This content has been reviewed and updated on November 8, 2023.
As the temperatures drop and cold and flu season begins, you might develop a sore throat and runny nose. There is a chance that you’re dealing with dry sinuses rather than a cold. Dry sinuses are characterized by nasal congestion, inflammation, dry nose and throat, and headaches. Fortunately, Canopy offers a variety of solutions for hydrating and soothing dry nasal passages and throat.
The Symptoms of Dry Sinuses
Geographical location, dry home air, household allergens, and certain medications can lead to a dry nose and nasal passages that may produce additional symptoms, including dry sinus headache, dry mouth, and a sore throat.
Healthy sinuses are effectively lubricated with a liquid substance known as mucus. When the sinuses lack sufficient mucus, you may experience dry nose and throat as a result of inflammation and irritation.
So, how do you know if your dry nose and throat is temporary or whether you suffer from chronically dry sinuses? Dry sinuses can lead to a wide variety of ailments, including dry sinus headache, dry mouth, sinus pain, and more. The symptoms of dry sinuses are as follows:
- Dry nose and throat
- Nasal congestion
- Sore throat
- Dry sinus headache or pain around the eyes
- Red and inflamed nasal passages
- Slightly altered sense of smell
- Frequent sneezing
- Dry mouth
- Nosebleeds
3 Causes of Dry Nasal Passages and Throat
Dry nose and throat can result from a variety of factors, including where you live, the humidity levels of your home, and your diet.
1. Geographical Location
Where you live can impact the condition of your mucus membranes. While the body typically adapts to the climate in which we live, that does not eliminate the symptoms that can arise from various climates.
Dry, desert climates can reduce moisture from the body and reduce lubrication in the nose and throat. Areas with a high altitude can similarly dehydrate the body as the air in these regions is dry and thin.
2. Dry Home Air
The ideal humidity levels in the home fall around 40% to 60%. Home humidity levels can drop significantly below 40% in the winter due to the lack of moisture in cold air. Low humidity levels in the home can contribute to dry sinuses, dry skin, flaky scalp, increased susceptibility to colds and the flu, dry eyes, and a chronic cough.
3. Common Household and Environmental Allergens
Mold and mildew exposure is common in bathrooms, the kitchen, or the living room, while certain flowers, pollen, and grass can be swept into your home through your shoes and your clothes. Pet dander can trigger allergy symptoms, which often include inflamed and irritated sinuses that can lead to a dry nose and throat.
When Should You Call the Doctor About Your Dry Sinuses?
While a few lifestyle tweaks are sometimes enough to keep your dry nose and throat in check, dry sinuses can also be a symptom of a much more serious condition requiring the help of an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor. Contact your doctor immediately if your dry sinuses are causing moderate to severe pain or frequent nose bleeds or if you’re experiencing other health complications.
A persistent dry nasal passage and throat could be a symptom of atrophic rhinitis, which causes the nasal passages to produce a thick, hard crust that can impair breathing. It could also be the result of Sjögren syndrome, an autoimmune disease that destroys mucus production, leading to a dry nose, throat, and eyes.
At-Home Dry Sinus Remedies
If your dry nasal passages and throat symptoms are more annoying than they are painful, you can effectively treat them at home. There are a range of solutions, from keeping your home dust- and smoke-free and staying hydrated to using nasal sprays for temporary relief. You can also create a more comfortable environment with help from your favorite Canopy devices.
Use a Home Humidifier
The most effective method for reducing dry sinus headaches and improving a dry nose and throat is adding more moisture to your home. You can achieve this by adding a humidifier to your bedroom or any room where you spend a lot of your time.
A humidifier increases the humidity levels in a room by releasing moisture into the air, allowing you to boost the humidity levels of your home to 40% to 60%. The added moisture in the air will help rehydrate your dry nasal passages and throat, relieving any symptoms of dry sinuses you may be experiencing. Remember to clean your humidifier regularly.
Canopy's original Bedside Humidifier and large Humidifier Plus are anti-mold, no-mist devices that effectively relieve symptoms of dry nose and throat, among many other benefits.
Each humidifier is embedded with UV lights that kill 99.9% of bacteria, mold, and viruses that can lurk in your water tank; the remaining 0.1% is trapped in the disposable paper filter. Traditional warm mist humidifiers boil water to produce steam, which produces vapors that can lead to mold growth. Canopy’s cool mist humidifiers use evaporative technology to draw air from a room, run it through a filter, and release it as cool, hydrated air. Its mist-free operation helps prevent mold while hydrating the nasal passages and throat.
In addition, Canopy Humidifiers are easy to clean with dishwasher-safe components. Just pop your Canopy parts in the dishwasher and rinse on a normal cycle.
Take a Warm Bath or Shower
A warm bath or shower can temporarily elevate moisture levels in the air, which can improve dry nose and throat. Prolonged exposure to steam can cause skin dryness, which is equally uncomfortable, so avoid steamy saunas or particularly long showers.
Installing a filtered showerhead will benefit you further. Tap water contains heavy metals, chemicals, and other contaminants that can cause dry skin, irritation, and inflammation. Removing these irritants with a filtered showerhead can help you achieve healthier, hydrated skin.
The Canopy Filtered Showerhead helps remove chlorine, calcium carbonate, chromium, chloramine, bacteria, and fungi with three types of water filtration media. It is dermatologist-recommended, easy to install, and will help hydrate dry, inflamed skin.
After just one month of use, 87% of users in a Consumer Perception Study reported a reduction in dry skin. Another 87% noticed their skin looked healthier overall. The Canopy Filtered Showerhead even comes with a felt diffuser, so you can enjoy the benefits of aromatherapy while you shower. To keep it clean, simply remove the face of the showerhead and replace the filter every 90 days.
Diffuse Essential Oils
Whether your dry sinuses are the result of allergies or the common cold or flu, diffusing essential oils can help improve your symptoms and encourage rest and relaxation.
Canopy humidifiers include diffusion features, and we offer a standalone device solely for aromatherapy purposes. Our cool-mist, no-smoke Aroma Diffuser is designed to prevent the release of bacteria, particles, mold, and mildew released into the air. This device uses waterless technology and the natural process of evaporation to deliver your favorite aromas without spewing bacteria, particles, or mist that can lead to mold.
The diffuser allows you to diffuse your favorite essential oils into the air in two ways: you can use our easy-to-use diffuser puck for short-term aromatherapy or our Diffusion Well, which allows you to place your favorite bottle of essential oil directly into the Canopy Diffuser for carefree diffusion.
Not only does our diffuser run cleaner, but it’s also easier to maintain. Simply wipe down the top grate and body of the device with a warm cloth. Our diffuser provides the cleanest way of delivering essential oils that can help soothe your symptoms and even help you sleep better, contributing to a healthier immune system.
