How to Treat Nasal Congestion and Sinus Pressure (original) (raw)

It's one of life's miseries: Your nose is stuffed and your face aches. You might feel pressure around your nose, eyes, forehead, and maybe even your scalp.

This kind of nasal congestion and sinus pressure have many causes: colds, the flu, sinus infections, and allergies, to name a few. Whatever your triggers are, the symptoms can get to you.

illustration of inflamed sinuses

What’s actually causing that stuffed-up feeling? When you have a respiratory infection or allergies, the membranes lining your nasal passages get inflamed, swollen, and irritated. They make more mucus to flush out whatever causes the irritation, such as an allergen. If you have a condition called nonallergic rhinitis, smoke and other kinds of air pollution or even strong odors might irritate.

Whatever the cause, the mucus and swelling can cause pressure and pain.

Use these tips to feel better and breathe easier.

Nasal congestion and sinus pressure caused by colds and other passing infections usually clear up within a few days. Symptoms caused by allergies or other airborne irritants can come and go. While you're waiting for relief, you may be able to tame symptoms with some nonprescription remedies.

Decongestants

These medicines help reduce the swelling in your nasal passages and ease the stuffiness and sinus pressure.

They come as nasal sprays, such as naphazoline (Privine), oxymetazoline (Afrin, Dristan, Nostrilla, Vicks Sinus Nasal Spray), or phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine, Rhinall, Sinex).

They also come as pills, such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), and in liquid cold and flu formulas. One drug — phenylephrine (Sudafed PE and others) — has long been sold as a decongestant, but isn't effective in pill and liquid forms, according to the FDA.

Follow the directions for using these drugs. Don’t use decongestant pills or liquid medicines for more than a week without checking with your doctor. And don't use a decongestant nasal spray for more than three days, because it could make your congestion worse.

Also, decongestants can raise your blood pressure, so check with your doctor first if you have any health issues or take other medicines. Never give decongestants or any over-the-counter cold medicine to children under age 4.

Antihistamines

If allergies are behind your nasal congestion and sinus pressure, allergy medicines containing antihistamines may help ease symptoms by controlling part of the allergic reaction. They relieve sniffling and sneezing. You might use them along with a decongestant.

Antihistamines can also help with nonallergic rhinitis.

Some nonprescription antihistamines can make you sleepy, but some don't. You might make different choices during the day and at night. Nighttime cold medicines often contain a sedating antihistamine.

Read and follow the label, and talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions.

Steroid nasal sprays

These can help lower inflammation and nasal stuffiness caused by allergies or nonallergic rhinitis. They can take a couple of days to kick in, so it's ideal to start them before you have symptoms — like a little before your worst allergy season. If you use them for allergies, keep using them throughout the season.

Menthol

Medicated ointments that have menthol or camphor in them can't ease congestion. But when you rub some on your chest or throat and breathe it in, the strong odor might trick your brain into thinking you are breathing better. They aren't safe to put on your face.

Pain relievers

Although they won’t clear up congestion, pain relievers such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen can ease the pain caused by sinus pressure. Follow the dosing instructions on the label.

How to treat sinus congestion during pregnancy

If you have nasal or sinus congestion while you're pregnant, talk to your doctor about what's safe for you. While they might suggest some nonprescription remedies, those recommendations can differ depending on your health and stage of pregnancy.

For example, pseudoephedrine — the main ingredient in Sudafed — isn't recommended during the first three months of pregnancy due to a potential link to serious birth defects. Ask your doctor about safe nondrug remedies, such as nasal rinses.

Whether your doctor recommends any prescription medicines for your nasal congestion and sinus pressure will depend on the cause, how long you've been sick, and how severe your symptoms are.

There's no prescription remedy for the common cold, which is caused by viruses. However, if your doctor thinks your cold-like symptoms are caused by bacteria, you might get an antibiotic.

Most sinus infections are also caused by viruses and aren't helped by antibiotics, which treat bacteria. Most cases will go away within two weeks without antibiotics. But if your symptoms last more than a week, get worse after getting better, or come with thick mucus that's green or yellow, your doctor will be more likely to prescribe an antibiotic.

If you have chronic sinus infections, you might need additional medications or even surgery to deal with underlying causes.

If you have the flu or COVID-19, you might get an antiviral drug to speed up your recovery and reduce symptoms.

If you have allergies, your doctor might recommend prescription versions of some steroid nose sprays and antihistamines.

When you’re stuffed up, one of the best things you can do is keep your nasal passages and sinuses moist. People sometimes think that dry air might help clear up a runny nose, but it actually has the opposite effect. Drying out the membranes will irritate them further.

To keep your nasal passages moist, you can:

Drink lots of fluids. This will thin out your mucus, which could help prevent blocked sinuses.

Use a nasal saline spray. It’s salt water, and it will help keep your nasal passages from drying out. Unlike decongestant nasal sprays, you can use these every day for a long time.

Try a neti pot , nasal irrigator, or bulb syringe. Use distilled, sterile water or water that’s been boiled and cooled to make the solution you pour or squirt into your nose. Rinse the device after each use and let it air dry.

Try some steam. Take long showers.Or breathe in steam from a pot of warm (but not too hot) water.

Other ways to ease sinus congestion:

Blow your nose the right way. Blow gently into a disposable tissue to avoid spreading germs and pushing mucus into your ears or other parts of your sinuses. Block one nostril while you blow through the other. Wash your hands afterward.

Use a bioelectronic sinus device. The device is placed on the face and uses very small electrical currents to stimulate nerves, helping reduce pain and congestion.

Place a warm, wet towel on your face. It may relieve discomfort and open your nasal passages.

Avoid chlorinated pools. They can irritate your nasal passages.

How to treat nasal congestion at night

Nasal congestion can be especially annoying at night, when it can interfere with your sleep. So, you might want to take that hot shower just before bed. Other ideas:

Use a humidifier or vaporizer. A humidifier uses cool water to release a fine mist into the air. If you use one, use only filtered or distilled water and follow directions for keeping the machine clean. A vaporizer boils water and releases steam. If there's a child in your home, avoid vaporizers, as they pose a burning risk.

Try sticky nasal strips. They help widen your nostrils, which may help you breathe and sleep better.

Prop yourself up. At bedtime, lie on a couple of pillows. Keeping your head elevated may make breathing more comfortable.

Remember that you should never give decongestants or any other over-the-counter cold medicines to children younger than age 4. If your child is between 4 and 6, you should check with your doctor before using these medicines.

Many of the home remedies that ease symptoms in adults will also help a child with nasal congestion and sinus pressure. Be sure to give them plenty of fluids. You can also try:

Older children may be able to take some over-the-counter remedies. But talk to their doctor about the best choices.

When an infant has congestion, you can try suctioning out mucus with a bulb syringe. Don't be tempted to let them sleep in a car seat or swing to stay upright. Their crib is the safest place.

Your sinuses and ears are connected inside your head. So, sinus congestion and stuffiness can affect the pressure in your ears. That can cause ear pain, muffle your hearing, and even make you dizzy. Treating sinus congestion may help. Other tips include:

No fast movements. Don’t stand up too quickly or shake your head fast.

Avoid caffeine, salt, alcohol, and tobacco products. These can affect your circulation, and minor changes in blood flow can affect your ears.

Avoid extreme temperatures. They can make sinus-related ear problems worse. If your ears bother you, it isn’t the time to go jogging on a hot day or build a snow fort with the kids.

Try swallowing, yawning, or chewing sugar-free gum. The same moves that help you open your ears on an airplane might provide temporary relief when your ears are plugged for other reasons.

If a sinus headache is caused by infection, the best treatment is getting rid of the infection, either on its own over time or with medication. In the meantime, home treatments that might help include:

One thing to keep in mind — many headaches that seem like sinus headaches may actually be migraine attacks or tension headaches. They aren't caused by infections. So, they might respond best to pain medicines or other more targeted medicines prescribed by a doctor.

Your headache is more likely to be a migraine if it's triggered by noise or bright lights, or if you have nausea and vomiting.

It's more likely to be caused by a sinus infection if it happens with:

Consult your doctor if you have:

Nasal congestion and sinus pressure can make you feel lousy. But some good self-care, along with over-the-counter medicines if needed, can go a long way toward making you feel better. When your symptoms are caused by colds or other passing infections, they usually go away in a few days. When they're caused by allergies or nonallergic sensitivities to common irritants, you may need a longer-term strategy to keep breathing clearly.

Can sinus congestion cause tooth pain?

Yes, sinus congestion can cause pressure that spreads to your jaws and teeth. You are most likely to feel it in your upper back teeth because your largest sinuses sit right over them. But always get a persistent toothache checked by a dentist.

Can sinus congestion make you dizzy?

Yes, you can get dizzy when you have sinus congestion. The cause is likely inflammation, swelling, and fluid in your Eustachian tubes, the passages that connect your ears to your sinuses. That fluid and pressure can affect the inner ear structures that maintain your sense of balance.