How to Approch a Sinus Infection (Sinusitis) Problem

Sinusitis means that sinuses are infected or inflamed. Your sinuses are empty air spaces within the bones surrounding the nose (paranasal sinuses). Sinuses have an opening into the nose for the free exchange of air and mucus, and they are joined with the nasal passages by a mucous membrane lining. An infection, an allergic reaction, or another type of immune reaction, lack of sufficient humidity in the air, smoke may damage small hair-like fibers (cilia), which then prevents them from assisting the mucous from draining from the sinuses. Stagnated mucous is a perfect environment for bacteria and in some circumstances fungus to grow in the sinus cavities. This will result in the swelling and air trapped within a blocked sinus, along with pus or other discharge may cause pressure on the sinus wall and sinus pain. Sinusitis can be acute, lasting for less than four weeks, or chronic, which last more than 12 weeks and can continue for months or even years. Acute sinusitis usually starts as a cold and can change into a bacterial infection.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

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   Symptoms: pain in your forehead, in your upper jaw and teeth ache, and your cheeks become tender to the touch, swelling of the eyelids and tissues around your eyes, and pain between your eyes, stuffy nose, a loss of smell, earaches, neck pain, and aches at the top of your head, thick nasal secretions that are yellow, green, or blood-tinged.

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   Diagnosis: Acute sinusitis often lasts longer than 7 to 14 days and typically causes more symptoms than a cold. Sinusitis should be diagnosed by your healthcare provider by doing a physical examination, and sometimes a computed tomography (CT) scan, may be needed.

3. Treatment: To relieve the symptoms of sinus headache you have to reduce sinus swelling and inflammation and facilitate mucous drainage from the sinuses. The following tips will help you do it:

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   Humidify. For more tips see http://www.ehow.com/how_4582598_ensure-proper-humidity-house.html

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   Do nasal irrigation. You can use one of the several over-the-counter nasal rinse products available (including neti pot). The added moisture of saline sprays reduces thick secretions and helps in the removal of infectious agents.

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   MEDICATIONS
   • Use over-the-counter medications. They help reduce symptoms produced by the inflammation of nasal membranes and sinuses (reduce congestion, relieve pain and pressure).
   • Use decongestants and antihistamines. Sinus pressure headaches can be treated with decongestants and antihistamines, and in some cases nasal steroid sprays. Decongestants will relieve nasal swelling, pressure, and congestion by improving airflow; however they will not treat the cause of the inflammation. Antihistamines relieve the drainage associated with the allergic inflammation but not obstruction or congestion.
   • Try alternative medicine.

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   Visit an ear, nose, and throat specialist - you might need to get antibiotics and stronger decongestants. In severe cases, endoscopic or image-guided surgery may be the recommended treatment.

Tips & Warnings

• for common cold tips go to http://www.ehow.com/how_4513479_battle-common-cold.html

[lynsuz12]

on 10/5/2009 Great tips. 5*