Sinus headaches are one of the major health concerns in this modern era which are developed as a result of a medical condition called sinusitis. If you have sinusitis, you can suffer from pain in your forehead, face, and eyes. You can also experience facial tenderness and swelling along with nasal congestion, runny nose, and distorted sense of smell tissues, and loss of smell in severe conditions.
In sinusitis, the cavities around the nasal passages or the tissues lining the sinuses become inflamed or swollen. Usually, when the sinus passages behind your nose, eyes, cheeks, and forehead become congested, sinus headaches occur which can be felt on either side of your head.
If the sinuses [small air pockets located behind your forehead, nose, cheekbones, and in between the eyes] are blocked due to ay condition like a common cold, nose injury, and deviated nasal septum, fluid gets build up and leads to a runny nose or sinus congestion [nasal congestion]. Sinus headaches with congestion can cause fatigue, snoring, sleep apnea, nasal pain, and disturbed sleep.
Sinus headaches and nasal congestion: Major markers of sinusitis
Sinusitis can be triggered by allergies [cold, hay fever, etc.], infections [bacteria and viruses], inflammatory diseases, and abnormal non-cancerous growths [polyps]. In order to diagnose sinusitis, ENT doctors or Rhinologists can evaluate your past medical and medication history. They also press or tap on your nose and face to check the tenderness. However, major markers of sinusitis are sinus headaches and nasal congestion.
If these symptoms are noticed, your ENT doctor can recommend a few lifestyle modifications and home remedies to improve or reduce these symptoms. In this article, you get to know the best and safest possible ways to permanently cure your sinus headaches with congestion.
Permanent cure for sinus headaches with congestion:
Sinus headaches with congestion are highly noticed in patients with chronic sinusitis [sinusitis that lasts more than 8 weeks] than acute sinusitis patients. However, after diagnosing and evaluating the root cause of your sinusitis, ENT doctors or rhinologists can suggest medical therapies and surgical procedures like balloon sinuplasty and functional endoscopic sinus surgery for a permanent cure.
If medical therapies are not effective in getting rid of sinus headaches with congestion, your ENT doctor can recommend undergoing a surgical procedure. Some clinical research publications have stated that an estimated 75 percent of people who didn’t respond to medical therapies are able to get relief from sinus symptoms by undergoing surgery. Both balloon sinuplasty and functional endoscopic sinus therapy surgeries can enlarge the sinus cavities and make breathing and drainage easier.
1. Balloon sinuplasty
Several ENT doctors and rhinologists in Delhi perform balloon sinuplasty as a surgical approach to permanently cure sinusitis and sinus headaches with congestion. During balloon sinuplasty, you are sedated using general anesthesia to avoid any pain and discomfort if any throughout the surgery. Later, a small balloon-tipped catheter is inserted into the sinus passages. Then, to ensure the catheter is in the right position, imaging guidance is used.
Once the location of the catheter is in the right position, the balloon is inflated slowly to widen your sinus passages. Once this is complete, your ENT doctor deflates the balloon and removes the catheter. As balloon sinuplasty surgery doesn’t involve any cuts or removal of tissues, recovery time is shorter and you can perform your daily activities within a few days after the surgery. However, a few patients who are with cysts or polyps are not good candidates for undergoing balloon sinuplasty as they can block the sinus passages.
2. Functional Endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS)
FESS is the best and safest surgical option to get rid of your sinusitis along with sinus headaches with congestion. In Delhi, ENT doctors perform FESS with the help of advanced and latest medical devices and surgical instruments. ENT doctors in Delhi are well experienced in performing FESS with minimal or no risks and complications. Before undergoing functional endoscopic sinusitis surgery [FESS], you will be sedated using general anesthesia. Once you fall asleep, all your vital signals will be monitored throughout the surgery.
Later, an endoscope will be inserted into your nose to view and evaluate the severity of your sinusitis. If any abnormalities or nasal polyps are observed in your nose, a few of the surgical instruments will be inserted alongside the endoscope. These surgical instruments will be used to remove small amounts of bone or polyps of the mucous membrane. During the discharge, ENT doctors can recommend a few lifestyle modifications and dietary changes to avoid or to reduce the risk of infection and the occurrence of post-surgical complications. NOTE: If you wish to undergo a surgical procedure, you still need to use medical therapies to reduce the occurrence and severity of symptoms and to prevent sinusitis from coming back.
Other treatment options for your sinus headaches with congestion: Medical therapies and home remedies
Usually, ENT doctors can prescribe a few medications as an initial treatment for your sinusitis and its symptoms like sinus headaches and nasal congestion. Below are a few of the medical therapies and home remedies that can help you to get cured of sinus headaches and nasal congestion caused due to sinusitis.
Medical therapies:
Once you are diagnosed with sinusitis and are suffering from sinus headaches with nasal congestion, your ENT doctor can prescribe any of the following medications to cure them
- Antibiotics
If your sinus headaches and congestion are developed as a result of bacterial sinusitis, ENT doctors can recommend a few antibiotics like amoxicillin and azithromycin to treat them. In case your sinus headaches and congestion don’t respond to antibiotics, ENT doctors can suggest either surgical procedures or home remedies depending on their severity.
- Oral and intranasal corticosteroids:
If antibiotics are not effective in relieving sinus headaches with congestion, either oral or intranasal corticosteroids are recommended. Corticosteroids help in reducing the swelling of sinuses and thus facilitates the drainage of mucus easily and reduces the sinus headaches with congestion. A few of the corticosteroids are fluticasone and mometasone.
- Decongestants
Decongestants are highly recommended by any ENT doctor to unblock the sinuses and reduce the symptoms of nasal congestion. They are available as oral drugs or medications and nasal sprays. But, nasal spray decongestants are prescribed only for a few days as they can cause reverse effects like a nasal blockage.
- Saline irrigation
One of the simplest methods to reduce chronic sinusitis symptoms like sinus headaches and nasal congestion is saline irrigation or saline nose spray. This helps in thinning the nasal secretions and thus makes it easy for thinner secretions to exit the nasal passages. Saline nose sprays are available at several pharmacy stores and discuss with ENT doctors before using them.
- Immunotherapy
If you are suffering from sinus headaches and nasal congestion as a result of inflammatory diseases [C4 deficiency and IgA deficiency], then your ENT doctors can prescribe immunotherapy medications and intravenous immunoglobulins. To enhance your body’s ability to fight infections and inflammation. However, to know more details about the medical therapy for your sinusitis [sinus headaches with congestion], consult with your nearest rhinologists or ENT doctors.
5 best and safest home remedies for your sinusitis and sinus headaches with congestion:
There are many home remedies that a person can try to help relieve sinus congestion. These include:
- Stay hydrated:
During sinusitis, you can suffer from nasal congestion and your mucous membranes can become inflamed. To avoid this, you should stay hydrated as it can help your membrane function correctly. Drinking plenty of water and other fluids can help you relieve the symptoms of sinus congestion. Keeping a water bottle close can encourage you to drink more water.
- Breath in steam:
Breathing and inhaling steam can help reduce sinus congestion and sinus headaches. By doing so, mucous membranes can be moistened and encourage the sinuses to unblock. For the steam, run the hot water from a shower and breath in the vapor as it can help in relieving the sinusitis symptoms and unblocks the sinuses. A humidifier can also be used for the same purposes. Depending on the severity and complexity of your sinusitis and sinus headaches with congestion, ENT doctors at Delhi can suggest an appropriate humidifier.
- Raise the head during sleep:
During sleep, keep your head raised as it can help to promote the clearing of sinus blockage. You can use extra pillows to prop your head up and if keeping the head level can result in a greater buildup of congestion overnight. Consult with the best ENT doctor in Delhi from Pristyn Care to know more information about the usage of pillows in reducing the effectiveness and curing sinus headaches with congestion.
- Eucalyptus oil:
Applying eucalyptus oil to tissue paper and sleeping next to it, or adding eucalyptus oil to hot water and inhaling the steam can help in relieving the symptoms of sinusitis like sinus headaches with congestion. It can also help kill germs in and around the nasal passage and promotes the proper function of the sinus. If you apply the mixture of hot water and eucalyptus oil directly to the skin, it may cause burns. Before using eucalyptus oil, discuss with your ENT doctor about the usage and side effects of eucalyptus oil.
- Neti pot:
Neti pots are small teapot-shaped devices that are used to reduce and relieve the symptoms of sinusitis like congestion and sinus headaches. Through a neti pot, a solution of salt water is poured into your nasal cavity to keep the mucous membranes moist. Neti pots also flush out the sinuses and buildup of any material causing a nasal blockage. However, before using neti pots, they should be cleaned properly using distilled, boiled, and sterilized water that is free of harmful germs. If neti pots are not cleaned thoroughly, it can cause a sinus infection.
Conclusion:
Sinusitis and sinus headaches with congestion are linked to nose problems such as nasal polyps or a deviated septum. Based on the causes of your sinus problems, ENT doctors in Delhi perform surgical procedures or recommend medical therapy. However, before undergoing a permanent cure for sinusitis, you’ll be assessed by an ENT specialist.
Balloon sinuplasty and functional endoscopic sinus surgery are the most commonly recommended permanent cures for sinusitis and sinus headaches with congestion. Before undergoing any of the permanent surgical procedures, discuss with your ENT doctor about its risks, advantages, and complications.
