Sinus Headache Symptom And Remedy
If you ever experience a sinus headache symptom, you
will know how painful and annoying it is. How you wish someone has a
remedy for it? Unfortunately, we all have to continue to cope with sinus
headache symptoms until somebody really smart discovers a vaccine
against the common cold. Here you are with a terrible cold. You’re
sneezing; your nose is either running like a faucet or completely
clogged. Your head feels thick and foggy, and all you want to do is stay
in bed and be miserable for the next three days.
Then, adding insult to injury, you feel a whopping headache is coming
on. Just what you don’t need! The headache is centered on the front of
your face rather than in your head like migraines – it’s the dreaded
sinus headache symptom! You run for the aspirin or acetaminophen; the
medication helps the pain a little, but because the source of the pain
is still untreated, it seems as if that pesky sinus headache symptom
just won’t go away.
Sinus headache symptom occurs when nasal mucus becomes trapped in the
sinus cavities located just under your cheekbones. These headaches
usually accompany a rhinovirus or head cold. You’ll feel the onset of
symptoms by pain directly in the sinus area that later radiates into
your eye sockets. This same type of headache often occurs with allergy
sufferers; their sinus cavities also fill with mucus and although they
don’t have colds, the headache is just as annoying.
How do I Treat a Sinus Headache Symptom?
Aspirin or acetaminophen helps relieve some of the pain of these
headaches, but there is another important remedy that directly targets
the clogged sinuses. Any decongestant medication that you can buy
over-the-counter helps reduce nasal discharge and opens your nose so you
can breathe again. But beware! There are several problems associated
with decongestants.
If you use a decongestant nasal spray more often that the directions on
the box indicate, you’ll develop “rebound congestion” where your sinus
cavities constrict tightly and obstruct your breathing. If you continue
to abuse the decongestant spray, you’ll experience chronic sinus
headache symptoms even long after your cold is gone.
Another problem associated with the use of decongestants to help relieve
sinus headache symptom is that such remedy can have unpleasant side
effects such as having the “jitters” and finding it difficult to fall
asleep. Decongestants are actually stimulant drugs, and if you’re
sensitive to this class of medication, this effect can be as nasty as
the headache or the cold.
There are numerous prescription medications available that combine a
decongestant with anti-histamine that will help with your runny, itchy
eyes. Since anti-histamines have sedative qualities, they tend to
counteract the jitters of decongestants. You can save a costly visit to
the doctor by going to the drug store and buying a decongestant, an
antihistamine, and a painkiller as your sinus headache remedy. If your
sinus headache symptoms continue, be sure to see your doctor to make
sure you haven’t developed a sinus infection that calls for an
antibiotic medication.
Another prescription medication, Humabid, relieves clogged sinuses and
headache by thinning the mucus caught in your sinus cavities. When using
this sinus headache remedy, you must drink a lot of water with this
medication to make it effective; you’ll notice that your nasal
secretions are thin and watery, which is exactly what you need to rid
yourself of that clogged mucus.
Read more about
natural and
medicinal sinus headache relief methods and
sinus
headache treatment.
Can I Avoid Having Sinus Headache Symptoms?
Yes. First by not over-using decongestant sprays as discussed. Then, at
the first sign of a cold, start drinking as much water as you can hold;
this will hopefully keep your nasal discharge thin and watery, avoiding
thickening of the nasal mucus. This is particularly important in
avoiding symptoms of pressure-based sinus headaches. Blow your nose a
lot to keep that thin discharge out of your sinus cavities; don’t even
give it the chance to lurk and thicken.
Some people’s sinus headache symptoms are relieved by applying ice packs
to their sinus area. Cold is a natural constrictor of blood vessels; if
your headache is caused by enlarged, mucus-filled nasal passages and
sinuses, a cold compress may help constrict the vessels, thus relieving
your pain.
Finally, remember that although annoying, having sinus headache symptoms
are also your body’s way of telling you that something’s wrong. If you
are prone to frequent and severe sinus headaches symptoms, see a
physician about this problem. Although rare, you may have to have this
problem surgically corrected by an ear, nose and throat specialist. Not
a pleasant thought, but it is certainly better than living your life in
pain.
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