Anyone here have sinus problems?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

I had a whopping sinus headache on and off all day. I woke up this morning with a bloodshot eye, which is usually a sign of things to come. I used eye wash, saline solution, and steam to make myself feel better and they worked temporarily, only for the headache to come back.

Do any sinus sufferers out there have any tricks? I have found most allergy/sinus medications DON'T work.

Thanks...

[ChiefHappyButt]

1. I have no ideas

just a response. I have no idea why my right nostril is always hard to breathe through.

It bugs me.

Could be a bug.

I have no idea, but good luck!

[KathCO]

5. I had the same problem

Turned out I had a deviated septum. I had surgery a year ago and it's a lot better. It took up to a year though to recover from the surgery (my sinuses to recover)

[Darth_Kitten]

2. Real horseradish I've heard.....

really blasts things out. Good luck. :)

[Kathy in Cambridge]

3. i eat spicy food all the time

helps temporarily. :-(

[Darth_Kitten]

6. no, REAL horseradish.....

the root, not the stuff in the jar. :) I've heard it's really great. I should try it, I suffer from chronic nasal congestion (yes, should get it checked out) :)

[KathCO]

4. I have issues too

I get a lot of sinus headaches. It's gotten to the point that when a front moves into town I will get a severe sinus headache from the increased pressure. Last year I even had sinus surgery because I had a deviated septum (sp?) that was blocking proper drainage.

I have found that I have to vary my methods. It's best to catch it when it is just starting. Sometimes I take just Excedrin Migraine type drugs ( caffeine, aspirin and acetylmenophen), sometimes I have to add a muscle relaxant, sometimes I take 600mg of naproxen (mylan brand). The naproxen is too hard on my stomach though. I have to keep my townhome at least at 73 deg farenheit or I will get a headache. Oh, and I have been using Nasacort to reduce my sinus sensitivity.

I had a two year period where I didn't have any headaches. If I felt sensitivity in my sinuses I took some sudafed, small amount of antihistimine (not benedryl) and a small amount of pain reliever. I was sinus headache free for two years! I'm not sure why I stopped doing that.

Seems like there are a lot of people these days with sinus problems.

Warm moist air seems to keep my sinus headaches down but it's hard keeping a humidifier going.

Now it seems I am always taking some kind of pain reliever and I worry about my liver and kidneys.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

7. Today there was a front sitting about 10 miles S of Boston

so that may have something to do with it. Cape Cod got a ton of snow; we didn't get a flake. I have noticed when the barometric pressure drops I get a sinus headache. Also, it's so damn dry in the winter, I run two humidifiers 24/7.

Thank you for the suggestions-I think I'm going to put a warm wash cloth on my face now.

[IconoclastIlene]

11. Allergies

Did you say Zyrtec?

[NashVegas]

8. Nasal Steroids

I use Nasarel when I feel a sinus implosion coming on, that helps get the juice flowing. Certain yoga poses are also helpful.

Nashville is the sinus infection capital of the world.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

9. Nashville is also one of the allergy capitals

Nashville, and Austin, TX

[asjr]

13. You are certainly right about Nashville

I had chronic sinus infection so bad my doctor prescribed steroids for a week and I have to use a prescription nasal spray that costs $77.00 a pop. I had to quit because of the cost. I don't have it quite as bad as I did but if I don't take the medication in comes back. I haved lived with it for years and I suppose I will live with it for a few more years.

[NashVegas]

19. Yeah, It's Nasty

After moving here, I took more anti-biotics in the first 5 years than I think I'd taken in the previous 30 in the Northeast. The trick is to catch it early.

[no_hypocrisy]

10. 5-7 drops of oil of oregano under your tongue for as long as you without

swallowing. Warning: it's hot like cinnamon. But it clears your sinuses great, esp. when you wake up.

http://www.vitaminshop.com or most healthfood stores will carry it.

[fortyfeetunder]

12. Sinus irrigation wash

I did that once and haven't had many problems since. Also I eat a lot of roasted garlic as an antibiotic...

[absyntheNsugar]

14. Flonase works for me

And so does allegra. But thats ust me.

With the flonase you have to take it EVERY DAY.

[Snow]

15. Coupla suggestions, which both work for me...

but of course, people being different, may not for you.
acupuncture...I go down the block from my office to a clinic run by a pleasant woman from China who is also a physician, although not licensed here (california) and her two apprentices. They charge me $30 a treatment, and they'll treat my blood pressure too if they think it's too high.

saline wash using a jalaneti pot. Do a google on 'neti pot stainless' and you'll come up with the one I use - cost me $15, not the most fun to use but really prevents stuffiness.

Good luck........

[wickerwoman]

16. Yeah, they're killing me today.

Mostly I drink tons of water (about 3 litres a day) to keep everything flowing and the headaches and sore throats stay at a minimum. On really bad days, I'll use Flonase.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. Another sinus sufferer here

mostly weather related. If a storm front is coming in, I can wake up with a headache that causes nausea like a migraine only isn't a migraine.

I've never found the perfect cure, but here a few things that help:

1) Tylenol Sinus with strong coffee to start the day, assuming the headache doesn't make me throw up first.
2) Go to an Asian restaurant and have hot and sour soup or some other peppery soup for lunch
3) Shoulder and neck massage
4) Hot clothes on both forehead and neck
5) Here's a weird one that my sister-in-law suggested: If you're awake when you feel a headache coming on, paint the inside of your nose with sesame oil. Strangely enough, it seems to work.
6) An early DUer, Not_Over_It, told of suffering terribly from sinus headaches until she discovered that she had food allergies. She omitted the offending foods and has been fine.

[MrSandman]

18. Nasal Saline Spray

Not even a name brand...Wal-Mart o K-Mart generics. Use as often as needed,

[spinbaby]

20. I've had a sinus headache since Sunday

Doing decongestants and steam now, if that doesn't work, I've got a backup prescription for antibiotics.

[Skittles]

21. I had to get endoscopic sinus surgery last November

to get rid of that feeling like someone was standing on my face. It helped.

[bearfan454]

23. Cedar fever here RR

I take Seldane and it does help.

[terryg11]

22. 50 mils of watr, salt mixture into the sinuses

50 milliliters of water and a little bit of kosher salt. Too much salt may make it burn so go conservative the first time. Also warm water (not hot not cold) makes it a bit more comfortable too. Use a syringe to run the water up your nose and into your sinuses. Try to get all 50 ml in if you can and keep it in there for however long you can stand it will feel like you are drwning the first few times and may feel weird for the next few hours but I think it's helped me keep my sinuses clean of any irritants. oh yeah, when holding the water in your head, may want to keep head tilted back so it doesn't run out your nose.

Listen, I had sinus trouble so bad that I had that frickkn surgery done and while it helped, the recovery sucked!! Also with this cleaning of the sinuses I do once every other month (will probably be once a month when spring and summer get here) I haven't had to use the steroids as much which I try to avoid (don't want to becme dependent on them to open my sinuses up).

give it a try it ain't easy the first few times though