Long Beach is a popular destination for tourists, while many choose to settle here. The coastal city is home to one of the world’s busiest ports and is made up of unique neighborhoods that bring life, color, history, and character. Some popular landmarks include the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach Museum of Art, and Museum of Latin American Art.
The coastal weather makes for the perfect opportunity to enjoy various outdoor activities and simply be out in the sun with friends and family. However, unbeknownst to many, coastal air can impact sinus health.
Coastal Air Is Humid
Coastal areas and cities like Long Beach, including its neighborhoods like Belmont Shore, tend to be more humid because of the surrounding large bodies of water. While most people notice significant improvement in their respiratory health, excess humidity can actually make one more susceptible to sinus infections and other sinus issues.
❌ Extreme humidity impacts cilia function, which are tiny hair-like structures in the nasal passages.
It acts as a filter to protect the body from harmful irritants. It also helps move mucus to encourage proper drainage. When the function is impaired, it leaves the body vulnerable to pathogens that can cause sinus infections.
❌ Extreme humidity increases exposure to allergens and other airborne irritants.
Dust mites and pollen thrive in humid conditions, exacerbating sinus symptoms like nasal congestion, mucus buildup, and sinus inflammation and irritation.
❌ Extreme humidity creates the ideal environment for mold growth.
This can cause allergy and chronic sinusitis flare-ups in sensitive individuals.
What Long Beach Residents Can Do to Manage Sinus Health
Follow these practical and effective tips to manage your sinus health, despite the excess humidity in Long Beach’s coastal and salty air:
✅ Manage indoor humidity
Learn ways to manage indoor humidity in your home and keep it at the optimal and healthy level between 30% to 50%:
- Run an indoor humidifier to remove excess moisture in the air.
- Run your A/C unit to further dry out the humid air.
✅ Keep yourself hydrated
Hydration is key to keeping your sinuses healthy and frustrating symptoms at bay:
- Drink plenty of water. This helps thin mucus and encourages proper mucus drainage, preventing mucus buildup and nasal congestion.
- Limit consumption of dehydrating beverages like alcohol and caffeine.
- Hot soups can keep you hydrated.
✅ Irrigate nasal passages
Irrigating your nasal passages with a saline nasal spray or Neti pot is an effective way to:
- Moisturize your sinuses and keep them healthy
- Soothe irritated nasal passages
- Flush out allergens
✅ Try medications
There are medications that can provide relief from sinus issues and symptoms:
- If you have allergies, you can start taking them early before peak allergy season to train your immune system to be less reactive to allergens.
- Antihistamines block inflammation due to an allergic reaction.
- Decongestants break down mucus buildup and promote mucus drainage.
- Topical nasal corticosteroids and nasal sprays reduce nasal inflammation and swelling.
✅ Look into allergy testing
Sinus issues may be behind common sinus symptoms. If you’re a resident of Long Beach or its neighboring city, Signal Hill, get allergy testing from us at Del Rey MD in Long Beach. We can help you identify your irritants and guide you towards a more effective and personalized treatment plan.
✅ Explore available procedures for sinus relief
In some cases, sinus procedures are what your sinuses need for symptom relief and management. We offer balloon sinus dilation and septoplasty at Del Rey MD in Long Beach. Balloon sinus dilation is a non-invasive procedure for chronic sinusitis, and septoplasty reshapes the nasal septum. Both procedures can provide long-term relief from sinus troubles.
Del Rey MD Can Help With Sinus Relief in Long Beach
Living in a coastal area like Long Beach should feel like paradise; however, dealing with frequent sinus problems due to the coastal and humid air can make you feel like the total opposite.
✅ Discover the underlying cause of your sinus problems with Del Rey MD in Long Beach
While it’s common for individuals with sensitive sinuses to deal with sinus problems, you shouldn’t settle for living the rest of your days with them.
Our clinic in Long Beach can help you uncover the underlying cause of your sinus problems. If you’re ready to breathe freely and enjoy the warm breeze, schedule a consultation with our team and let us start you on your journey towards better sinus health.
