What sinusitis is
The sinuses are air spaces behind the cheeks, forehead and eyes, lined with tissue that makes mucus and drains it into the nose. When that lining swells, after a cold, with allergies or around nasal polyps, drainage stalls. Congestion, pressure across the face, a dulled sense of smell, a drip down the throat and a cough at night follow. Most acute sinusitis follows a virus; chronic sinusitis is the version that hangs on for months. Saline rinses, steroid sprays, sometimes antibiotics and, for stubborn cases, an ENT workup are the usual path.
When to get urgent care
A sinus infection can rarely spread. Swelling or redness around the eye, double vision or a change in sight, a severe headache with a stiff neck, confusion, or a high fever needs emergency care first. Call 911.
Reading the discharge
The classics call chronic sinusitis bí yuān (鼻淵), a nose that drips as if from a deep spring. Thick, yellow, foul-smelling discharge with a bitter taste and headaches at the temples is read as Gallbladder heat rising to the nose. A heavy head, sticky drip and a sluggish stomach after rich food point to damp-heat in the center. Thin, clear, endless drip that worsens in cold air and comes with tiredness is the Lung too weak to keep the passage warm. Most people carry two of these at once.
How we work with it
Acupuncture beside the nose and over the brow is paired with distal points chosen for your pattern. Gua sha or cupping across the upper back and neck can be added when the surface feels locked. For a cold, deficient picture, a practitioner might consider Magnolia Flower Powder (Xīn Yí Sǎn, 辛夷散); a hot picture calls for cooling instead. Food advice follows the same reading, often less dairy, sugar and alcohol in damp cases (dietary therapy).
We keep track with you of congestion, facial pressure, sense of smell and how often infections return.
Formulas here illustrate how pattern diagnosis shapes treatment. They are not recommendations; a practitioner selects and adjusts formulas for the individual.
Questions people ask
Can acupuncture help chronic sinus congestion?
Many people feel the face loosen and the nose open while the needles are in, and acupuncture has been studied as a supportive therapy for chronic rhinosinusitis. We treat the pattern behind the congestion and work alongside your physician or ENT.
When is a sinus infection an emergency?
Swelling or redness around the eye, double vision or a change in sight, a severe headache with a stiff neck, confusion, or a high fever need urgent medical care first. Call 911 or go to an emergency department.
Do I still need antibiotics or a steroid spray?
That is your physician's decision, and we never ask you to stop or skip a prescription. Our work is added to the care you already have.
What does the color of my mucus mean in Chinese medicine?
It is one of the main clues. Thick yellow or green discharge leans toward heat, clear or white toward cold or deficiency, and a sticky, heavy drip toward damp. The pulse, tongue and the rest of your history fill in the picture.
This is general wellness information, not medical advice.
