The best sleeping position for sinus drainage problems and other sinus issues is to sleep with your head propped up. Sleeping with your head propped up will help gravity naturally drain your sinuses and reduce the chance of excessive blood flow that can develop sinus congestion.
A warm compress on your nose and forehead may help relieve the pressure in your sinuses. Rinse out your nasal passages. Use a specially designed squeeze bottle, saline canister or neti pot to rinse your nasal passages. This home remedy, called nasal lavage, can help clear your sinuses.
The symptoms of sinusitis often clear up within a few weeks (acute sinusitis), although occasionally they can last three months or more (chronic sinusitis).
Chronic sinusitis occurs when the spaces inside your nose and head (sinuses) are swollen and inflamed for three months or longer, despite treatment. This common condition interferes with the way mucus normally drains, and makes your nose stuffy.
Symptoms of Sinus Drainage
Some of these symptoms include: fever, headache, pressure in the ear, reduced sense of taste and smell, coughing, bad breath, and fatigue. Symptoms that are closely related to sinus drainage are most commonly thick drainage from the nose or down the throat.
The frontal sinus has the most complex and variable drainage of any paranasal sinus.
Some natural ways to get your sinuses draining and relieve sinus pressure include drinking plenty of fluids; using a humidifier; avoiding cold, dry air; taking plenty of steamy showers; and drinking a cup of hot tea or soup.
Using your index and middle fingers, apply pressure near your nose between your cheekbones and jaw. Move your fingers in a circular motion toward your ears. You can use your thumbs instead of your fingers for a deeper massage. This should take 30 seconds to a minute.
Blowing the nose can worsen the feeling of congestion due to pressure build-up within the nostrils, which may shoot up the mucus into the sinuses instead of ejection through the nose.
Vicks VapoRub — a topical ointment made of ingredients including camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol that you rub on your throat and chest — doesn't relieve nasal congestion. But the strong menthol odor of VapoRub may trick your brain, so you feel like you're breathing through an unclogged nose.
Caffeine is a stimulant that will keep you awake, so it makes sense to cut it off before 2 p.m. Also, caffeine is dehydrating, so it will make your sinus pain and congestion worse. Instead, choose water or decaffeinated and herbal teas in the afternoon and evening to quench your thirst. Keep nasal passages moist.
Honey can calm the nasal passage, irritated throat and clear the excess mucus causing sinus. Blend a teaspoon of honey with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and drink this mixture twice daily to get relief from sinus.
Drinking warm water with apple cider vinegar may help in fighting a sinus infection. Apple cider vinegar has antibacterial and antifungal properties and is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, calcium, and magnesium which aids in treating sinus infection.
Don't breathe irritating materials or smoke:avoid breathing in harmful materials or fumes when you have a sinus infection. You should not smoke cigarettes or cigars. And, you should avoid high pollution areas. Try to breathe in clean, fresh air.