5 Strategies for Combating Sinus Inflammation

Sinus inflammation is something that affects thousands of Americans every year. It can result in blocked nasal passages, drainage, coughing, and sometimes fever. Sinus issues can also seem like they take forever to go away and can last for weeks if you don’t take action. Thankfully, there are plenty of things that you can do to combat sinus inflammation effectively. Here are a few of them.

Try Mewing

If you don’t know what mewing is, it is a method to improve tongue position and jawline through special exercises. The technique was named after a British orthodontist by the name of John Mew who developed the technique. Not only can doing mewing tongue exercises can improve your jawline’s definition but could help deal with things like sinusitis and sleep apnea. So, learn about the technique in detail and see if you can get results.

Use a Saline Solution

You may not know this, but the solution to your sinus inflammation might be right in your cupboard. All you need is to make a saline solution, preferably using distilled water, and get it to your sinuses. There are many techniques you can use to do this. You can soak up a cotton ball with the solution, tilt your head back, and squeeze the cotton with your fingertips to allow drops to fall into your nasal passages. You can also use a neti pot or even a sippy cup to irrigate your sinuses.

Use a Steroid Nasal Spray

Another thing you could do is use a nasal spray, but make sure that you pick the right kind. Try to stay away from OTC nasal sprays, as they could make the symptoms worse over time. You need to get a steroid spray specifically if you want to get the best results and not form a tolerance.

Steroid sprays should only be used if you have severe symptoms, however. If you’re beginning to feel intense pressure behind the eyes and have other symptoms like violent migraines, then you could consider the option.

Get a Humidifier

One of the reasons why sinus inflammation and nasal congestion are so common in the winter is because of heating. Heating is known for making the air in the house much dryer, and dry air is the worst enemy of sinuses.

We often assume that excessive fluid causes inflammation, but it’s the lack of it that makes the sinuses prone to infection. Keep your nasal passages and sinuses as humid as possible if you want to avoid issues.

The best way that you can do this is by using a humidifier. If you have a large house, then you will need to get a high-capacity humidifier with at least a ten-gallon tank. Or you can get smaller humidifiers and put one in every room. Buy a humidity meter in the house to keep tabs on humidity levels.

Give Your Nose a Steam Bath

Another thing you should do is try to find a way to get steam inside your nasal passages. It is one of the easiest ways to reduce symptoms. The simplest way to do this would be to take a hot shower, but you can also place your head over a steaming bowl of water, put a cloth or towel over your head, and inhale through the nose. Adding drops of eucalyptus or pine oil to the water can also help.

These are all things that you should try next time you’re hit with sinus inflammation. Most of these tips won’t require that you buy anything, so try multiple methods until you find something that works consistently.