With spring’s blooms – and grasses and flowering trees – come headaches and sinus distress for many people.

Sinus pressure as a result of colds or allergies does not mean you need to see your primary care provider, though. There are a few home remedies that can help soothe your symptoms and get you through the season.

According to Peter Gates, MD, a primary care provider with Hartford HealthCare Medical Group’s office in Waterford, try the following for relief if you’re feeling pressure in your face and sinuses:

  • Use over-the-counter saline spray to rinse the pollens and mucous out of your sinuses. You can do this two to three times a day.
  • Try other irrigation devices like a Neti pot to rinse out your sinuses and keep the mucous membrane moist. With this special device, you pour distilled water into one nostril. It then flows into your other nostril to flush both.
  • Inhale steam from a shower or by boiling a pot of water on the stove and breathing in the steam that comes off of it. The steam can relieve pressure by opening up the nasal passages.
  • Stay hydrated. Keeping your body – and mucous membranes in your sinuses – hydrated can help them work properly.

“Sinus pressure can often be a migraine variant, so it’s important to monitor the symptoms to see if they worsen,” Dr. Gates notes.

If you feel progressively worse even after home remedies – or experience disabling pain, nausea, vomiting or vision changes – he suggests seeking professional care.

“Persistent pressure can be caused by severe allergies, infections or polyps, all of which require the help of a primary care provider,” Dr. Gates says.

To find a primary care provider accepting new patients your area, visit HartfordHealthCare.org.