Ice Cream and Sinus Infections: The Link to Artificial Flavorings

I have also gotten a chronic sinus infection as a result of eating ice cream at Baskin Robbins. I felt something was wrong on the next day, and within 2 weeks had a horrible sinus infection, which at first I thought was a toothache. Now it never completely left me even after almost a year.

I think there is a correlation dairy as well, Not just Ice Cream. Ever since I was a little kid I have had issues drinking milk, & eating ice cream due to bloating in stomach as well as sinus issues. Now as an adult I try to cut out both. I drink silk and keep ice cream out of the house. But I realize that even drinking a small amount of creamer in my coffee, makes my sinuses act up. I am on my way to the store rt now for ACV.

Just read what Darlene wrote on 2/18/07. This Saturday I had a few bites of my friend's Hot Fudge Sundae from MCDevil's (mcdonalds) and woke up Sunday am with horrible sinus pain/headache. I rarely suffer from sinus issues and after reviewing my diet for the day, it has to be the icecream. I felt fine by Monday. I have to agree that the chemical additives in cheaper icecream are evil!!!

SINUS INFECTION: I HAVE SINUS INFECTION RIGHT NOW. MY HEAD FEELS HAEAVY, FEELS LIKE I HAVE A FEVER, SOAR THROAT, RUNNY NOSE ECT... I HAD BASKIN ROBBINS ICE CREAM 2 DAYS PRIOR TO THAT...LAST MONTH SAME THING ALSO HAPPENED, AFTER I HAD ICE CREAM FROM B/R GOT SICK TWO DAYS LATER... YOUR THEORY IS ON POINT...I JUST GOT BACK FROM SEEING MY DOCTOR AND HE CONFIRMED THAT IT IS SINUS INFECTION

First of all thank you so very much for a great site. Secondly I want to say that I am amazed to have stumbled across this ice cream/fake flu/sinus thing. I eat fairly healthy, mostly avoiding dairy. On Monday I decided to treat myself to an In N Out burger and a chocolate milkshake. Probably my first fast food chocolate milkshake in about 2 years. Within 4 hours I was struck down with terrible flu like symptoms including a high fever, mucus-Y painful cough, terrible aching. This lasted for around 48 hours and has now morphed into a sinus infection - something I have never had before. While searching for a cure for this (now on the ACV) I came across the site. What's weird is that all week I have been telling people this was a terrible flu but in the back of my mind I had a strange feeling it was food allergy related. I drank a beer Monday night and had wondered if it was that but the ice cream theory now brings it all together. Wow. Thank you so much for collating this information and for offering such helpful natural remedies.

i too just had a similar experience at in n out in LA. 3 days ago, I had a vanilla shake and started having flu symptoms while drinking it. I thought it was impossible and that I was nuts. Til I started to search on the internet and found this article. By the way, what is ACV? I have to get on a plane to ny in 3days and this is just gonna make life very very difficult.

i have been fighting a sinus infection pretty seriously off and on for 2 years now i have had an open rhinoplasty on 01/2007 i had the infection before and since but now that i have read the site i have noticed that i do eat a lot of ice cream and especially the last week or so have had a serious sinus problem i will monitor the intake and severity of sinus problems breyers cookies and cream is the last brand eaten

I agree with you theory about artificial ingredients in ice cream causing sinus problems. My eating habits are similar to vegan and I consume milk free Soy based ice-cream. However I that when I consume heavily flavored types my sinus affects me badly unlike when I consume simpler flavors like rum and raisin or fruit and nut. I proved this by staying off soyscream for a few months and the instant I tried it, the nasal congestion returned. My advice too is to avoid heavily flavoured ice creams.

Kirk, is devon house ice cream artificially flavoured?

I do not suffer from sinus infections but my 11 yr son does. He was doing okay until today. His head hurts so bad he can't even bend over. I was looking for a homeopathic remedy because the OTC and prescribed meds seem to be ineffective at best and sometimes seem to make things worse. When I read the ice cream thing a light bulb went on. Grandma took him for burgers on Saturday and yesterday he started complaining of headache and congestion. I'm thinking your idea is not so far fetched.

I ate Baskin Robbins mint ice cream cake on Friday. On Saturday night I had major sinus pain and pressure behind my right eye and upper teeth area. I suffered through the night even though I took a nasal decongestant which did nothing for it. The next morning I drank 2 TBL ACV in 1/2 glass of water. It didn't seem to help much. Then I tried boiling 50/50 ACV/water mix and breathing in the steam vapors(keeping mouth and eyes closed) which helped take the sinus pain/pressure away within 1/2 hr.

I suffered from horrible sinus headaches over the past three months. After much researching, I finally found the culprit--ICE CREAM. I have craved Ice cream every day for the past 3 1/2 months. I always use Oragnic ACV so I knew that was not helping. I tried grapefruit seed extract in water and was very pleased with the results. No more sinus headaches since I've been on it. I used about 5 drops in an 8oz glass of water.

I was surfing around looking for a remedy for my sinus infection and came across your article "Ice-cream related to sinus infection" and I can totally see the connection because I've also suffered the exact same symptoms! I had always thought it was sort of a "brain-freeze" situation, that I literally got a cold from the cold food consumed (I'm extremely sensitive to cold in my head, the least cold breeze will send me to my bed for the day). Well I must be sensitive to the chemicals as well, because what you described happened in exactly the same order. I woke up the next morning with a raging sinus infection, fever and all. I didn't make the connection the first time, so about 10 days later, I repeated the offense (i.e. consumed the ice-cream) and Viola! next morning super intense sinus infection!! I think that somehow it is intensified by eating ice cream at night and then sleeping on that mucous in the system. Just my 2 cents worth. Sumiyeh in rockville, MD

I just found this website and read about the ice cream cold...I must say I am wondering if that is why I have this cold, mainly a sore throat and mucas. I ate it and got a cold then I was fine for 4 days and last night I ate it my husband ate it and we both have a sore throat again this morning. Could it be the ice cream??? Seems like.

I would have never thought Ice Cream could cause a Sinus Infection. Yet, I came down with a nasty Sinus Infection last Monday. I spent all day Saturday at Austin City Limits Music Festival, had sort of exausted myself, and on the way back, we stopped by a local burger joint and ordered ice cream cones, the dairy queen kind, messy, sugary and wonderful. On Sunday I felt exausted, but the day before I had drank beer and danced for hours. Monday morning I overslepts, was late to work and could barely keep my eyes open. By end of the day Monday, I had a full blown Sinus Infection. I should note that its a bad allergy season right now. Yet, I already had my cold of the season, and did get a lot of sleep that weekend, and took vitamins. And, I never usually eat ice cream, even when I do, its normally a fancy pure kind. Now, its been 7 days and I'm finally just starting to breathe out of my nose. YUCK!

So glad I found these posts, and to know that I'm not the only one who has "Ice Cream Hangovers." I'll go for months without touching ice cream, then experience temporary insanity. I find that Sonic milkshakes produce the hardest blows to my sinuses. I then think that I've learned my lesson, take a benadryl, and drink lots of water. Normally, if I do that right away, I won't have to go for the antibiotics. I keep saying that I'll break down & get an ice cream maker & make our own ice cream with goat milk. Someday .

Thanks for assembling this info -- I am totally intrigued. I have been dreaming of a Good Times Raspberry Torte Spoonbender (it's ice cream) for months and finally on Friday allowed myself to get one. Over the weekend I was annoyed that my Nasonex which I take for hay fever and (which is working great) seemed to stop working and full on sinus issues!!! I have allergies and can get sinus infections 2-3 x a year... I am soo going to elminate these artificially-flavored ice creams (OK, I'll ban all ice creams!) :) I'm also going to try the ACV. Thanks guys.

This past Sat eve the family went to Bruster's Ice Cream and I chowed down a yummy mint chocolate chip scoop. My husband felt ill the rest of the day, but I was fine. Then Sunday morning I awoke feeling the worst sinus pressure in my head ever. My equilibrium was so off I literally weaved to the bathroom like a drunk where I promptly threw up from nausea. It was the worst feeling ever! I went downstairs afterwards and made a tall mug of hot water and added at least 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar to it and spent the next half hour sipping it slowly. It definitely helped but what finally kicked the sinus reaction later in the day was 5 low dosage chewable baby aspirins. Once those got in my system I was fine. My husband did not have a reaction to the ice cream on Sunday, only Saturday.