GeneralUnderstanding Sinus Congestion and How To Relieve It

Collectively, cold, flu, and allergy seasons take up a large portion of the year. If you find yourself frequently experiencing sinus congestion, it might be worth considering an allergy test to identify the underlying causes of your discomfort. Fortunately, once you know what triggers your symptoms, you can effectively manage them with the right combination of home remedies, cold-flu cough control medicine, and targeted allergy treatments.

What Is Sinus Congestion?

When the membranes lining your nasal passages become irritated and inflamed, your sinuses produce an excess of mucus. Athough this may seem counterproductive, the increase in mucus production is actually an attempt by your body to flush out the cause of inflammation. Sinuses can also become dried out or blocked, and this can cause more congestion and increased discomfort. This is why it is always important to stay hydrated when you are experiencing sinus congestion.

Causes of Sinus Congestion

Sinus congestion can have many causes. Before you attempt to treat your congestion, it is important that you understand what is causing it. Here are a few of the most common causes:

1. Influenza virus
2. Seasonal alergies
3. Common cold
4. Sinusitis
5. Chlorinated water
6. Dry outdoor air
7. Common Pollutants

How to Relieve Symptoms of Congestion

Depending on the cause of your congestion, the relief you experience from over-the-counter or home remedies will either be temporary or lasting. If you have cold and flu symptoms, try Brillia Health homeopathic flu medicine, which can effectively shorten the duration of your illness. Other over-the-counter remedies can help relieve cold-flu symptoms, but they generally do little to help you get back to school or work sooner than otherwise possible.

You are probably already aware of a few home remedies for congestion. The most popular of these range from very helpful to harmful, so you should make sure the one you are considering is likely to help before trying it out. Among the most proven remedies are neti pots, nasal irrigators, and saline sprays. When using a neti pot, make sure to use sterile water and clean the pot after every use. If the idea of physically irrigating your nose makes you uncomfortable, try placing a heated, wet towel over your face. When dealing with sinus problems, dryness is usually the enemy. Anything that safely increases humidity, such as a dehumidifier or heated pot can help remove discomfort.

Lifestyle Factors

As with any health issue, healthy lifestyle behaviors can effectively prevent and manage sinus congestion. Avoid smoking, breathing polluted air, and drinking alcohol when experiencing sinus discomfort. Additionally, coffee and other dehydrating beverages can worsen symptoms by inhibiting sleep and causing dryness. Pure water helps to dilute the mucus in your nasal passages, preventing blockage, so you should hydrate with water rather than dehydrating alternatives. Together, proper sleep, nutrition, and hydration are critical for speedy recovery.

Handling sinus congestion and the conditions that cause it is relatively straightforward. In general, the solutions that help your immune system without interfering with sleep, hydration, or energy are the best. As always, the best medicine is prevention. Along with healthy lifestyle practices, use cold prevention meds that work with your immune system. Minimize stress and breathe healthy air whenever possible.

This is a sponsored post