Ice Cream and Sinus Infections: The Link to Artificial Flavorings

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..

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??

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.

Most people had probably eaten bread and had water to drink in the past few days. Association does not imply causation.

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!!!

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.

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!

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.

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.

Hi there, I'd love to say that this is concept isn't true for me, but I've been suffering from a sinus infection that started 2 days after eating a frozen yoghurt at Pinkberry. Thanks for this research, I'm adding it to my arsenal for my clients.

i would like to reply to all the "nays" that people have against the idea that earth clinic is saying that ice cream may be causing sinus infections. i would have to agree with earth clinic on this one, but people, we have to look at this level headed. i dont think that Earth clinic is saying this is the ONLY reason and source of all our sinus infections. But that it may be a great cause. taking into consideration that we all get sinus infections due to different reasons, we are imperfect, we live in an atmosphere of pollutants including those that are in our foods. So no, this theory doesnt sound as ridiculous as our "car keys" causing sinus infections but is very probable that the things we eat that are artifical, such as the ice cream theory, aggravate our health. and if we don't eat ice cream and still get sinus infections, then we are getting them from other sources. that's like people who smoke may get lung cancer, but you can get it if you don't smoke. i would also like to say that i came upon this page because i have a sinus infection brought on by allergies, and the acv and cayenne pepper have been helping.

I read your article on how the ingredients of certain kinds of ice cream can affect your sinus infection. I was amazed, cause I have been suffering with this for around two weeks. I retraced my steps, and to my amazement, it was a day or so, after eating ice cream, that my sinus infection occurred. Now I am in the process of dring Apple Cider Vinigar. Thansk for the insight.

I get sinus infects no matter what and the seem to get worse when I do drink milk.. if what you say is true then why does this happen?

This is amazing. A couple of years ago I would experience exactly the same thing after eating Ben & Jerry's New York Super Chunk Fudge. I would joke it gave me sinus infections. But, if I avoided it and other chocolate ice creams, I significantly reduced the frequency and severity of sinus infections.

I haven't been to a Baskin Robbins for about 15 years. I'm moderate in my dairy consumption. I'm strict about eating only foods that I recognize as being plant or animal matter (with the exception of salt). I buy organic whenever possible. I still get sinus infections all the time. I am IgG deficient, which means my body does not produce enough of the substances it needs to fight off bacteria. When I'm ill with a VIRUS, the bacteria take advantage of the situation and party hardy. Baskin Robbins has nothing to do with my illnesses.