# Why does sinus congestion make my gums hurt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 25, 2012, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-sinus-congestion-make-my-gums-hurt/642111 "2012-11-25T23:54:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2012, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-sinus-congestion-make-my-gums-hurt/642111/1 "2012-11-25T23:54:56Z")
Looking at diagrams of the sinuses, they seem to be up around my nose, ears and cheeks. But for some reason, when I have sinus congestion, it makes my gums hurt. What exactly is happening? Is it just general swelling in the whole upper face area? Or is it something else? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-sinus-congestion-make-my-gums-hurt/642111/2 "2012-11-26T00:41:03Z")
your sinuses come very close to your teeth. You can google sinus infection,teeth and get all kinds of hits. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-sinus-congestion-make-my-gums-hurt/642111/3 "2012-11-26T16:48:47Z")
I had a sinus infection get down into my teeth once. Worst pain I ever had. Amoxicillin cleared it up within about a half hour. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-sinus-congestion-make-my-gums-hurt/642111/4 "2012-11-26T19:45:25Z")
I’ve had a couple sinus infections that mess with the whole side of my head. They feel like you have a toothache, ear-ache, eye pressure, and a sore chhek bone all at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-sinus-congestion-make-my-gums-hurt/642111/5 "2012-11-26T20:14:39Z")
Sinus pressure can affect the nerves leading to your gums, making it feel like your teeth/gums ache when the stimulus is elsewhere. Allergies can do this easily. Ask me how I know. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-sinus-congestion-make-my-gums-hurt/642111/6 "2012-11-26T20:20:33Z")
While sitting in the dentist’s chair, I’ve more than once heard my dentist in the next “chair bay” over telling a patient that his teeth hurt because of a sinus infection. The dentist would then prescribe in the antibiotics necessary. My husband’s antibiotic prescription is through this dentist, who sees a lot of patients for this and almost has a side specialty practice of treating sinus infections. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-sinus-congestion-make-my-gums-hurt/642111/7 "2012-11-26T22:33:17Z")
I am on medication that has sinusitis as a common side effect so when Spring arrives with all the pollens and barometric shifts thrown in things go from bad to worse. I get eyeballs that feel like they are about to explode, excruciating and random pains in upper and lower teeth and I go partly deaf for months. Antihistamines and Garlic, Horseradish and Vitamin C tablets help a bit, sinus rinsing helps more.