Can Sinus Infection Cause Nausea

Can Sinus Infection Cause Nausea

Nausea From Sinus Drainage: Causes and Treatment

Sinusitis is nothing to sneeze at! You may already be familiar with the most common symptoms, like headaches, congestion, and pressure inside your sinus cavities, but sinus infections can also cause post-nasal drip — more often referred to as drainage — which may lead to nausea and even vomiting. There exists a link between drainage and stomach issues as well. Post-nasal drip also leaves the throat feeling sore and raw, and in more serious instances, the pain can spread up to the ears. Fortunately, people who suffer at the hands of nausea from sinus drainage have several options available to relieve their symptoms. Although over-the-counter and at-home remedies can typically take care of the problem, there are certain cases where seeing a sinus specialist may be more beneficial in diagnosing and treating your sinus problems.

Understanding Severe Post-Nasal Drip

What is the difference between “normal” post-nasal drip and severe post-nasal drip? How long can post-nasal drip last? And where does sinus drainage go? We receive questions like this at Kaplan Sinus Relief all the time, and for good reason. Severe post-nasal drip comes with a bevy of uncomfortable symptoms and can leave you feeling tired and miserable.

Luckily, the ENT experts at Kaplan Sinus Relief provide several helpful severe post-nasal drip treatments. Learn more about severe post-nasal drip, it’s causes, symptoms, and potential avenues toward relief. And remember: Always feel free to call Kaplan Sinus Relief if for all your sinus-related questions: 713-766-1818.

What is severe post-nasal drip?

The nose, throat, and sinuses are constantly producing mucus. This process usually goes unnoticed, as the mucus is typically diluted saliva long before you swallow it. However, this balance of mucus-to-saliva can be affected by outside factors.

Specifically, a change in the environment such as new allergens or a dramatic shift in the weather can create an uptick in mucus production. Additionally, when your body begins to battle viral infections (including the flu and the common cold) they body may react by creating more mucus in an attempt to flush out the invading germs.

If the sinuses begin creating too much mucus due to an uptick in allergens or when you get ill, the excess mucus drains down the back of the throat, resulting in the condition called post-nasal drip. When post-nasal drip lasts for more than ten days or patients have unrelenting symptoms, they may be experiencing severe post-nasal drip.

Post-nasal drip symptoms

Non-severe post-nasal drip symptoms vary from person to person, but typically include the following:

  • Itchy, scratchy, sore throat
  • Feeling a constant need to clear your throat and/or swallow
  • Excess coughing, particularly at night
  • Nausea
  • Bad breath

Is post-nasal drip serious if it never goes away?

Fortunately, post-nasal drip is a common diagnosis and, outside of severe post-nasal drip cases, frequently clears up on its own. At the same time, post-nasal drip can be triggered by anything from allergens to the common cold or chronic sinus infections, so it can be difficult to identify when this annoying symptom is a sign of a larger issue.

If you experience any of the following severe post-nasal drip symptoms, contact your ENT doctor immediately:

  • Foul-smelling drainage
  • Bloody mucus
  • Unexplained fever
  • Symptoms that have lasted longer than 10 days

Severe post-nasal drip treatments

To successfully treat post-nasal drip you should choose your remedy based on the cause of the built-up mucus. Common and household remedies include:

  • Antihistamines
  • Oral decongestants or nasal decongestants
  • Saline nasal sprays
  • A vaporizer to help maintain hydration in the environment
  • Avoiding dairy products to prevent additional buildup
  • Drinking hot tea or soup to help thin mucus and maintain hydration

Additional frequently asked questions about severe post-nasal drip

  • How long can post-nasal drip last? Efforts to treat post-nasal drip should be taken early on. However, symptoms of severe post-nasal drip may linger for weeks or months. If early treatments fail or symptoms increase after 10 days, you may need to visit your doctor.
  • Can post-nasal drip cause nausea? Yes, common symptoms of post-nasal drip include nausea and vomiting caused by extra mucus in the stomach. Patients may find relief from post-nasal drip induced nausea by drinking herbal teas, consuming ginger, and avoiding dairy products.
  • How can I stop coughing from post-nasal drip at night? To reduce coughing at night, try keeping a humidifier near your bed. Humid air can help thin the mucus within the sinuses, allowing your cough to subside. Other remedies include continued hydration and sleeping on propped up pillows to prevent mucus from gathering at the back of the throat.
  • Is it normal to experience severe post-nasal drip while pregnant? Unfortunately, yes. For more information, check out our article on post-nasal drip and pregnancy.
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Find relief from severe post-nasal drip at Kaplan Sinus Relief

Balloon Sinuplasty is a minimally invasive sinus procedure performed on eligible patients who suffer from chronic sinusitis. During this minimally invasive, in-office procedure, tiny balloons are placed in the sinus cavities, then dilated to expand and widen the sinus passageways and restore proper drainage.

Tired of dealing with severe post-nasal drip? Forgot what it’s like to live without post-nasal drip sore throat? Balloon sinuplasty at Kaplan Sinus Relief can help. Check out our most recent balloon sinuplasty patient reviews, read up on balloon sinuplasty aftercare, then give us a call at 713-766-1818 to request a consultation today.

Other Helpful Resources by Kaplan Sinus Relief:

  • Fighting Autumn Allergies
  • Nasal Swelling Causes
  • What to Do When You Have a Stuffy Nose and Can’t Breathe
  • Why Your Sinus Headache Won’t Go Away
  • Sinus Infection Bad Odor

Nausea From Sinus Drainage: Causes and Treatment

Sinusitis is nothing to sneeze at! You may already be familiar with the most common symptoms, like headaches, congestion, and pressure inside your sinus cavities, but sinus infections can also cause post-nasal drip — more often referred to as drainage — which may lead to nausea and even vomiting. There exists a link between drainage and stomach issues as well. Post-nasal drip also leaves the throat feeling sore and raw, and in more serious instances, the pain can spread up to the ears. Fortunately, people who suffer at the hands of nausea from sinus drainage have several options available to relieve their symptoms. Although over-the-counter and at-home remedies can typically take care of the problem, there are certain cases where seeing a sinus specialist may be more beneficial in diagnosing and treating your sinus problems.

How sinusitis causes nausea

Sinusitis, also known as a sinus infection, occurs when the sinuses are blocked by excess mucus and other bodily fluids. These fluids often appear as bright yellow snot and prevent proper drainage.

More specifically, post-nasal drip causes mucus to accumulate at the back of your nose, which then drips down into your throat and creates a raw soreness. This extra mucus drains down into your stomach, which can cause nausea and vomiting in some patients. To make matters worse, post-nasal drip tends to increase late at night and early in the morning — the times when you’re less likely to have food in your stomach to absorb some of the fluids.

The link between sinus and stomach problems

Can sinus drainage cause an upset stomach and diarrhea? is a common question regarding the mucus in your stomach causing nausea and vomiting. For many people who suffer from sinus issues, the answer is yes. Infected mucus can spread bacteria or fungus down to the digestive tract. Although people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and similar gastric conditions are the most vulnerable, anyone with sinusitis may end up facing an upset stomach or diarrhea alongside their other symptoms. Because chronic sinus infections put you at risk for chronic stomach problems, it’s crucial to get care as soon as possible to prevent further distress.

What causes sinusitis?

Taking proactive steps to avoid the most common causes of sinusitis reduces your risk of also contending with sinus infection nausea. Step one of better understanding your own sinus issues involves finding the factor or factors that cause your sinus infections in the first place.

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Some of the most common sinusitis triggers include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Stress: Can anxiety cause sinus problems? Stress, anxiety, and sinusitis often accompany one another. Mental health causes problems with your overall physical health, including suppressing your immune system and demotivating you to eat nutritious foods. Finding ways to manage your stress and anxiety through therapy and/or other means will make you less susceptible to all sorts of illnesses, not just sinus infections.
  • Weather changes: Sudden weather changes may lead to sinus issues if one of your triggers is rapid shifts in barometric pressure. While you can’t control the weather, you can address your symptoms with over-the-counter medications or a trip to a sinus specialist.
  • Seasonal allergies: Spring and fall allergies and sinusitis tend to go hand in hand for some people around these times of the year. It’s entirely possible to relieve symptoms using over-the-counter options, but seeking long-term treatment for your allergies is more likely to provide extended relief.

Regardless of how your sinus infections originate, all of them pose the risk of nausea from sinus drainage and the possibility of gastric issues. Once you have a solid idea of what external factors cause your problems, you can learn how to best avoid them and what treatment options are available.

How to stop nausea from sinus drainage

Most of the time, all it takes is some simple dietary changes to help relieve the symptoms of your sinus-related nausea.

  • Drink herbal teas: For a natural solution that provides two-in-one relief, herbal teas (also known as tisanes) with peppermint or chamomile soothe sinus pain in addition to relieving nausea.
  • Consume ginger: That familiar ginger ale you drank while dealing with colds as a kid works just as well when you’re an adult! Ginger is known to reduce the inflammation and nausea caused by sinusitis. If you don’t care for the taste of pure ginger, ginger capsules, tea, and/or candies are also options alongside the ever-reliable ginger ale.
  • Avoid dairy: Dairy products provide an ideal environment for offending bacteria to multiply and find their way to your stomach. It actively promotes the creation of mucus and phlegm as well, so avoiding dairy can reduce levels of harmful bacteria and provide symptom relief.

If these changes and over-the-counter remedies fail, it may be a sign that you’re contending with acute or chronic sinusitis. People with this condition suffer from frequent sinus infections that can last up to eight weeks. If you think you might have chronic sinusitis, you will need to seek professional treatment to achieve any kind of lasting relief.

Dealing with nausea from sinus drainage? Kaplan Sinus Relief provides long-term solutions.

If your nausea from sinus drainage and other sinus issues won’t go away, you may be a strong candidate for balloon sinuplasty in Houston. This in-patient procedure is quick, innovative, and provides lasting chronic sinusitis nausea relief on top of many other benefits. Balloon sinuplasty usually doesn’t take more than a half-hour with most patients returning to work within 24 hours of the procedure.

If you’re still unsure about whether or not balloon sinuplasty is necessary for your medical needs, Dr. Kaplan, Kaplan Sinus Relief’s balloon sinuplasty pioneer, is here to help. Experience incredible relief for yourself. Contact us today and schedule a consultation to find out if a balloon sinuplasty is right for you.

More Helpful Articles by Kaplan Sinus Relief:

  • What Does Yellow Mucus Mean?
  • The Difference Between a Sinus Headache vs Migraine
  • Reasons to Get Balloon Sinuplasty
  • What is Ethmoid Sinusitis?
  • How Do You Treat Enlarged Inferior Turbinates?

This article has been reviewed and approved by Michael Kaplan, MD

Dr Narelle Bleasel FACD
Dr Narelle Bleasel FACD

Dermatologist in Battery Point, Australia

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