Weird topic, I know. 
Has anyone else noticed this same phenomenon: In the winter, when I have sinus trouble anyway, as soon as I start playing my flute, my sinuses begin stopping up. I currently have a cold. Last night when I played my flute, my sinuses completely sealed shut, it seemed. A few minutes after I stopped playing, they started opening up again. I guess the facial muscles shift while playing in such a way to cause this. Strange. Any similar occurrences?
Jeanie
I think someone once posted about the relationship to sinus problems and facial muscles - the essence being they are somehow related.
I’ve had a sinus infection for about the past month, but didn’t break down and go to the doctor’s office until this morning. It has kind of waxed and waned over the month, but the days my ears are all clogged up and my sinus stuffed, I can’t play worth a darn. It was three days in a row of poor playing that finally led me to seeing the doctor.
Now, armed with two RXs, I hope to get back on track.
Eric
I have never experienced this.
Let me put in a plug (so to speak) for a Neti pot as a possible remedy when your sinuses are giving you trouble. I know I feel awful when I’m congested. A Neti pot would probably be pretty easily available and can help irrigate and clear out sinuses. It takes a little while to learn to use it–you basically pour water in one nostril and it drips out the other–but it keeps me from catching those terrible colds, and clears me out when I do get congested.
So far I haven’t had sinus trouble since my new flute. One year! (Takes out flute and knocks on the wood.)
Jennie
I’ve never had this issue. It makes me wonder whether you could be allergic to your flute, or some of the oil or cork grease you use. When our sinuses are already irritated, allergans can bother us that might not normally cause problems.
Could you be closing your nasal passages off when you play the flute? It’s helpful to think of yawning to keep them open, plus it improves resonance, IMO.
i’ll second the neti pot. it really works wonders. the first time you ever use one it might take a couple days for it to start clearing up, but its the best thing to clean you out.
i’ve never gotten more stuffed up playing the flute, but i’m always generally clogged up. until i used a neti pot, i had never breathed out of two nostrils in my entire life.
a yoga teacher was really high on the neti pot so i bought one. it worked ok when my nasal pasages were not clogged but the times when i was stuffy it seemd to irritate my sinuses more. any tips on how to use when stuffy?
i have essential oils a mixture called breath easy or something like that. i boil water and add a few drops then stick my face over the steam and inhale as deep and often as i can. strong stuff - whew! if that does not open you up, then it’s time to call the roter rooter man.
I am going to take a guess, but it is only a guess FWIW. When you play the flute you are using those muscles in your face a lot more that you normally would leading to increased blood flow to those areas. It is possible there is a slight but important ‘swelling’ that would result from this blood flow.
I should have asked you first, which sinuses?
Another possibility that occurs to me is posture, i.e. if you do not hold your posture correctly you might have tension in the upper body (neck, shoulders, etc.). This may play out by affecting facial muscles/soft tissue.
I’m spitballing here.
Do you develope the same problem if you play a whistle?
Thirdfipple,
It’s the sinuses surrounding my nose. And it only seems to occur at times in the winter. So, it’s not an allergy to the flute or oil. (No problems there.) I think it’s just the way my facial muscles work when I play. I’ve played Boehm flute for 30+ years, and the same thing happens in the winter.
I’ve never heard of a Neti pot. Interesting, but sounds scary. I’ll look into it.
Thanks all, Jeanie
What’s the difference between a Neti pot and a good old bottle of saline sinus spray?
Saline spray may help you out, too, Jeanie.
Eric
My experience mimics yours. I seem to be chronicallly stuffed up, particularly at night. Many folks here seem to have had good experiences with using the Neti Pot, so I figured I would give it a try. For me, it has not worked that well. I’m thinking of visiting an ENT doc.
I may have to look for something like that.
All the Best, Tom
I like the SinuCleanse, which is the same idea as the Neti Pot. It comes with pre-packaged salt mix. I use it half-strength, since it’s a hypertonic solution. I’d suggest that using any solution other than normal saline could be irritating to some people.
Dana
Oddly enough, when I am under the weather playing flute usually clears me up a bit.
Playing whistle in such a state, though, almost always results in loud, repetitive sneases.
–James
i’ve always had sinus problems and just game back from the doctor with new medications and antibiotics because the other antibiotics weren’t working. has anyone considered the fact that maybe sinus problems are what caused some of us to play flute? if we didn’t have sinus problems we’d probably be involved in other activities. instead we’re sitting around with steam and killing time by learning how to play the flute.
that neti pot thing sounds disgusting.
i was the pitcher on a softball team and got line drived right in the face. that cleared my sinuses for the first time that summer. the batter came to the mound to apologize and i stuck my hand out and thanked him. as usual, we lost.
It is kinda disgusting 
, but you get used to it.
with the neti pot, i leaned over, either a sink or used in the shower, stuck the stem in one nostril and let the saline water pour into one nostril and out the other, letting gravity take over, one continuous stream, in one - out the other, until the whole pot (about like a small glasssfull) has flowed thru the nasal passages. like a big flush. then i had to take a few minutes afterwards to let it completely drain out.
after the first few times i still felt waterlogged but once i got used to using it i could allow more water flush out and not remain or linger in my sinuses. it’s pretty unusual if you are not used to it. i don’t think the nasal spray is nearly as intensive as that.
I would likely drown.
/me shudders
–James
Try adding different stuff to the water. Some people prefer a bit of salt, some people prefer a bit of baking soda, some a combo. Start with the salt and adapt as necessary.
Saline spray would probably help in the same way. Remember gargling with salt water when you have a sore throat? Same principle. But actuallly flushing out the sinuses instead of spritzing seems to make a bigger difference for me.
Jennie
I’ve tried saline spray. Time for the Neti pot! Where do you purchase these? Just a regular phramacy or health store?
Thanks, Jeanie