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What to Try for Head Congestion & Sinus Headaches

If your head is throbbing with pain and nasal congestion causes you to repeatedly blow your nose, you may be suffering from sinus problems. The sinuses are passages located around the nose, eyes and cheeks. These important passages are filled with air. When these sensitive areas become inflamed, mucus production increases. As a result, you may experience a headache, stuffy nose and drainage. If you frequently suffer from head congestion and sinus headaches, treatments are available to help you find relief.

  1. Drink More Fluids

    • Consuming generous amounts of water, juice and hot tea can help thin out the level of mucus in your sinus passages. Those extra fluids can also prevent the onset of bronchitis or ear infections.

    Inhale Some Steam

    • When your nose is severely congested, taking a hot shower can help open your nasal passages. The steam loosens the mucus and allows you to breathe more easily. Another way to take advantage of this home remedy is to fill a bowl with hot water. Take a towel and drape it over your head as you lean your face over the bowl. Inhaling the steam from the hot water works as well as standing in or near a hot shower.

    Flush Your Nasal Passages With Saline

    • Irrigating or flushing the nasal passages with warm salt water is another natural method of treatment for head congestion and sinus headaches. You can whip up your own saline solution using salt dissolved in warm water.

      To irrigate your nasal passages, stand over the sink with your head tilted so that one nostril points toward the sink. Using a cup, your palm or a special device called a neti pot, pour the mixture into the nostril. The warm salt water will flow through one nostril and trickle out of the other nostril. This process removes mucus from the nose, allowing a sinus sufferer to breathe.

    Use a Saline Nasal Spray

    • If irrigating your nasal passages makes you too uncomfortable, you can buy an over-the-counter saline spray from your local pharmacy. Although the saline spray won't force mucus from the nose, it will keep your nasal passages moist. This, in turn, can help relieve head congestion and sinus headaches.

    Decongestants

    • Over-the-counter decongestants are another effective way to relieve congestion and sinus headaches. These medications decrease the size of swollen membranes and blood vessels in the nasal cavity, allowing sinus sufferers to breathe more freely.

    Prescription Medication

    • Your physician can prescribe a variety of medications that can treat head congestion and sinus headaches as well. If the doctor diagnoses you with a sinus infection, or sinusitis, he will likely prescribe an antibiotic to fight the infection. The doctor may also choose to prescribe nasal corticosteroids, which are nasal sprays that decrease inflammation within the nose.

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