It’s All in Your Head: 5 Foods To Avoid if You Have Sinus Issues

Numerous factors can affect the health of your sinuses, from hydration to infections to the food you eat. To keep your body as healthy as possible, it is best to take care of your sinuses by being aware of what you eat when issues start popping up.

Many sinus issues come from thickening mucus, which can be quite irritating. Dairy products naturally create thicker mucus, which can exacerbate any issues in your sinuses. It is best to limit your dairy intake to prevent this from happening. Sugar, specifically refined sugar, is an inflammatory product and may increase swelling when consumed. When your sinuses are swollen, sugar can worsen the symptoms and increase your suffering. While many foods contain natural sugar that is safe for consumption, chocolate, and many other candies contain refined sugar. You need to be careful of eating sweet foods when experiencing sinus issues, as they may contain ingredients that worsen your symptoms.

Many popular foods, like cheese and processed meats, contain safe levels of histamine. Your sinuses are sensitive parts of your body, and histamines can cause issues if you are already struggling. This is because your body responds to histamine like you are having a very mild allergic reaction. Many people can eat gluten without issue, but they should think about avoiding this food when having sinus problems. Gluten can cause a stuffy or runny nose, which is exactly what you want to stay away from if you have a sinus issue. Gluten is one of those foods to avoid when your sinuses start acting up.

Following this guide should not limit your diet too much, as you only need to worry about these things when you have sinus issues. However, frequent sinus issues may point to a bigger problem that needs balloon sinuplasty surgery. Then, you may no longer need to avoid these foods as your sinus issues resolve.