Today's topic
Today on A.Vogel Talks Menopause, I answer the question, "Can menopause cause sinus problems?"
If you are finding that you're getting sinus problems, maybe this is something that's just started. If you're already prone to them, are you finding that you're getting them more often, they're worse or they're lasting longer? Interestingly, this can be part of the menopause.
So, what I'm going to do today is to look at how the menopause can affect the nose, how it can cause sinus problems, and what you can do to help yourself.
Sinus problems you may experience
The main sinus problems are blocked sinuses or nasal congestion. Your sinuses are little spaces in the front part of the facial bones which come across the top of your cheekbones, down the side of the nose, to the low centre of your forehead and round the top of the eyes.
Very often, these can get compacted. There can be a build-up of mucus and they can become infected and inflamed. That causes a lot of pressure which then leads to discomfort and pain.
When the sinuses start to get blocked, you'll get congestion and you can possibly get headaches. You might find that your nose starts to get really dry and maybe more irritated.
You might find that you sneeze a lot more. It can also be pressure building up which can give rise to really bad, constant headaches or even migraines and, basically, just constant or ongoing pain.
What causes sinus problems during menopause?
Let's take a look at what can cause sinus problems to occur during menopause:
Falling oestrogen
We do know that falling oestrogen can affect the mucous membranes, so it starts to dry everything out. If all of this area gets dry, you are more likely to get infections. You're more likely to get mucus production because the body's trying desperately hard to produce more mucus to make up for the fact that the mucous membranes are drying out. That will then lead to congestion.
It's quite interesting because a lot of women find that they're more prone to sinus infections or discomfort before a period. Some women find that this happens when they're pregnant. It can all be due to the fluctuating levels of oestrogen affecting the mucous membranes in this whole area.
Weakened immune system
It can also be due to a weakened immune system making you more prone to infection. With all the physical and hormonal changes that are going on, this can impact on our immune system and make it that little bit weaker. That can make you more vulnerable to these types of infections.
If you have found that this is something you're getting more of the further through the menopause you go, then it may be due to the fact that your immune system is needing a little bit of support.
With a weakened immune system, some women find that they also get things like allergic rhinitis. There's also something called postnasal drip. You might find that there's a lump of mucus at the back of the throat that always seems to be there or you might be able to feel something dripping down the back of your throat. Often when you try to cough to bring everything up, nothing shifts at all.
Headaches/migraines
The other thing that can happen associated with the sinus problems is migraines and headaches. If you imagine this whole area is really under a lot of pressure, that's going to then lead to headaches, and for some women, it can trigger migraines as well.
What can help ease sinus pain and congestion during menopause?
There a several things you can do to help your sinuses during menopause. Here are a few things which I recommend:
Nasal sprays
You can try nasal sprays but be really careful because some of the conventional nasal sprays cause something called a rebound. You use the spray, it opens up the nose, you feel a lot more comfortable, and then an hour or two later, everything just shuts again and you end up with the same problem. You have to take more spray to get comfortable again and you can almost end up getting hooked on these sprays.
You need to keep taking them in order to get the benefit so you need to look at sprays that are not going to cause that rebound effect.
We do one called Sinuforce Nasal Spray which can help with blocked noses. It can help with pressure and ease possible congestion. The spray contains things like peppermint, eucalyptus and also chamomile, which is very soothing.
In these conditions, because the nasal passages often get really dry, they can get irritated and sore, so you want something that's really nice and soothing.
Sinuforce Nasal Spray + menthol for nasal catarrh and congestion
- Rapid relief for nasal catarrh and a blocked pr congested nose
- Reduces swelling of the nasal mucous membranes
- 100% natural ingredients soothe nasal mucus membranes
- Contains peppermint oil and eucalyptus oil to ease breathing, and also chamomile oil to soothe the nose
- Suitable for longer-term use.
"A good natural product helped relieve my sinus problems, did not feel as clogged up and helped me breath through my nose better."
If it's more allergic rhinitis and you are sneezing or getting allergies as well as the facial congestion, then you can look at our Pollinosan Nasal Spray, which is licensed for the symptoms of allergies.
Steaming
Breathing in steam, and combining that with an essential oil blend can help ease congestion and ease pain.
This is an old-fashioned remedy whereby you put specific oils in a bowl of hot water, put a towel over your head, and spend 5 or 10 minutes just breathing the steam in. For some people, although it's a little bit time-consuming, it can be a great way of easing the congestion and clearing out all the passages.
Our Po-Ho oil which contains a blend of essential oils, including peppermint, eucalyptus and juniper, can be used for this. It's very strong so you only need one or two drops in a bowl of water.
Support your immune system
At this particular moment in time, our immune systems may also have been slightly compromised because we might not have been going out so much or mixing socially so much. Our immune system has had less work to do over the last few years so supporting our immune system may help.
You could look at herbs such as echinacea. This is known to help to support immune function. Our Echinaforce Cold and Flu drops and tablets contain fresh extracts of Echinacea and helps fight colds and flu by supporting the immune system.
Minerals such as zinc, vitamin C and vitamin D can all help to support and improve immune function.
Sea Buckthorn Oil
If dryness is an issue, then you can look at a supplement called Sea Buckthorn Oil. This is a great one because it works for dryness in all mucous membrane areas in the body, not just in the nose. Sea buckthorn will help with dry eyes, dry mouth, vaginal dryness and bladder irritation.
Be aware of food sensitivities
For some women, food sensitivities can be part of the problem. The two main culprits for sinus issues are wheat and dairy. So, if you eat a lot of dairy products (cheese, yogurt and milk) or you tend to eat a lot of wheat in various forms such as bread, biscuits or pasta, you might find that cutting these two foods down for a month might make a great deal of difference, especially in easing the production of mucus.
I hope you found this one helpful. If any of you out there have been experiencing this particular condition and you have found remedies that have really helped you, then please share them. We would love to hear about them.
Until then, take care.
