Sinus infections are very common and everyone may have them. However, symptoms vary from person to person. It depends on the cause of the infection, whether it's bacterial, fungal, or viral. You can also develop a sinus infection from allergies. It also depends on the makeup of your body. Your sinuses are small cavities in the bones of your face. They contain air, but blockage can cause an infection. This article will help you understand if nausea is one of the many symptoms of a sinus infection and how to deal with it.
Can Sinus Infection Cause Nausea?
Yes, if you have a sinus infection nausea could be one of the many symptoms. There are a few different reasons why this happens. These include:
1. Swallowing Mucus
If you don't blow your nose or flush your sinuses, the drainage will drain down the back of your throat. If you have a habit of swallowing this mucus it can upset your stomach. If you have a sinus infection due to allergies, you may increase the allergic response once the allergen in the mucus hits your stomach.
While bacteria are usually killed by the acid in your stomach, viruses or fungal infections may upset your stomach. Women who are pregnant may feel nauseous or vomit mucus due to increased hormone levels.
2. Vertigo from Blockage
A sinus infection can block the Eustachian tubes that drain the ears. This can lead to fluid buildup in the inner ear, causing a middle ear infection in which nausea is one of the main symptoms. This is common in younger children and smaller adults that have small Eustachian tubes.
3. Infection Moving Elsewhere
With a sinus infection nausea could result due to the spread of the infection. If you leave a sinus infection untreated, it can spread to areas like the brain, spine, or blood. These are medical emergencies and need to be treated right away.
4. What About Dizziness?
You can experience dizziness with a sinus infection from blocked sinuses and nasal passages. If the blockage causes too much buildup near the middle ears and even the eyes, it can lead to dizziness. It is a common symptom of a sinus infection to feel "off-balance."
Some people experience dizziness by itself and don’t get the accompanying nausea, but the majority of people feel sick from feeling dizzy. It is a more common symptom than you think and the best way to get rid of dizziness and nausea is to treat the actual infection and use simple home remedies to relieve sinus pressure.
How to Overcome Nausea Caused by a Sinus Infection
There are some simple and easy tricks to relieve nausea associated with sinus infections. These include:
1. Ginger
Ginger can help calm your stomach and ease nausea. It is also a natural antibiotic and anti-inflammatory. Ginger can also help with nausea caused by dizziness. You can take ginger in capsule form or boil one cup of water and steep one teaspoon in a tea bag. They also make ginger lozenges to suck on that work very quickly.
2. Hot Tea
It's really annoying to suffer a sinus infection. Nausea makes it much worse. This is when hot tea can come to help. Hot tea is one of the oldest and best remedies for any upper respiratory infection including the sinuses. The steam will help open things up and the warmth will settle your stomach. Plus, you can drink tea all day long for relief.
3. Dry Toast
Dry toast can help to soak up stomach acid and mucus, relieving nausea.
4. Peppermint
Not only does the menthol oil in peppermint help relieve sinus congestion, it can also help relieve nausea by soothing the stomach. Suck on a peppermint hard candy or even just breathe in the essential oil.
5. Nasal Rinses
Nasal rinses are highly popular these days to help prevent sinus infections and relieve excess pressure. It is most commonly known as the "neti-pot" and there are several versions available. It uses warm water and salt to recreate the pH of the nasal passages and sinuses. If you were to use plain water it would burn. To apply, place the water bottle in one side and pour the water in and allow it to drain from the other nostril. You can do this once or twice a day until you feel relief.
6. Steam
Getting into a hot shower and breathing in steam can help relieve sinus pressure fast. This will help you breathe better and get rid of excess mucus that causes nausea.
7. Rest
Sometimes when you're sick, all you need is a day off to rest. If you are feeling severe symptoms, stay home and take a break. Symptoms like nausea may be your body’s way of telling you to slow down.
Other Symptoms of a Sinus Infection
When you have a sinus infection, nausea is not the only symptoms that you'll have to suffer. Other symptoms include:
- A thick mucus discharge from the nose and in the throat. The doctor can look at the back of the throat and see signs of post nasal drip.
- Blocked nose and sinus passages. You feel very congested deep in your nose and face. You will also have trouble breathing from the nose.
- Facial pain over the cheekbones and above the eyes. Some people even feel scalp pain with a bad infection.
- Lack of taste and smell
- Coughing, especially when you lie down at night
- Earaches
- Pain in the sides of the neck below the ears
- Jaw pain
- Tooth pain
- Feeling tired
- Irritability
- Breath odor
- Throat pain