We’re in the thick of springtime bloom here in California, and many are suffering from the high pollen count. As trees and flowers bloom, they send pollen into the air, which is inevitably breathed in by humans. This can create nasal congestion, and if you are allergic to pollen, your stuffiness may be close to unbearable.
Los Angeles is one of the worst cities for those with seasonal allergies, and even if you aren’t hypersensitive to pollen, you may feel ill when you repeatedly breathe in pollen combined with the city’s air pollution. This combination leads many to seek sinus relief in Los Angeles.
A sinus infection happens all too often, and it occurs when allergies are so severe that they lead to a viral infection. Before you visit a Los Angeles sinus infection specialist, you may want to research the symptoms of a sinus infection. The most common symptoms are listed below.
Pain in Your Sinuses
Anyone who has never felt congestion in their sinuses will be told they are very lucky. The face has several different sinuses located behind the eyes and nose. When they are congested or infected, you will feel dull pressure in any of these areas.
The feeling of dull pressure is caused by inflammation and swelling in your sinuses. This can come in the form of pain or pressure in your forehead, between your eyes, on either side of your nose, in your upper jaws, and even in your teeth.
Nasal Discharge
It’s normal to have clear nasal discharge year-round, but drainage from your infected sinuses will appear cloudy, yellow, or green. It’s not uncommon for the drainage to bypass your nasal cavity and drip down the back of your throat. This causes a feeling of itchiness and sore throat.
The nasal discharge in your throat may cause you to cough. It can also make your voice sound hoarse or croaky. Your throat issues will be worse when you’re sleeping and in the morning when you wake up.
Nasal Congestion
The most obvious sign of a sinus issue is nasal congestion. One or both of your nasal passages will become congested due to the swelling of your inflamed sinuses. This will be noticeable to others as well since your voice will sound congested or stuffy.
Sinus Headaches
All the swelling and inflammation creates pressure in your sinuses. Sinus headaches are often the most unbearable in the morning because fluids have been collecting in your sinuses overnight. This creates the feeling of a headache, and it can also come in the form of a jaw ache, toothache, or earache.
Your headache can also get worse when the barometric pressure of your environment changes suddenly.
Treatment
These issues are very common, so there’s a variety of treatment options to choose from. You can try over-the-counter medicine such as Sudafed, Zyrtec, and Claritin. If you’d like to take a more holistic approach, steam therapy works wonders for draining the sinuses and relieving pressure. Especially in Europe, herbal remedies are another holistic approach to try. Mixing essential oils in with your steaming water can help reduce inflammation, and you can also buy capsules of essential oils to help with sinus infections online.
For more sinus infection remedies, contact the doctors of Westside Sinus. We are experts in sinus relief, and we can get you on the road to better breathing.
