Bad day - sinuses

[rb1978]

Anyone else get strange sinussy feelings? Difficult to describe but I've been having them for the last few weeks. I have sensitive sinuses anyway and nasal polyps (I think though I was last examined for them last year) but lately I've been noticing more tension around the sinus and eye area. I can trace it back to having an eye test a few weeks ago when my eyes were a little dry and then panic started...what if it's the nasal polyps/I've read they can affect your eyes in rare cases/what if all my sinuses were clogged and it's going to damage my eyesight/what if I'm going blind/eye cancer/nasal cancer etc etc

I've had a few days, today being one of them, when it's been really bad - this morning it just felt like someone was pressing on my head and cheeks and round my eyes...and all the time with me worrying about it and thinking it can't be anxiety, or can it, no it can't, it must be, no it's serious etc etc.

Just wondered if anyone had had similar pains/sensations. I suppose I'm still at the stage where I question where anxiety can cause this to happen...

[Lissy43]

You sound just like me, I have suffered with ear pressure and sinus pain for years esp the last 3 years and its the same amount of time ive suffered from health anxiety.

Drs gave me anti bs so many times and steroid sprays but I got no relief. I ended up seeing an ENT dr last November, I had pressure in my cheek, my eyes, forehead, ear pressure and even pains down my arms & legs. I had a ct scan and all was fine. They think its anxiety or neuralgia. They think because im always so tense with worry then it causes the muscles in my ears and face to be tense and cause the pain, makes sense.

If you are worried see an ENT dr or go back to your GP and discuss your concerns.

I do suffer with cathar in my ears alot aswell as sinus pain esp in damp or very humid weather and today my sinuses and ears were feeling full as soon as I got up, its very humid at the moment.

[Miss Pink]

Hi rb1978,

DON'T WORRY it's anxiety :D , I had exactly the same symptoms as you when my anxiety was at its peak. I had very bad sinus pain like you describe, was popping sudafed like smarties, going back and forth to my Doctor for different rhinitis sprays etc.

As you already have sensitive sinuses, your anxiety is contributing to it. The ear tension you describe is CLASSIC ANXIETY. I used to feel as though someone had their little finger stuck in my ear, but my Doctor explained that when you are anxious, although you do not realise it, all of your muscles are tensing (think of your shoulders right now - let them flop right down, I bet you didn't realise how tense you are holding them). You have tiny muscles in your ear, and when you are anxious, these tense too so you feel as though something is there, you might hear a buzzing sound every now and then or sometimes they ache.

As with all anxiety symptoms, the more you focus on this, the more exaggerated they will become. Your optician would have picked up anything wrong with your eyes during your eye test, so trust me, try and relax about these symptoms and I bet you a tenner, a few months down the line, they will have virtually disappeared (and hopefully you won't be like me and move on to the next crazy thing e.g., blue frog syndrome lol etc)

DON'T google, see your Doctor maybe one more time, they can prescribe steroid drops for polyps that can reduce/eliminate them for you. Tell him your concerns and BELIEVE him !!

I know how hard it is, I'm having a bad time at the minute too, but trust me, you have nothing to worry about, I had the same and it got much better once I started to ignore the thoughts and telling myself over and over "It's nothing to worry about" like a crazy parrot :yesyes:

Take Care

Rachael xx

P.S I try this when I get sinusy - e.g., in hot offices with the heating on etc



Shiatsu applies pressure to the meridians (energy pathways) to open blocked nasal and sinus (http://www.ehow.com/how_6607_shiatsu-sinus-headache.html#) passages and relieve the pain and discomfort of sinusitis.

Instructions for Sinus Relief


STEP 1: Use the pads of your index fingers to press under the bony ridge at the inner edge of your eyebrow to ease the eye pain and fatigue associated with increased sinus pressure.
STEP 2: Relieve frontal sinus pain by applying pressure to the point on the back of your hand at the web between your thumb and index finger.
STEP 3: Locate the point just below the cheekbone and level with the pupil of your eye as you look straight ahead. Press upward to relieve nasal and head congestion as well as pressure from behind the eyes and eye fatigue.
STEP 4: Promote relief from a frontal headache (forehead) and release pressure from behind your eyes by using your thumb pads to apply pressure to your forehead approximately one finger-width above your eyebrow and level with the pupil of your eye.
STEP 5: Decrease inflammation and clear your stuffy, runny nose by pressing your index fingers to the outer borders of the nose where the nasal flesh meets the face. Hold the pressure for five to seven breaths to open the nasal passages.
STEP 6: Find relief from sinus headaches and allergy symptoms by stimulating the area on top of the foot where the bones between the big toe and the second toe merge.
Well I don't know about the foot bit, (I haven't tried it), but the rest seems to help !:D

[neptuno]

Hello !
Great advice ! Also tree pollen count is exceptional at the moment - so its not surprising you're feeling so bad - and worrying makes it even worse.
Be kind to yourself

[lisa smith]

hi guys. i have suffered from sinus/polyps since i stoppeed smoking, idoctors tried me with everything from antibiotics to nasal sprays, then sent me for a ct scan. now i have to go in for an operation to have them removed, as i cant take the pain and pressure any more, the anxiety does make it worse, when your body is so tense. so hopefully this operation will reduce my anxiety..

[Daniel S]

I keep getting a similar pain, however, it comes and goes and pain killers have no effect on it at all. I have come to the conclusion it is anxiety and has nothing to do with any "real" problem. I might still see a doctor about it though.

[Brandy snap]

I got hit at the top of my nose by a flying frisby while on holiday about 25 years ago. Since then I have felt that my right nostril is always stuffy and not much air goes up or down it. A few years ago I noticed a blue area in the roof of my mouth and when I showed it to my dentist she referred me to hospital and I had to have two operations to remove an intraboney haemangioma which turned out to be 'the size of a pigeon's egg'. I had a hole in the roof of my mouth as big as a pound coin and unless I wore this special thing, if I drank anything it came down my nose - disgusting. (It has now healed completely). I don't know if the frisby caused this - he thought I was born with it and it grew - it was benign. Well after this operation I mentioned my nose and was told I had a deviated septum and some 'excess flesh' which could both be rectified during another operation. I went for the preliminary talk before having this op. and the day after one of our best friends (who was in hospital having a similar op.) fainted with a blood clot which had broken away after the op. and was in intensive care for several days. This scared the life out of me and I decided I'd rather put up with this feeling like there is something permanently in my nose than risk that happening. Every day (when my nose feels bad) I wonder if I did the right thing. Brandy Snap

[Shadowwin]

here in upstate New York we have two real seasons Sinus Season and Snow... :)

I know all about bad sinuses I've had them for years starting in March continuing on till first frost.. and lets couple those with my allergies!!! lol

At first I used to get really anxious about it because my head swims, I get all off balance I can't see straight half the time.. now I just take it as par for the course.. it doesn't keep me from grumbling about them tho!!

I hope you feel better soon

~Trina

[rb1978]

Thanks for your comments. I just keep getting convinced it's going to affect my sight...I can feel myself becoming borderline obsessed with my sinusses and eyes, like really aware of how they feel, and then of course it feels worse. Like someone said on here, I need to keep thinking that if there was anything wrong the optician would have spotted it at the eye test last month...