The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by kikmbelrylara (vacaville, ca) on 08/26/2007
so true... i went to baskin robbins on a tues wed & thurs i had a headache that i couldnt get rid of... saturday i had the sinus infection, i will def try the acv and the oil flushing but i hope i feel better im going to disney land this weekend! i didnt even know about the ice cream but i searched the web for a home cure and i found the cause as well..
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Tracy (Phoenix, AZ) on 08/15/2007
I've had this horrible sinus infection for weeks now. I have a long history of them but have been able to keep it under control for the past few years... though I still have difficulty with my sinuses, I am generally able to keep them draining enough that an infection doesn't fester. Anyway, for the past month or so, I've felt awful and haven't understood the flare up. So, here I come, looking for some kind of hope and find the info about apple cider vinegar. Now, I know that ACV is great stuff, but hadn't realized that it helped sinuses. So, as soon as I read about it, I went to the kitchen and gulped down 2T of it with 8oz of water. I am sooo pleased to say that my sinuses immediately began to drain - yucky thick mucous down my throat - but, hey, that is a relief with what I've been feeling! The pressure is somewhat relieved already!!! I'm so excited! What's more, I then read on and found the ice cream theory... And, without much surprise, I am sure enough able to link my recent sinus troubles to two rounds of ice cream! I had not eaten ice cream with "flavors" such as these in a long time prior to this, so it really fits for me! My troubles all started with a trip to COLDSTONE Creamery and shortly thereafter worsened upon consumption of some CARVEL brand ice cream cake!!!
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Lisa (Phoenix, USA) on 07/31/2007
Thanks for helping me make the connection! The bad news is that my "sinus infection"/ cold didn't come from ice cream, it came from a Starbucks Green Tea latte made with two big squirts of melon-flavored syrup. You can bet that there was no real melon in that sugary syrup so the offending artificial flavors are now permeating all kinds of food besides ice cream. It made me feel AWFUL and I haven't had a "cold" for years (I also usually abstain from all kinds of refined sugar, etc.). ACV helped get me back on my feet after experiencing 1.5 days of fluey, eye-watering (one side only) sinus pressure with sneezing. And then it was gone. Not a typical cold. Thanks for the heads up. Artificial flavorings are off my list forever!
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Sarah (Dallas, Texas) on 06/16/2012
Lisa, thank you for posting about Starbucks. My Friday ritual is usually a Starbucks latte, but yesterday I had a Starbucks coffee frappuccino, and I haven't had a frozen Starbucks drink in maybe 3 years. Well, I woke up feeling so sick today, and the coughing started last night. My sinuses hurt so bad, that even my ear canals hurt, and my stomach is upset. I feel so bad, I can barely write this--must go back to bed. I am going to try oil pulling, as I am one of the very few people who has bad effects from ACV. Incidentally, the frappuccino was kinda yucky--did not taste like real food.
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Melissa (Vancouver, WA) on 07/14/2007
I came across your site and was totally skeptical, but after reading the info on ice cream, I realized I had eaten ice cream the night before I woke up with a terrible sore throat, congestion, migraine and nausea/vomiting. After reading your article, I just can't convince myself it's a coincidence. I have no idea what brand of ice cream I had, as it was just served as part of a blueberry cobbler dessert, but I'm going to try cutting out all ice cream for a while to see if there's a difference. And as I sit here typing this, I'm drinking a tall hot mug of ACV (1/4 cup) in 8 oz. hot water. We'll see if this does the trick...at any rate, I'm hopeful that it will so I don't have to keep taking OTC meds and/or antibiotics. I suffer from chronic sinusitis, so the potential for something natural like ACV to help me is a serious godsend...thanks!"
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Sharon (Austin, TX) on 07/08/2007
Funny as i sit here reading this piece about ice cream and sinus infections, I had soft serve "ice cream" from Sonic 2 days ago and i have been very sick today, way worse than how dairy alone affects me-ever. My lymph-nodes are hugely swollen. No symptoms yesterday. Looking at your list McDonalds, etc. Isn't it true that many of those that serve the soft-serve type of ic actually have little if any dairy in them? Mostly chemicals. So i should know not to eat them (rarely do). Never again after reading this. We (I) have got to get back to whole foods with simpler ingredients, not a list of long chemical names. If you eat at McD ask for the ingredient list and look up their "ice cream"
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Mary (Troy, Michigan) on 07/07/2007
After eating ice cream for several days for dessert, my head felt like it would explode with pain. I soaked a cloth with apple cider vinegar & applied it to my forehead & across the bridge of my nose. Also took pain medication. It helped immensely. I also get sinus headaches from most shampoos. Your article helped confirm how valuable vinegar is & that the ice cream thing is not my imagination. Thanks!
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Veronica (Corona , California) on 06/26/2007
Amazing!! I've suffered with sinus infections mostly during the last 5 years, but my issues date back to 1991-92. Guess what? During those two years I lived on Baskin Robins as I was pregnant back to back and couldn't get enough of it. Back then, taking Sudafed helped the problem so it was no biggie.
More recently though, my sinuses are out of control. The right side of my nose and sinuses is completely blocked 90% of the time. I have seen ENT's and Allergists to no avail. I will be seeing my allergist again tomorrow and will make mention of this possible cause.
Even more surprisingly, last week was my daughter's 9th birthday. I bought her a BR ice cream cake. We enjoyed it very much, as we always do. Friday (2 days after eating the BR cake) I developed the worst congestion and allergies I have had in the last month or so. I became sick to my stomach, felt achy as if the flu was coming and spent the afternoon in bed. My head was hurting beyond hurting...800 mg x 2 of ibuprofen did nothing for it. I was nauseous all evening and through Saturday. I was miserable!
In the last year, I've had the most infections/problems with my sinuses. Aside from my job location change, I have definitely kicked up the ice cream/shake habit because of easy access and now I'm wondering if I've been causing my own problems. I will do my best to eliminate them and all dairy completely. I do know that dairy is a cause for me, and I knew for a fact that ice cream always did me in, but I never thought that the flu-like symptoms could be attributed to the same.
Thanks for the info..
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Sharon (Canton, Ohio) on 06/25/2007
Re: Ice Cream and Sinus Infections -- This is TRUE! I've experienced it. Several times. Its so wonderful to eat ice cream but is it WORTH the aftereffect??
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Dee (Chicago) on 06/24/2007
I put drops pf peroxide in my ear after having a' ruptured eardrum due to a serious sinus infection. I figured that since peroxide was a cure all I would try it (needed the relief), without researching the pros or cons.I came across your site and was amazed to find that some people experienced sinus infections after eating ice cream. I journeyed back in time and recalled that I had eaten Breyers Swiss Almond Ice Cream on Saturday, Sunday and then again on Tuesday. By Tuesday night I experienced a sever sinus headache and was completely stuffed up. By Wednesday night I was in the emergency room with sever pain in my right ear from a sinus infection. Thursday I returned to the doctor's office after noticing blood in my ear and continued pain. The result, a ruptured eardrum! I tried the peroxide this morning, felt a little burning and got fearful, but by this afternoon NO PAIN! I put a couple more drops of peroxide in this evening with no burning sensation and no drainage. Not sure if its clearing up the infection but the pain sure disappeared and that hurt more than anything. I think you guys may be on to something.
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) 392 posts
Dee: The pain is caused by the bacteria in the ear canal which the hydrogen peroxide apparently killed it.The single most dangerous food I have encountered is actually eating ice cream or even sundae ice cream. Most major sickness I encountered is from eating them,especially before a major colds, major boils (hugeones almost fist sized - I ate an entire pound of ice
cream decades ago), and terrible weight gain.It contains both fats and sugar, the two worse component in a food. The temperature of the food lowers the body's immune system, making it even worse.
Not only do they cause ear infections, allergies, acne, and a major pneumonia, the owners of several ice cream franchise, die early of a heart attack of obesity and diabetes (Burt Baskin), a double bypass surgery (Ben and Jerry's), diabetes just from eating and selling ice cream.
I can go through the biochemical details why those happened, but just stop eating ice cream and sundae is about the best thing I can do to myself. In fact I always get fat from eating ice cream and sundae. There was an interesting interview of the son of the owner of Baskin Robbins in the movie, Super-Sized Me that adequately explained the health problems of eating ice
cream!
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Kamila (Canon City, Co) on 09/30/2011
Fats are not the worst components of food. Some good fats are important and necessary for the body.
Ka
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Susie (Boston, MA) on 06/11/2007
Most people had probably eaten bread and had water to drink in the past few days. Association does not imply causation.
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Laura (Hilton Head, South Carolina) on 06/08/2007
For the past few years I have noticed I felt really bad after eating Mc Donalds,Wendy's & Dairy Queen ice cream products. The family travels a lot, so during car trips, we stop for a treat of ice cream. After eating the product, I would get a very intense headache, then a crappy feeling with mucus starting in my throat and nose. I knew it was the ice cream because that's all I had eaten. I always travel with garlic and vitamin c , so I would take them and I would feel better by morning.This is sad because as a child (30 yrs ago ) my father would treat the family to a Wendy's Frosty and I never got sick from it. It is scary what companies are doing to our food!!!
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Zsi (Berlin, Germany) on 06/07/2007
YES! I DID EAT AN ICECREAM 24 HOURS BEFORE I CONTRACTED THE SINUS INFECTION!!! Wow. That is amazing. I feel terrible. I will try and cure it with the ACV. Thanks.
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Sue (Rockford, IL) on 05/25/2007
For the past couple weeks I have had reoccuring earaches, scratchy throat, watering eyes and feeling icky in the evening. I had no idea why it kept happening and went away mysteriously. I have been trying to eat up some Breyers ice cream in our freezer so we could buy new flavors. It makes perfect sense since any nite that I ate it I ended up going to bed early from fatigue and feeling bad. The next day my ears hurt and eyes water. I will try a remedy to see if it will clear it up and NOT eat anymore ice cream to test your theory! Thanks for the info!
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Altima (Seattle, Washington State) on 05/23/2007
I was glad and felt blessed when I came these comments. I was confused and don't know what was going on then I hop in the computer looking for an answer and there I found it. Me and my husband went to Dairy Queen in Seattle for an estimate, while waiting, the owner ordered us two large blizzards a Banana split and strawberry cheese cakes blizzard. I don't eat ice cream all the time, it taste good but I dont go along with sugar. I ended ate the whole banana split then husband ate the other. It was a hot day, but when we got home I felt a little tingling in my throat that make me choke and I have watery eyes. Not very long, I felt very weak and fatigue but kept on coughing and felt there is something stuck on my throat. I couldn't sleep on that night and get very restless and coming down with coughing and when spit out blood was on my saliva. I know there was something wrong and I suspected that was icecream but not so sure. I did a lot of home treatment pouring oil on a cup of hotwater and lemon juice and drank 13cups it felt better but then it started again. It's getting better, but I was glad to read the other commentators and we should let the health dept know, I was very very sick. Thanks for your information again and will let others know about Dairy Queen icecream.
Ice Cream and Sinus Infections Reader Feedback
Posted by Shannon (Newark, OH) on 05/22/2007
On Sunday I had a small swirl cone from Dairy Queen. On Monday my entire body ached, my head felt like it was going to explode, I was congested with a sore throat. I had cold chills and hot flashes and I was extremely weak. I came home from work and went to bed. I called off today and just now pulled myself out of bed to do some research on what was wrong with me. I had assumed I had a sinus infection but never thought it could be from eating an ice cream cone from Dairy Queen. When I entered my symptoms in google and your site came up I was taken aback especially since within 24 hours I thought I was dying and within 48 hours still had syptoms but they were not as bad. Thanks for the insight.