Sinusitis - Causes, Effects and Treatment
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Sinusitis is often mistaken as a common cold; whereas, a common cold is a problem of the whole upper respiratory system whilst sinusitis only refers to the inflammation of just the sinuses.
The sinuses are cavities filled with air that are located in the nasal area. These can be inflamed when irritated.
Sinus infection can be caused by inhalation or exposure to viruses, bacteria or fungi.
There are about 3 popular forms of sinusitis characterized by the frequency they occur. The first would be acute sinusitis. A person has acute sinusitis if her sinuses are inflamed for about 3 weeks. If a person shows symptoms of sinusitis for about 3 months, then that person has acute sinusitis. But if a person experiences acute sinusitis non consequently then that person is considered to have recurrent sinusitis.
Sinusitis can also be classified by the part of the sinus it affects. Maxillary sinusitis affects the cheek area and causes headaches and toothaches.
Frontal sinusitis and ethmoid cause headaches in the frontal cavities which are located near the eyes.
Sinusitis can be caused by many things. Viral infections, air pollution, like smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke, and allergies are just some of the elements that increase your chance of having sinusitis.
Sinusitis can be prevented by regular intake of fluids, a balanced diet and exercise. To prevent sinusitis, it is advised that activities like smoking or being exposed to second hand smoke be avoided as much as possible.
However, how is one to know if he or she has sinusitis? Well, some of the more obvious symptoms include runny noses, phlegm or mucus, cough, fullness of the facial features and bad breath. You also have sinusitis if your nasal congestion is not responding well to decongestants and antihistamines simultaneously with having some of the above mentioned symptoms.
To diagnose if you really have sinusitis, your doctor will either check your sinuses for tenderness by tapping or by shining a light to see if your sinuses are illuminated and clear. Other measures include taking samples by needle from your nasal area and having x-rays.
It is important to choose your treatment based on the type of sinusitis you have.
Congestion because of sinusitis can be reduced by inhaling steam to thin the mucus and spraying with nasal saline.
It is important to check what nasal decongestant you are using because some decongestants will only worsen the case after a few days. Quality of the decongestant you will use should be the top priority if you want quicker relief. Most decongestants offer immediate relief but if used longer than about a week, these may cause more damage.
There is also a variety of alternative kinds of treatment for sinusitis like saline solutions, homeopathy, acupuncture and various herbs. Barberry and eucalyptus are popular and effective herbs because they have active substances like berberine alkaloids and strong anti-bacterial properties that fight infection.
For extreme cases of sinusitis, usually surgical extraction is performed.
One shouldn't hesitate when deciding to treat sinusitis because it is in your best interest that you treat your sinusitis immediately to help alleviate the pain it may be causing in the soonest possible time.
So, having discussed the causes, effects and treatment of sinusitis, you are now well informed. Choose your treatment wisely, or better yet prevent sinusitis by keeping fit.
Please visit Sinus Infection Problems for your sinus infection treatment for more information on this article.
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Labels: how_to_treat_a_sinus_infection, sinus_anatomy, sinus_blockage, sinus_flush, sinus_polyp
posted by Cure Sinus In 5 Minutes at
10:27 PM
