I just found out that my years of sinus problems have been caused by TOOTH GRINDING, not allergies! That's why allergy meds never stopped my chronically stuffy nose. I am not crazy after all! Most doctors have never heard of this. See a dentist who specializes in TMJ syndrome.

How long have you had relief and what made you try the mouthpiece...ie. jaw pain, dizziness? Any tips are appreciated. I get numbness in my cheeks that my docs think is sinuses, maybe it's TMJ.

I have had TMJ syndrome for 15 years (headaches and jaw pain) and I was using a bite guard, which is basically the kind of thing that boxers wear. Unfortunately, a bite guard doesn't stop you from grinding your teeth, it just minimizes the damage. Meanwhile, I have been suffering from chronic sinus problems that I thought were caused by allergies (but which were not really helped by meds or nasal sprays). I recently noticed that I had practically chewed through my bite guard so I went to the dentist. He gave me a new kind of dental appliance called an NTI (see <www.nti-tss.com> ). This appliance goes on the front teeth and prevents tooth grinding by keeping the molars from coming together. The first morning, I woke up without a headache, but also, without a stuffy nose for the first time in decades. I called the dentist and asked him if tooth grinding could have been causing my sinus problems, and he said yes! See <www.drjimboyd.com/book/8th_sth.htm> for a discussion (kind of technical) about tooth grinding and sinus problems.

Good luck!
Rebecca

Very interesting!! I've noticed a correlation between tension in my jaw and sinus problems. I know it's not the cause of my sinus problems, but it definitely is connected to it. It used to feel good to wear my plastic retainers (left over from the teenage-braces years)when my sinuses would get so bad that my teeth would hurt. Amazing how everything is so intertwined! Where you told exactly how the tension/teeth grinding affects/causes sinus problems?Would be interesting to know..
Nat

According to my dentist, clenching of the
lateral pyerygoid muscles, which are attached to the bones housing the maxillary sinuses, can cause deep sinus pain and inflammation. He told me that many of his patients report relief from sinus congestion as a result of the NTI dental device (described in my prior post).

Article about the NTI device: http://www.drgoodman.net/migraine_headache_book/html/how_nti_works.html