The Paranasal sinuses are a group of four paired air-filled spaces that surround the nasal cavity and are behind the nose. The maxillary sinuses are located under the eyes; the frontal sinuses are above the eyes; the ethmoidal sinuses are between the eyes and the sphenoidal sinuses are behind the eyes. The sinuses are named for the facial bones in which they are located. Humans have four paired paranasal sinus passages within the face. I’m going to be listing the 10 amazing ways you can keep your sinuses healthy. While I may be saying “sinuses” in general, the paranasal sinuses are the ones being discussed directly. Although, any advice can be taken generally about other sinus related regions of the body. It is, in fact, what I’m generally describing here.
—
The maxillary sinuses, the largest of the paranasal sinuses, are under the eyes, in the maxillary bones (open in the back of the semilunar hiatus of the nose). They are innervated by the trigeminal nerve. The frontal sinuses, superior to the eyes, are in the frontal bone, which forms the hard part of the forehead. They are also innervated by the trigeminal nerve. The ethmoidal sinuses, which are formed from several discrete air cells within the ethmoid bone between the nose and the eyes. They are innervated by the ethmoidal nerves, which branch from the nasociliary nerve of the trigeminal nerve. The sphenoidal sinuses, in the sphenoid bone. They are innervated by the trigeminal nerve. If you wish to keep your smell, healthy and by avoiding a cold, you should consider what’s listed below.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Sinuses Healthy
1. Eat Healthy
Eating healthy is always recommended because of the cascading effect it can have on your health. This is to say that you should consider eating a reasonable amount of calories, not too few or too many. It also means that you should consider eating all of your macro and micro nutrients, including healthy fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Avoid dairy if you have had previous episodes of sinus infections. Also, try to avoid refined sugar as it is pro-inflammatory and increases the production of mucus. Other foods to avoid include tomatoes (contain histamines), chocolate, cheese, gluten, and fruits like bananas, which can cause congestion.
—
Poor nutrition can result in a myriad of negative health impacts including causing or exacerbating your sinus symptoms. Refined sugars, for example, can create an imbalance of hormones in your system and actually promote the growth of “negative” bacteria (unlike the ‘good’ bacteria in your intestines or gut). This is why it’s also very important to avoid processed and refined foods. If the first paragraph didn’t give it away, then this should. Also be aware of the fact that eating healthy will make you feel more satiated with less calories. With discipline, this can make eating healthy even easier.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Sinuses Healthy
2. Intermittent Fast
Fasting is what can be described as a “miracle cure,” but it does not mean that it fixes everything. Fasting works well for prevention, but it can also help fix problems (to some degree), that have already happened. The mechanism that helps your body during fasting is detoxification via HGH, autophagy, and starving harmful cells. So far, there is only limited evidence that fasting improves the common cold or flu.
—
On the other hand, a number of studies suggest that eating certain foods may improve cold and flu symptoms. Avoiding food can be good, but it’s important to be sure that you’re not starving yourself. This means that you shouldn’t go in too hard too fast. It’s also important to be sure that you’re getting your nutrients in, especially during a prolonged fast. If you’re just starting out, it’s extremely important to get your nutrients in … if you decide to fast. A good mixture of intermittent and prolonged fasting is highly important. It does not mean that you should not eat.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Sinuses Healthy
3. See a Doctor
Going to see a doctor, personal or otherwise, is important if you want to avoid getting sick. Be it a yearly checkup or after you sense a problem in an emergency, seeing a doctor is important for prevention. If you have a problem, a doctor can prescribe you some fairly basic medicine, i.e., decongestants, etc. Consulting with a doctor is very important, so be sure to list your medical history and give the lowdown on what you know while asking questions. Sinus issues should be covered, regardless of any other preexisting issues you may have.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Sinuses Healthy
4. Avoid Damage and Sickness
Avoiding any kind of damage is simple enough, and it often involves avoiding pain. If you avoid having your nose destroyed, it won’t have a negative effect on your sinuses, too. You also want to avoid getting sick, because, at least in the short-term, this can make things worse for you sinuses and overall health.
—
Nowadays, sicknesses can directly affect the sinus cavities and ruin your smell as well. If you want to avoid this, the best thing you can do is be safe and evade sickness all together. Wearing the proper gear and protection is important, so when considering staying healthy and avoiding sickness, oblige yourself. This also includes wearing protective gear around your face when duty calls.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Sinuses Healthy
5. Exercise
Making sure to exercise is a healthy way to live, and it’s a very healthy lifestyle choice. Exercise, similar to yoga, can help reduce sinus pressure. Physical activity can increase blood circulation and temporarily relieve congestion to ease breathing. Although uncomfortable to perform while being sick, physical activity can help to improve your recovery time and speed healing. It’s okay to exercise if you feel up to it, but take extra precautions.
—
Sinusitis can cause dizziness and problems with coordination, so don’t lift weights until your symptoms improve. If you feel pressure in your chest, sit out until you feel better. When you have trouble breathing, it can overtax your heart. Just remember that, even if small, anything that helps tiny issues like a cold, is helping your sinuses.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Sinuses Healthy
6. Take Supplements
There are plenty of supplements on the market that can give you a boost when it comes to your sinuses. Since they’re located inside your face behind the nose, they may come in nasal spray form. You can also take pills to help you, and they’re typically a better alternative to medicine, especially if affording them, time or price, is hard. Difficulty aside, being sure to get your daily vitamins and minerals in is important, even if it’s not a cure. It’ll certainly protect you from getting sicker, so be sure to understand this.
—
If you find any branded supplements (like ones listed here), be sure to do some research and find what may work best for you. If you can’t get your daily nutrition, try to find a decent supplement. Otherwise, you shouldn’t worry too much, because it’s a supplement, and you need to first consider your diet.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Sinuses Healthy
7. Avoid Stress
Stress and anxiety can affect your sinuses indirectly, and it can do it in nasty fashion. It does so by increasing your susceptibility to a range of health issues that, in turn, worsen your sinus problems. Sustained stress can weaken your body’s immune system. This ends up making you more vulnerable to the effects of allergens, as well as germs, bacteria, viruses, and infections. This is why it is important to avoid thinking you’re sick or stressing about daily activities. The more you rely on this stress to get through your day, the worse off you will be for it. Beyond weakening your immune system, crying and clogged, stuffy noses can contribute beyond this stress; this gives your sickness a head start.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Sinuses Healthy
8. Clean Your Sinuses
Clean sinuses are good sinuses, and clearing them out is the way to do it. You can even have a doctor drain your sinuses for you, but it’s something that you can do at home, too. All you have to do is insert water (snorting) into your nose and lift your head back to allow the water to leak through your system. You can even do this in the shower, and occasionally, an intranasal spray is involved to help the process as well.
—
A lot of the water and waste will enter your mouth through the back, but all you have to do is spit it out. The rest will come out of your nose as you blow it. This allows you to breathe better, and gets rid of waste that can later cause complications. If water insufflation does not do it for you, there are always alternatives … not really, except what’s listed here. Cleaning your sinuses is a one-size fits all solution though.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Sinuses Healthy
9. Avoid Drugs and Allergies
Recreational drug use can cause neglect and indirectly cause problems with the sinuses. It’s not to say that all drugs are bad, especially ones that are specifically designed for symptoms of nasal congestion and other sinus issues. Even then, they can be counterproductive to the issue at hand (or other issues, and can be improperly taken or prescribed.
—
Cannabis in particular does not seem to cause any issues, and it may even help with sinus problems. There are more reasons to avoid drugs that you don’t need, so taking them is a given to be bad. There are also some gnarly side-effects to some prescription medications that you should consider too. Just be aware that, needing them or not, drugs aren’t to be taken unless necessary.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Sinuses Healthy
10. Don’t Be Overweight
Being a healthy weight is important for more than one reason, and it’s all the reason to kill more birds with one stone. People who are obese may be more likely to have allergies or chronic sinusitis than people who aren’t. A study concluded that obesity was significantly associated with increased risk of having chronic rhinosinusitis, with an odds ratio of 1.31. Although the study examined a large sample, the diagnosis of paranasal sinus disease was based on diagnosis codes. This is all the more reason to avoid being overweight, so be sure to follow some of the previous items on this list to help out.
Final Thoughts: The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Sinuses Healthy
There you have it! Those are some of the best and simplest (general) ways to keep your sinuses healthy. Be sure to keep up with your overall health. The more you do this, the more you will avoid other complications, too. It’s rather simple, so get used to it, and go out and make a better lifestyle choice day after day. Before long, you’ll find that any sickness you may have had has lessened or gone away entirely. Who knows, you may even accomplish something along the way. The basics are here for just about every ailment, so start now, nose-it-alls.