Autumn Allergy Blues

It's fall again, and we are all getting back into school and work routines.  What non-allergy sufferers don't realize is that autumn is also Hay Fever Season.  This is the season when allergy sufferers experience congestion, coughing, sneezing, sinus infections, and sinus pain. Sometimes the sinus infections cause tooth pain because the fluid in the inflamed sinuses exerts pressure on the roots of the top back teeth (which sit directly beneath or inside the maxillary sinuses.) Nasal and sinus congestion also makes it difficult to breathe through the nose so patients resort to mouth breathing.  Sleep quality decreases, and the open mouth posture changes the muscle balance of the face. The inward pressure of the lips and cheeks is not counterbalanced by the tongue which is not properly postured against the palate. Over time, this causes a narrowing of the dental arch form and dental crowding. The lip muscles which are not used to close the lips become atrophied, it becomes difficult to close the lips, and the profile changes.

Sinus rinsing is a great way to decrease sinus congestion before the congestion leads to an infection. The warm volume-saline-rinse washes out accumulated mucus and allergens while it decreases inflammation of the sinus lining. Neti-pots and Neil-Med bottles are both delivery systems that can be used for sinus rinsing, but the head posture is different for each system. The Neti-pot requires the user to tip the head to the side. This can trigger TMJ pain.  The Neil-Med system requires the user to tip the head forwards, which is more comfortable for the neck muscles and Tempero-mandibular joint. Eight ounces of warm pre-boiled water is mixed with a measured packet of buffered salt, and is delivered into the nose by inserting the tip into one nostril and squeezing the bottle gently. When the nose is clear, the water comes out of the opposite nostril.  If the nose is congested, simply remove the delivery device and let it drip out of the same nostril. Then blow your nose, and repeat. (My shortcut is to save pre-boiled water in a clean tempered glass jar after boiling it for another purpose. Then when you add 2 ounces of freshly boiled water to 6 ounces of the saved room temperature pre-boiled water, the correct temperature is achieved without having to wait for it to cool.) My patients who have started daily sinus rinsing, at least through their worst allergy seasons, have less nasal congestion, fewer sinus infections, and breathe through their noses more consistently. They also stop coughing up mucus because they have eliminated the post nasal drip, and they experience better quality sleep. (See my post 4/2/2019 "Headaches and Sinus Rinsing".)