Blocked Sinus - 4 Ways To Clear It Naturally

Blocked sinus can be a frustrating and irritating condition. It may cause difficulty in eating or sleeping. Blocked sinus can lead to a sinus headache and even equilibrium problems when the blockage reaches the ear. While some prescription medications may provide some relief, natural home remedies can be effective in clearing a blocked sinus. The latter do not have any ill side effects, are non-habit forming and can be used as often as needed.
Here are 4 natural ways to clear a blocked sinus from the comfort of your home.
1. Increase humidity
Most sinus blockages and infections occur in the winter months. This is the time of year when heating is on and the doors and windows are closed, making the inside air very dry.
The easiest fix to this problem is to increase humidity in the air. You can use a whole-house humidifier that attaches to your furnace. If that is not an option you can use small room-sized humidifiers throughout the house. These are inexpensive and can greatly improve humidity levels. Be sure to keep the water filled and clean the containers often to avoid bacteria and mold build up.
Alternatively, boil a large pot of water on the stove. The vapor from the boiling water adds humidity to the air. Another quick fix is to sit in the bathroom with the hot shower running for 20 minutes or so.
2. Nasal irrigation
This is a method of running sterile water into the nose. You can buy a small irrigation pot from a health food store and follow the package directions. If you need something a little more portable try using a saline nasal spray. Nasal irrigation works by cleaning the nasal passages and sinus cavities of mucus and thereby, assisting the natural cleaning system of your nasal passages.
3. Warm compress
A wet towel or washcloth can be heated and placed on the face, over the nose and sinuses. This will help clear the sinus cavities by loosening the mucus so that it will drain out more easily. You can purchase warm compress that can be heated in the microwave, from health food stores or pharmacies.
4. Eucalyptus or menthol
Eucalyptus or menthol oil can be used in a steam inhalation to relieve nasal and sinus congestion, in draining mucus and relieving pressure. Menthol is derived from peppermint. It is a natural anesthetic, germicidal and the vapors are an incredible decongestant. Eucalyptus oil is a powerful antiseptic with antibacterial properties. To create an eucalyptus steam inhalation, pour some boiling water into a bowl and add 3 drops of eucalyptus oil. Look down, with your head over the bowl. Cover your head and bowl with a towel. Close your eyes and inhale the steam slowly for 10 minutes.
You can also put a few drops of eucalyptus on a handkerchief and sniff periodically.
Each of these natural remedies can be used alone or in combination with each other to relieve your blocked sinus. They do not cause complications or harmful effects even if used in conjunction with drug medications.

By Alvin Toh

What Does That Headache Mean?

Headache is one of the most common medical complaints. Almost everyone experiences a headache from time to time. In the large majority of cases, it is a completely benign condition which is a nuisance and does not represent any significant or long-term medical problems. However, many people worry about a headache and are concerned that it could imply something much more serious. We all know the old "It's not a too-mah!" line and joke about it, but what do headaches really mean? Can they mean something more serious?

The answer is a definitive yes. Some very serious medical conditions can be associated with headache. However, I must state again that the very large majority of headaches do not imply anything serious. While millions, if not billions, of people on this planet experience headache in their lifetime, only a small percentage will every have a more serious, related condition diagnosed.

So how do you know? What does that headache mean? That is not an easy question to answer. In fact, there are physicians who spend their whole career specializing specifically in headache, its causes and its treatments. While there is no easy answer that covers all possibilities, this article will supply you with a handful of the most common causes and types of headaches, from the most harmless and benign to the medical emergencies. It will explain some of the differences that help to distinguish one type of headache from another. This is not an exhaustive list of every possible cause of headache, there are certainly others. It starts with some of the more common causes and moves on to more rare causes.

This article is not intended to offer medical advice. Every patient and headache is different. Only your personal physician can help counsel you about what is best for your particular situation. If you are concerned about a headache or headaches you are having, consult your doctor.

Stress/Tension Headache

By far the largest majority of headaches that most people experience are what is known as a Tension Headache, or some similar variant. While the exact cause of these headaches is not known and probably varies from patient to patient, this benign type of headache is usually associated with stress and muscle tension or spasm of the neck, facial or head muscles. While their severity, location and characteristics can vary, they are almost always harmless and do not represent any more serious underlying problem. This is the typical headache most of us have experienced when you are over-tired, over-worked, or stressed. Tension headaches do not cause other neurological symptoms. If other symptoms are present, it should raise the question of another diagnosis.

Sinus Headache

The paranasal sinuses are mucosa-lined chambers in the bone of the skull and face. There are several of them surrounding the nasal passages. Normally, mucous secretions that are produced in the sinuses flow out of openings into the nasal passage. However, if a sinus is obstructed so that its contents cannot exit, the pressure inside the sinuses can build up. This can occur with mucosal swelling associated with allergy (allergic rhinitis or hay fever) or with infection such as a cold or sinus infection. When pressure builds up inside a sinus, it can cause pain. While some sinuses (such as the large maxillary sinuses) are in the face, most are associated with the base of the skull. This pain can be interpreted and described as headache. While these sinus headaches can occur in anyone with a "stuffed nose" of any cause, patients who have chronic sinus problems with recurrent sinus infections can often have quite severe pain associated with this condition.

Migraine Headache

A migraine headache is a specific type of headache which is thought to be of vascular or neurologic origin. They are more common in women and in some patients can occur regularly, often following a particular part of the menstrual cycle. While they traditionally are described as causing pain on only one side of the head, they can occasionally cause pain on both sides of the head as well. In addition to the headache, other neurological symptoms usually accompany the headache. For example, many patients describe having an "aura" prior to the onset of the headache. These can vary but the patient generally has some symptom that lets them know a headache is coming. They can even experience seemingly focal neurological symptoms such as a scatoma (a temporary blind spot in their field of vision) or other visual changes. Photophobia, avoiding bright lights, can occur as well. Finally, many patients experience nausea and even vomiting. All of these neurological effects do not occur in a typical tension headache and help to distinguish migraines. However, some of the symptoms of migraine, particularly the nausea and vomiting and photophobia, are similar to symptoms of more serious causes of headache such as subarachnoid hemorrhage or meningitis. Therefore, those more serious disorders should be ruled out before classifying a headache as a migraine.

Cluster Headache

Cluster headaches are a unique neurological form of headache with an unknown cause. These extremely painful attacks are usually only on one side and is often described as a stabbing or boring pain that is located behind the eye. It usually occurs suddenly and periodically, followed by periods of remission. In addition to pain, which can be extraordinarily severe and one of the most painful conditions a human can endure, cluster headaches are characterized by symptoms that seem to come from the autonomic nervous system. These include ptosis (a drooping eyelid on the same side), tearing, runny nose, redness of the eye and even facial redness, swelling and/or sweating. These symptoms all occur only on the same side as the headache. Some patients describe certain triggers that set off attacks, such as ingestion of alcohol or exposure to heat.

Meningitis

Meningitis is an infection of the coverings of the brain, the meninges, and the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, the cerebrospinal fluid. It can be caused by viruses or by bacteria. While the bacterial form is much more dangerous and has the potential to lead to severe neurological injury and death if not treated promptly, both have similar presentations. Both cause headache as one of the hallmark symptoms. Because of the infection and severe inflammation of the coverings of brain, any movement of the head and neck can be very painful. Generally it is a severe headache (with or without a back ache as well) that progresses rapidly and is accompanied by a high fever. The patient generally has a very stiff, painful neck as well, called nuchal rigidity. It is so painful that they keep their neck very rigid to prevent any movement, even if they are lethargic or unconscious. Photophobia, as with migraines and subarachnoid hemorrhage, and seizures can occur as well. In the case of bacterial meningitis, these symptoms can quickly escalate to a progressively deteriorating level of consciousness, coma and eventually death if not treated quickly. The combination of high fever, headache, stiff neck and/or lethargy should be considered concerning for meningitis until proven otherwise. Untreated bacterial meningitis can progress quickly and can be life-threatening. Thankfully it is relatively rare.

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Subarachnoid hemorrhage means bleeding into the space around the brain into the cerebrospinal fluid. While this can occur with trauma to the head, it can happen spontaneously due to the rupture of an intracranial aneurysm. An intracranial aneurysm is an abnormal bulging of the wall of an artery that feeds the brain. These weakened blood vessels have a tendency to rupture and bleed. This type of bleeding typically causes a sudden-onset of severe headache. Most patients describe it as the "worst headache of my life." It comes on very suddenly and is usually of a stabbing quality. It can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, seizures, stiff, painful neck and/or a depressed level of consciousness. In severe bleeds it can even lead to coma or sudden death. In patients who have a history of chronic headaches, such as migraines or cluster headaches, they will generally say that the character of this headache is different. Therefore, a sudden, intense, new headache, particularly if associated with any of the other symptoms, should be considered a ruptured aneurysm until proven otherwise. An aneurysm rupture, like bacterial meningitis above, is generally a medical emergency. An aneurysm which has ruptured is at increased risk of re-rupture. Often the second rupture is more severe and more devastating than the first. Again, this is a rare cause of headache, but a potentially deadly one.

Brain Tumor

While the brain itself does not cause pain, increased pressure inside the head or irritation of the coverings of the brain can cause headache. With a brain tumor that does either, one of the presenting symptoms of these tumors can be headache. Most types of brain tumor, whether primary or a metastases from another tumor elsewhere in the body, can cause this symptom. A new headache in the setting of new neurological symptoms should raise red flags. Other symptoms that can accompany a brain tumor are seizures, changes in vision, or sensory or motor symptoms such as weakness of a part of the body. Many different neurological symptoms are possible depending on the type and location of the tumor. Headache that is caused by increased pressure in the head is often worse in the morning or will wake the patient from sleep, getting better when upright and awake. Again, this is a rare cause of headache, but clearly one which is potentially a very serious condition.

By Josh Dusick

How To Deal With Headaches Behind The Eyes

Pain behind the eyes may be a symptom of different types of headaches and even other health problems. Most commonly people complain to have an extreme one-sided headache especially involving the area around or behind one eye. This is a typical description of cluster headache. Other symptoms associated with cluster headache are eye redness or tearing, smaller pupil on the affected side of the face and stuffy, runny nose.
Cluster headaches are very severe and last from 25 minutes to a couple of hours. They may recur several times a day for up to 8 weeks and than disappear for a few months or even years.
One of the most effective and safest treatments for cluster headaches is oxygen mask that raises levels of oxygen in the blood and as a result relaxes constricted blood vessels. If that does not help injections of sumatriphan and dihydroergotamine may provide relief from the headache behind the eyes.
Over-the-counter painkillers are not a good alternative for relieving pain as headaches often goes away before the pill starts working.
Both cluster headaches and migraines are considered vascular headaches and are linked to abnormal function of brain's blood vessels due to hormonal chemical change in the brain. Since those two types of headaches are closely linked together, during migraines, headache may start in the area surrounding one or both eyes.
Migraine headache often begins with visual disturbance called "aura" (a person is seeing zigzag lines or flashing lights or have blurred vision). Later migraine is often accompanied with such symptoms as vomiting, fatigue, nausea, sensitivity to lights and loud sounds.
People suffering from cluster or migraine headaches should avoid use of alcohol and tobacco, certain foods, especially the ones containing nitrates (food coloring, processed meats, preservatives), bright and glaring light, stress and certain medications that lead to hormonal changes (oral contraceptives, estrogens).
Sometimes infection of the frontal sinuses can lead to a dull, throbbing pain between or behind the eyes. It tends to get worse in the mornings and is accompanied with frequent tearing, congestion, runny nose, fever and sensitivity to light. Diving in dirty water, airborne allergies, cold or flu may cause sinus headache.
To eliminate pain behind the eyes, you should reduce inflammation and sinus swelling. Inhaling steam and applying heat over affected area combined with Vitamin C and zinc intake will facilitate the mucus drainage and help to boost immune mechanism to reduce sinus headache.
Other factors that can be the main reason for the headaches behind the eyes are eyestrain and glaucoma. Eyestrain occurs if the eyes are forced to focus on a close object (a newspaper, computer screen) for a long period of time, without focusing periodically at distant objects or due to uncorrected vision problems.
Glaucoma is caused by increased pressure within the eyeball that requires immediate medical attention as it may lead to optic nerve damage and loss of sight. Nowadays glaucoma may be treated by prescription drugs or surgery.

By Arina Nikitina

Natural Cure For Sinus Infection

Sinus infections can be painful and uncomfortable. Antibiotics are usually prescribed to treat sinus infections but they are not the recommended long term solutions. I suffer from sinusitis and found that natural sinus remedies work best for me.
Here are some you can try.
First, drink plenty of water and other liquids. Mucous can thicken but keeping hydrated can help to thin the mucous. Drink water, tea or other clear beverages.
Stay away from dairy products. Some doctors believe that dairy products, including milk, cheese and even ice cream, may actually cause more mucous to form. Try avoiding these products when you have a sinus infection.
Try to treat a cold as soon as you get it. Lingering colds may make conditions right for a sinus infection. Use zinc supplements to help shorten the life of a cold and get plenty of rest.
Eat foods that are rich in antioxidants. These foods include berries, broccoli, tomatoes, garlic, red grapes and spinach that help to boost the immune system and may prevent sinus infections.
Try a steam treatment for your sinuses. Sinus infections can occur when mucous becomes thick and won't drain properly. Steam can help keep mucous loose and moving through the sinuses.
Apply moist heat to the face to keep sinuses open. There are some heat packs available that can be warmed up easily in the microwave and held on the face as needed.
Apply a cold compress to the forehead and sinus areas relieve a sinus headache. The coolness will help shrink the membranes and provide relief from sinus headache pain. For best results apply as soon as the headache starts.
Take vitamin supplements to ensure your body is getting the proper nutrients daily. Potassium supplements will help dry up mucous.
Add apple cider vinegar to your facial steam. You can also drink it diluted in water to help a sinus infection that is just starting. Some people report great results using this holistic cure for sinus infection.
Use herbal remedies for a sinus infection. Herbal cures have been used for centuries and are safer and more effective than traditional medicines. Use eucalyptus or peppermint extract as an inhalant to clear sinus cavities. Either one can be added to a steam.
To sleep better during bouts of sinus attack, drink a cup of tea before bed. Chamomile tea is particularly useful for calming the body and mind before bedtime.
Try sinus irrigation. This is done using nasal irrigator that puts warm water into the sinuses. It can be found at most health food stores. Follow the directions on the box.
Learn the signs of an impending sinus infection and take precautions to prevent it from becoming worse. A stuffy nose that won't seem to clear is a signal that mucous is thickening and is not moving. If left alone it may turn into a sinus infection.
Talk to a holistic doctor or herbalist to get advice on treating specific sinus problem. There are many natural remedies to help fight a sinus infection without the use of prescription medication.
Keep the use of drug medications to a minimum. They may have long-term negative effects on the body and tend to lose their effectiveness if taken too frequently. You may have to try several of the above-mentioned remedies to find the natural cure for your sinus infection.

Alvin Toh