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Dr. Navya Mysore, a primary care provider at One Medical in Brooklyn, told us that when our nose is exposed to cold and dry air, the lining becomes irritated and inflamed, producing mucus that can result in nasal congestion. That excessive mucus drips into the back of the throat and irritates it, causing a post-nasal drip cough. As if that weren’t enough, she noted, “excess mucus can also obstruct the sinuses and when it becomes trapped this encourages bacteria to grow. If it hangs out for a long time, the increased amount of bacteria can cause a sinus infection.”
This means that caring for your sinuses is not solely a comfort measure, but a preventative one if you are hoping to avoid more serious complications.
Dr. David Godin, an otolaryngologist and president of ENT and Allergy Associates in New York and New Jersey, pointed out that spending more time indoors while surrounded by drying central heating can also be sinus-wrecking because you’re more exposed to allergens such as dust mites and animals that could potentially aggravate sinonasal issues. “Wintertime is also cold and flu season, and therefore there are more cold-like illnesses and sinus infections,” he said. Being indoors and in close contact with other people makes it significantly easier to spread sinonasal infections.
Luckily, both experts agreed that there are steps you can take to assuage nasal and sinus discomfort using common over-the-counter products that you can find online and in stores. Below, we’ve rounded up a handy list of items based on their recommendations for cold-weather sinus care.
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