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[Dancinggirl]

Hi all

I have always struggled with nasty headaches that I know are related to my sinuses. The pain is mainly around my nose  cheeks and forehead and leaves me feeling utterly exhausted.   Since stopping HRT 2 years ago my headaches have become worse because my sinuses have really dried out - just breathing often stings my nasal passages.  My nose will then run like a tap when outside on walks or after eating.
Winter is awful because when outside I am exposed to a highly humid environment and then indoors an extremely dry environment.  My hubby and I sleep in room with not heating and we tend to dry our clothes in the living room to create more humidity.
I do use saline nasal sprays that can help but I find the crippling headaches exhausting and I can never really know when they will take hold. 

SOooooo I am on a mission to see what natural ways I can manage this.  I will continue using saline nasal sprays and saline washes which do seem to help. However, prevention is my key ambition. 
Coconut oil has really helped around my lady bits - I started using this to moisturise around my pubic bones and upper inner thighs where skin is so dry and found this really good as it doesn't irritate my delicate intimate area. The antibacterial and anti inflammatory nature of coconut oil is apparently good for the nasal passages as well!!! So I am now trying a little on the end of my finger massaged gently on the inside of each nostril nose - morning and evening. I'm already noticing a reduced level or irritation!!!
Another remedy, that is recommended on several reputable sites, seems to be Bromelain!! Though I like to think I am fairly clued up on natural treatments, I had not come across this before and not only is Bromelain good for sinus disorders is has many other therapeutic benefits and is considered very safe!!!  SO, I am going to try this as well!

I thought some of you might be interested to see this link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3529416/

I know many of you get bad headaches, aches and pains in joints and muscles, digestive issues etc. all of which can benefit from Bromelain so I will let you know how I get on.
Hope you find this interesting.  DG x

[Dancinggirl]

I tried no dairy or wheat and felt terrible  and it didn't help my sinuses. We are all different so what works for one doesn't work for another. I know that milk can encourage mucus but for me it's the lack of healthy mucus that is the problem - no oestrogen means everything dries out - so my sinuses are dry and very over sensitive.   
I have switched to soya milk with my cereal in the morning as this seems better on my digestive system.  DG x

[sidse]

Looks interesting! Would it entail eating lots of pineapple or taking Bromelain capsules I wonder?

[Dancinggirl]

It's the core of the pineapple that contains the best bromelian, so one would have to buy a lot of pineapples and find something to do with all the flesh to get what is needed.  Fortunately bromelian supplements can be enough apparently.
I'm clutching at anything that might help right now - my sinuses are so dry and sensitive and throb much of the time. The last thing I want is antibiotics. I'm not expecting miracles but bromelian seems to have so many benefits it seems worth trying.
Sparkle - I am already taking digestive enzymes (the ones I'm taking do contain a small amount of bromelian) which have done wonders for my digestion - heartburn, flatulance etc have all calmed down really well!!!!! DG x

[CLKD]

Pineapple should not be eaten on an empty stomach and might inter-act with some medications, i.e. I'm not allowed grapefruit as I take statins 

I remember sinusitis headaches really well, it was like being drunk for no reason.  Bending forwards was SO painful!  I've also had trigenimal neuralgia which was really painful.

Let us know how you get on.  Would putting head over a Vic/menthal mix in a bowl of hot water under a towel help?   Would a nip of Vaseline in the nostrils help stop the nostrils drying?  R the symptoms better when you have a cold?

[Dancinggirl]

Thanks CKLD - I o the steaming thing - Vicks really aggregates things tough so I just use hot saline water to steam.
You are right, when I get a cold I don't get headaches!!!
I can't eat Pineapples because they are so acidic to eat but the capsules seem to be OK!!!!

I've been using a bit of coconut oil in and in on my nose which is very soothing!!!
It will be interesting to see if my sinuses do improve and I also wonder if it will help with my back pain as well???!!!
DG x

[Dancinggirl]

I had diverticulitis last year - very painful. I was told to do a high fibre diet by the GP (he didn't listen to me when I told him all my food was going straight through me!!!) but my brother-in-law, who is a leading gastroenterologist, told me to do the low residue diet - in fact on his advice I initially did a liquid diet to let things calm down so had Complan for a few days.
I now eat much smaller meals regularly through the day as this helps everything. When I had a flare up of heartburn and stomach pains a month ago, I started the digestive enzymes again and even took liquorice supplements and things settled quite quickly.
Let me know how you get on.
DG x

[Dancinggirl]

Oh Sparkle - you poor thing -  I've been there so I know how awful that is.  Drink lots and nibble rich tea biscuits.  Perhaps try  Fortisip complete nutrition liquid food - I bought this online - I found it really helpful to keep my strength up and it seemed to allow my gut to restore itself.   DG x

[CLKD]

Complan     


When I had irritable bowel diagnosed my gut spasms had almost stopped.  Not much was passing through the system at all, I felt SO sick but if I tried even a couple of sips of tea, it would't go anywhere.  Colpermin peppermint capsules and Mottillium were prescribed and within 3 days I felt better.  Taken with an hour of eating my main meals the idea was to ease any cramping/wind in the upper gut, as well as hurrying food through the digestive system.  I had to take 3 of the motillium tablets which were very tiny in order to get a result and swallowed so many capsules that my poo smelt of peppermint  but the regime saved my Life.

Then I discovered that Actimel worked as well, again, swallowed within the hour of my main meals.  I keep to those for 5-ish years.

Back to the sinuses: wouldn't salt be drying  .  'orbis' oil can be used to steam if my memory serves me half-right?

[Daisydot]

I swear by milk of magnesia sparkle it's so gentle I did a great download with no gripe pains this morning after days of wind and pellets,it seems to help me right away.good luck xx

[Daisydot]

Dancing girl we used olbas oil in a steaming bowl for my husband,the nasal decongestants were putting his blood pressure through the roof,he has recovered really well using that method but like everything it takes time I suppose.good luck xx

[Dancinggirl]

CKLD - I think, like most things, we are all different and need to find our own way forward - what will be ideal for one person may not be for another.   Salt, or rather saline solution, is great for so many things - it's not drying, it's soothing to inhale and is one of the oldest remedies for anything that is sore and inflamed e.g. sore throats, gums etc.
Menthol and eucalyptus ( Albas oil) can clear sinuses ( if you are very bunged up) but can also aggravate the membranes, which can encourage the membranes to reduce more mucus if used too often, so for me it's about calming everything down.  My sinuses feel very dry most of the time but will then run like a tap, so it's not about clearing my sinuses.
I do take the peppermint capsules occasionally after a meal if I feel a bit of indigestion as it helps sometimes. 
The supplement I am taking with each meal has digestive enzymes plus things like peppermint, ginger, fennel, bromelain, papain etc. - so all things that aid digestion and are anti inflammatory.  I wasn't expecting this to work but I have to admit things are greatly improved in just 2 weeks!!!  The Bromelain I am taking separately, is a higher dose to be taken between meals to reduce inflammation in the body generally - let's see if that works over the next couple of weeks.  DG x

[Jeepers]

Hi Dancinggirl,

Do you mind me asking the name of your supplement, and where it can be bought?

thanks

Jeepers X

[Dancinggirl]

Sparkle - I can really empathise.  Take is easy.

Jeepers - I'll do a private message about this supplement.  DG x

[CLKD]

Ginger is good at soothing the gut, it has been used 2 counteract travel sickness too.
We use that as well as lots of garlic in most of our meals, initially garlic gave me reflux but I persevered .........
Boiled, cooled water and a good helping of salt has always soothed my sockets after extraction but OH the taste 
Milk of Magnesia liquid was the stand-by in our house hold in the 1950s/60s and I still have some to hand somewhere
So pleased that you have noticed a difference DG.