To drain your sinuses, dampen a washcloth with hot water and place it over your nose to help loosen your nasal secretions. You can also try taking a hot shower and breathing in the steam for 3 to 5 minutes. Alternatively, try drinking or eating hot foods, like herbal tea or soup, to open up your sinuses. Additionally, turn on a humidifier while you sleep to increase the moisture in the air, which will help keep your sinuses open. For tips from our Medical co-author on how to unblock your sinuses using over-the-counter medication, read on! Show Did this summary help you?YesNo Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,006,158 times. Nasal congestion and sinus pressure have many causes: colds, the flu, and allergies to name a few. Whatever your triggers are, the symptoms can get to you. What’s actually causing that stuffed-up feeling? When you’ve got a cold or allergies, the membranes lining your nasal passages become inflamed and irritated. They begin to make more mucus to flush out whatever causes the irritation, such as an allergen. Use these tips to feel better and breathe easier. Home TreatmentsWhen you’re stuffed up, focus on keeping your nasal passages and sinuses moist. Although people sometimes think that dry air might help clear up a runny nose, it actually has the opposite effect. Drying out the membranes will irritate them further. To keep your nasal passages moist, you can:
Blow your nose the right way: gently, so you don’t force mucus into your ears or other parts of your sinuses, into a disposable tissue so you don’t spread germs. Wash your hands afterward. OTC MedicinesThese drugs don’t need a prescription and can help tame your symptoms: Decongestants. These medicines help reduce the swelling in your nasal passages and ease the stuffiness and sinus pressure. They come as nasal sprays, like naphazoline (Privine), oxymetazoline (Afrin, Dristan, Nostrilla, Vicks Sinus Nasal Spray), or phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine, Sinex, Rhinall). They also come as pills, such as phenylephrine (Sudafed PE, and others) and pseudoephedrine (Sudafed). Follow the directions for using them. Don’t use a decongestant you take by mouth for more than a week without checking with your doctor. You shouldn’t use a decongestant nasal spray for more than 3 days, or it could make your congestion worse. Also, they can raise your blood pressure, so check with your doctor first if you have any health issues or take other medicines. Never give decongestants or any over-the-counter cold medicine to children under age 4. Antihistamines. If allergies are behind your nasal congestion and sinus pressure, controlling them will ease your symptoms. Look for allergy medications that have an antihistamine to relieve sniffling and sneezing along with a decongestant for congestion and sinus pressure. You may also find antihistamines in some multi-symptom cold medicines which can help a runny nose and sneezing. You'll usually find them in nighttime cold medicine, because they can make you sleepy. Read and follow the label, and talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions. Steroid nasal sprays. These can also help with allergy stuffiness. Ask your doctor if you should use ones that you can buy without a prescription. They can take a couple of days to kick in, so start them before you have symptoms and use them throughout your allergy season. Menthol. Medicated ointments that have this or camphor in them can help you breathe better. You can rub them on your chest or upper lip. You can also buy types that you place in warm water and breathe in the vapor, which helps open up your airways. Pain relievers. Although they won’t clear up congestion, pain relievers such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen can ease the pain caused by sinus pressure. Follow the dosing instructions on the label. Check in with them if you have nasal congestion and sinus pressure for more than 7 days. Make the call sooner if your symptoms are severe. SOURCES: FamilyDoctor.org: “Sinusitis” and “Decongestants: OTC Relief for Congestion.” American Academy of Otolaryngology: “Fact Sheet: Sinus Headaches" and “Fact Sheet: Sinus Pain: Can Over-the-Counter Medications Help?” "Antihistamines, Decongestants, and Cold Remedies," "Sinusitis." FDA: “FDA Statement Following CHPA's Announcement on Nonprescription Over-the-Counter Cough and Cold Medicines in Children," "Is Rinsing Your Sinuses Safe?" Journal of the American Medical Association: “Patient Page: Acute Sinusitis.” National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: “Sinus Infection (Sinusitis): “Prevention.” Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database: “Natural Medicines in the Clinical Management of Cold and Flu.” What pressure point drains sinuses?Acupresssure Point LI4: Located on your hand between the thumb and index finger, this pressure point can help relieve sinus congestion. Acupresssure Point LI 20: Located at the base of your nose, this pressure point can help relieve sinus pressure.
Why are my sinuses not draining?Infections in your respiratory tract — most commonly colds — can inflame and thicken your sinus membranes and block mucus drainage. These infections can be caused by viruses or bacteria. Allergies such as hay fever. Inflammation that occurs with allergies can block your sinuses.
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