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Sinus Infections

How to Treat Severe Sinus Congestion

February 8, 2018

4 minutes

Reviewed by Michael Kaplan, MD

How do you treat severe sinus congestion? With spring and spring allergy season headed our way, if that’s not a question you’re asking, then perhaps it’s time to start. Because while for some people this seasonal shift means dealing with the occasional runny or stuffy nose, for others it heralds months of severe sinus congestion.

What do you do if your sinus congestion refuses to go away? What if your sinus congestion becomes so bad that it begins to interfere with your day-to-day life? Over-the-counter or home treatments may be able to treat your garden variety sinus congestion, but if your sinus congestion does not abate, you might be dealing with severe sinus congestion. If that’s the case, it’s time to reach out to Kaplan Sinus Relief for help.

When does a sinus infection become serious?

If you’ve ever researched severe sinus congestion, then you know that a sinus infection is caused by blocked or inflamed nasal passages. (To learn more about sinus infection causes, read about sinus pressure and weather change, sinusitis from humidity, and chronic nasal congestion causes.) But when do these issues turn into severe sinus congestion? How can you identify when a sinus infection is serious?

Severe sinus congestion symptoms include intense headaches, as well as pain near your eyes, ears, and cheeks. If you experience these severe sinus congestion symptoms for more than eight weeks, or if your sinusitis symptoms are extremely difficult to bear, you may have a serious sinus infection. It’s important that you seek sinus relief immediately: acute or chronic sinusitis can lead to even more debilitating symptoms.

How can I treat severe sinus congestion?

There are many day-to-day things you can do to treat your severe sinus congestion (even washing your hands, avoiding smoking, and using a humidifier will help). The following natural treatment methods may be effective at unblocking your sinuses. Note that not all of them will be effective for your individual situation.

  • Steam from a warm shower or bowl of soup could help loosen hard mucus in your nose and free up nasal passages
  • Having your head elevated head at night by using a second pillow could help your sinuses drain naturally
  • Natural herbs and vitamins such as peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, and vitamin C could provide some short-term relief to congestion symptoms
  • Eating more garlic, anecdotal evidence says, may help fight cold-related congestion and fight fungal and bacterial symptoms
  • Saline nasal sprays or neti pots could help flush and clear allergens, dust and other materials from your sinuses
  • Nasal steroid sprays can help your body better fight sinus inflammation, but if you rely on them too often, the sprays could lose effectiveness
  • A sinus ice pack alternated with a warm compress could help provide some sinus headache relief by reducing inflammation symptoms
  • Weight loss could help improve your sinus congestion symptoms, according to a 2013 study in Laryngoscope
  • Alternative treatments such as acupuncture may help to relieve sinus pressure

However, these measures are often too little, too late and can’t effectively eradicate severe sinus congestion.

Kaplan Sinus Relief: we treat severe sinus congestion with serious sinus treatment

At Kaplan Sinus Relief, allergy testing services can identify the root of your symptoms in order to determine the best treatment for you. This comprehensive test can find out what you are and are not allergic to so that you can better avoid the allergens that trigger sinus symptoms and severe sinus congestion.

Balloon Sinuplasty is another popular service provided by Kaplan Sinus Relief. This procedure is minimally invasive and proven to be safe and effective at curing your sinus issues. Unlike other surgical procedures, Balloon Sinuplasty requires no cutting of nasal tissue or bone. The procedure can take less than 20 minutes, recovery is fast (approximately two days) and patients report a significant increase in quality of life after the procedure.

Find lasting sinus relief with Balloon Sinuplasty in Houston today. Kaplan Sinus Relief has expert ENT doctors that are dedicated to solving your sinus problems. You don’t have to live a life plagued by sinus troubles. Breathe easy knowing that Kaplan Sinus Relief is here to help!

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Houston, TX 77098