or pockets in the facial bones of the skull. Sinuses actually humidify and filter the air thus increasing the strength, activity and stability of the skull. When there any inflammation and pressure exerted in the sinuses, it definitely results in the sinus headache.

There is never being a dangerous point in the sinuses case and it never causes any serious or life-threatening condition. Only few of the people suffer from these headaches at some point in their lives. The best way to treat the sinus headaches is to diagnose that what is causing them.

Causes of a Sinus Headache

There are the tissues present inside the sinuses that get inflamed that results in the headache, this is a primary cause and is known to be as sinusitis. When there is a problem with mucous membranes that it do not produce proper mucus, pressure occurs which lead to the headache so it is the secondary cause.

Following factors are depended on this type of inflammation:

Allergies

Sinus infection

Infection in the upper tooth

Tumor- benign or malignant

Nasal polyps

Signs and Symptoms of a Sinus Headache

Symptoms of sinus headache include the following:

You will feel pressure or tenderness at the back of your forehead, in the cheeks, or sometimes pain around the eyes.

Sometimes, you will have mild pain that would be unilateral (on one side) or bilateral (on both sides).

Headaches are more intense in the morning and can be worsen when twisting forward.

Fatigue

Loss of energy

Fullness in ears

Achy feeling all the time in the upper teeth

Stuffy nose

Mild to moderate fever

Not feeling well at all

Risk Factors Associated with the Sinus Headache

Sinus headache can affect anyone, but some specific reasons are here with a person due to which the risk of sinus headache is higher than normal and that person is more vulnerable to them. The common risk factors include:

Previous migraines history or severe headaches (anyone in your family or yourself).

Hormonal changes in the body are linked with sinus headaches.

Preventing a Sinus Headache

You can feel better by preventing your sinus headaches with the help of the given tips and tricks:

You should must do hygiene care and washing your hands are the good techniques to prevent yourself from the cold and upper respiratory infections.

Try to avoid known allergens that are the cause of your sinus or nasal congestion.

Avoid cigarettes, chewing gums, room full of smoke and strong fragrant perfumes.

Avoid having too much alcohol as it may lead to the swelling of the sinus or nasal tissues.

Stay away from the polluted environment as much as you can as there is a lot of dust particles present that readily goes inside your lungs and cause infection.

Do not use electronics excessively, avoid too much exposure to the sun that can increase the sinus pain.

When to See a Doctor?

It is highly recommended to visit a doctor for the proper diagnosis if you ever feel sinusitis and migraines for a long period of time. Migraines are basically related with nausea.

Two methods are to be followed to treat and prevent the sinus headache. The first step is to reduce the inflammation within the sinuses and to make them able to drain. The second step is to ease the pain and discomfort while treating the fundamental problem.

There are some special natural treatments that are the challenge to deal with the sinus headache. So here you go:

1. Use a Saline Nasal Irrigation

Saline solution is effective to reduce the excessive nasal pressure because it helps in thinning out the mucus and flush it from the nasal passages. In this way, your mucous membranes keep moist all the way long.

Take 2 cups of warm water and dissolve 1 tsp of sea salt in it. Make sure that you are using distilled or previously boiled water.

Now fill 1 cup of a solution in a neti pot.

Stand over the sink and then place the tip of a spout into one nostril.

Tilt your head to the side so that the water can be allowed to run through the other nostril.

Repeat the process with the other nostril.

Do this remedy 3 times a week.

2. Increase your Fluid Intake

You should be sure to drink plenty of water and fluids while suffering from the sinus headache. Fluid is light in nature so it helps to thin the mucus in your sinuses and it becomes easy to drain the mucus. You will be surprised to see that your headaches are vanished once your body gets rid of the mucus.

To make your body hydrated all the day, you need to take an adequate amount of water throughout the day. Check out the color of your urine whenever visiting the washroom. Colorless urine is an indication of good hydration.

Along with water, you should take the juices, warm chicken soup that increase the nasal mucus velocity because warm liquid is 100 times better than a cold liquid so as to manage the upper respiratory tract infections.

Take a cup of hot tea as it helps in thinning out the mucus accumulation to easily flush out through the nasal passages. Warm soups and lemonades can also help in clearing out the mucus.

3. Start Humming

Do humming for approximately one hour to improve the sinus pain and headache. It would be strange for those who are reading for the first time but humming is better to keep your sinuses clear and to prevent the related infection.

According to the 2002 study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, reports that humming is a kind of an exercise that helps in increasing the amount of nasal nitric oxide inhaled, which actually improves ventilation in the sinuses. We all need proper ventilation to keep our nasal cavity healthy and free from radicals.

Whenever you feel sinus pain, start humming a happy tune to immediately get rid of it.

4. Use Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil contains menthol which helps in relieving the sinus congestion because it has strong anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that alleviate the discomfort caused by the sinus headache.

Add a few drops of peppermint essential oil into a hot water then start inhaling the steam. Repeat the procedure few times until you feel better completely.

Dilute some amount of peppermint oil with some carrier oil like almond and jojoba oil. Rub the oil gently on the affected areas such as around your nose, forehead, temples and cheeks.

For the better results, massage the sinus region after applying the dilute peppermint oil. Massaging is believed to be reducing the inflammation and it helps in stimulating the blocked sinuses so they can drain properly.

Add a few drops of peppermint oil to 2 tbsp of warm olive oil.

Apply this oil on your forehead and nose.

With the help of your index finger and thumb, apply little pressures on the sinus region (forehead, bridge of the nose and cheekhbones).

Continue massaging for 10 minutes.

Repeat the process 3 times a day until symptoms are completely improved.

5. Inhale Steam

Steam is an effective way to treat a sinus headache which is due to the chronic sinusitis. You can do all this process staying at home easily. Steam actually soothe out your mucous membranes and help clear the congestion happening in your nose. This will reduce the pressure exerting on the sinus and thus eliminate the headache.

Boil some water in a pan.

Add few drops of essential oil.

Cover your head with a towel and lean forward over the bowl or pan containing hot water.

Inhale the steam as many times as you can do.

Repeat this easy treatment every 2 hours as required for relief.

6. Use a Humidifier

We all need moist air to fight against a sinus headache. Dry air can irritate the inflamed nasal passages more and more. For this purpose, using a humidifier would be the great option.

Purchase a humidifier and use it in your bedroom while having sleep. Mostly, people feel increased sinus pressure at night.

Another option is to place a bowl of hot water on your bedroom floor to increase the moisture in the air. Make sure you are placing it on the safe place.

Additional Tips