There’s a reason that a certificate to Beaumont Massage & Spa is a standby gift: massages are relaxing! While massages tend to focus on relieving soreness in the body, one lesser-known fact is that they can also help improve your sinus infection symptoms.
The Perks of Massaging Your Sinuses
When you have a sinus infection, your sinuses fill with thick mucus. That mucus exerts pressure on the sinuses’ walls, causing an uncomfortable facial ache or pain. Massaging your sinuses is one effective way to clear that mucus.
Your Sinus Massage Guide
Massage your sinuses with the following motions:
- Slowly glide your index fingers from either side of your nostrils up to your eyebrows
- Apply gentle pressure to the area just beneath your brows and make circular motions for about ten seconds
- Lightly pinch along your eyebrows with your thumb and forefinger, starting near the inside of your brows and moving out towards your temples
- Starting back at your inner eyebrows, glide your fingers along the bowline to your temples
- Place your fingers on either side of your nostrils at the top of your smile lines, and trace downward on your smile lines
- Trace your fingers from the sides of your nose out along your cheekbones and to your ears
- From your ears, move your fingers up towards your temples, across your brows and down either side of the bridge of your nose
- Do step seven in reverse
Repeat each step of the sinus massage a few times for optimal results.
Combining Sinus Massage With Other Relief Options
Sinus massage will be most effective when combined with other sinus relief options, including:
- Irrigation. Irrigate your sinuses with a Neti pot and a saline solution.
- Warm compresses. Apply a warm compress to your cheeks, nose, eyes and forehead for ten minutes before the massage.
- Hydrate. Staying hydrated will thin the mucus in your sinuses[1], allowing it to drain. Drink plenty of water, herbal tea or fruit juice to reach your daily eight cups.
If you experience frequent or long-lasting sinus infections, call Southeast Texas Ear, Nose & Throat, LLP today to speak with one of our specialists about your treatment options.
[1] Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). *Nasal congestion*. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17980-nasal-congestion
