Can You Get A Sinus Infection

How To Prevent Sinusitis

• Drink a lot, whether it is water or juice. More than two liters a day, especially if the symptoms continue.
• Avoid dust or smoke pollutionbecause this further irritates the nasal cavity.
• I prefer humid places, and To wet the room, you can place water or use special equipment.
• Wet your nose with compresses of hot water. Showers are also recommended because the steam helps release the nasal sinuses.
• Do not use too many inhalers because, in the long run, they will be counterproductive.
• Clean your nose well. You can find some products containing water and salt in the pharmacy.

Runny Nose And Postnasal Drip

When you have a sinus infection, you may need to blow your nose often because of nasal discharge, which can be cloudy, green, or yellow. This discharge comes from your infected sinuses and drains into your nasal passages.

The discharge may also bypass your nose and drain down the back of your throat. You may feel a tickle, an itch, or even a sore throat.

This is called postnasal drip, and it may cause you to cough at night when youre lying down to sleep, and in the morning after getting up. It may also cause your voice to sound hoarse.

How Is Sinusitis Treated

Sinusitis is treated in several ways, each depending on how severe the case of sinusitis is.

A simple sinusitis infection is treated with:

• Drinking fluids .

If symptoms of sinusitis don’t improve after 10 days, your doctor may prescribe:

• Antibiotics .
• Oral or topical decongestants.
• Prescription intranasal steroid sprays. .

Long-term sinusitis may be treated by focusing on the underlying condition . This is usually treated with:

• Intranasal steroid sprays.
• Topical antihistamine sprays or oral pills.
• Leukotriene antagonists to reduce swelling and allergy symptoms.
• Rinsing the nose with saline solutions that might also contain other types of medication.

When sinusitis isn’t controlled by one of the above treatments, a CT scan is used to take a better look at your sinuses. Depending on the results, surgery may be needed to correct structural problems in your sinuses. This is most likely to happen if you have polyps and/or a fungal infection.

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What To Do For Chronic Sinusitis

If youre suffering from chronic sinusitis or you are getting frequent sinus infections you should see your doctor, says Dr. Sindwani.

Your doctor will swab your nose to collect mucus. Culturing it in a laboratory will reveal which type of bacteria is causing the infection so the right antibiotic can be prescribed.

Treat early sinus infection symptoms with rest, hydration and over-the-counter sprays and decongestants. But dont look for an antibiotic unless your illness extends beyond a week, he says. Then check in with your doctor for a prescription and let him or her know if your condition worsens.

What About Nosebleeds

Nosebleeds are also known as epistaxis, and, as it has already been mentioned, they do not pose any danger. Even when it comes to the posterior nose bleeding that is thought of as much more grave than the anterior, it is really rare that this bleeding indicates any serious health problem. People who are drinking aspirin bleed much more easily and profusely. Also, nosebleeds are very frequent in the winter time when the cold air dries your nose vessels and they simply rupture. As the nose is closely connected to the face which is full of tiny, fragile blood vessels, any trauma to the whole face area, regardless of the nose itself, could result in the nose bleeding. Epistaxis can usually be stopped at home, but in some cases, doctors are needed to stop it with heating instruments, chemical swabs or topical medicines called thrombin.

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When To See A Doctor

You dont necessarily have to see your doctor for your allergies. The exception is if youve never been diagnosed with allergies before or if your allergies seem to be getting worse.

You should also see your doctor if your OTC antihistamines arent working. They might recommend prescription medications instead. If your allergies have you particularly congested, they might also prescribe a decongestant.

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Since sinus infections are caused by viruses, antibiotics dont generally help. However, if your symptoms worsen or last longer than two weeks, you should see your doctor for some relief.

What Tests Diagnose The Cause Of Sinus Infections And Sinusitis

Sinus infection is most often diagnosed based on the history and examination of a doctor. Because plain X-ray studies of the sinuses may be misleading and procedures such as CT and MRI scans, which are much more sensitive in their ability to diagnose a sinus infection, are so expensive and not available in most doctors’ offices, most sinus infections are initially diagnosed and treated based on clinical findings on examination. These physical findings may include:

• redness and swelling of the nasal passages,
• purulent drainage from the nasal passages ,
• tenderness to percussion over the cheeks or forehead region of the sinuses, and
• swelling about the eyes and cheeks.

Occasionally, nasal secretions are examined for secreted cells that may help differentiate between infectious and allergic sinusitis. Infectious sinusitis may show specialized cells of infection while allergic sinusitis may show specialized white blood cells of allergy . Physicians prescribe antibiotics if the bacterial infection is suspected. Antibiotics are not effective against viral infections many physicians then treat the symptoms.

In addition, both rigid and flexible endoscopy has been used to obtain diagnostic material from sinuses. These procedures are usually done by an otolaryngologist under topical and local anesthesia. Occasionally, there may be a need to sedate the patient. Some investigators suggest that endoscopy specimens are comparable to those obtained by needle puncture.

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Sinus Infection And Dizziness Treatment

To treat a sinus infection, its important to understand the underlying cause. A sinus infection can often pass on its own without the need for treatment, however, if dizziness is a symptom, then treatment is warranted.

If the cause of a sinus infection is bacterial, a doctor will prescribe antibiotics. Over the counter decongestants can also be useful to ease symptoms and clear up breathing.

Other Symptoms Of A Sinus Infection

The symptoms of a sinus infection often resemble those of a bad cold. These can include a runny nose, headache, facial pain, and nasal congestion. In addition to typical cold symptoms, a sinus infection may cause yellow- or green-tinged mucus. You may also experience post-nasal drip and a sore throat, along with puffiness and soreness around the face and sinuses. You may also have a dry, unproductive cough and a fever. Fatigue and bad breath are also symptoms of sinus infections.

Different sinuses also present different types of pain if infected. For example, infection of the sinuses around your eyes may result in red, puffy eyes that look like an allergic flare-up, while infection of the sinuses in your cheeks may cause excessive bad breath and pain in your teeth.

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Does Sinus Infection Cause Nosebleeds

June 23, 2017 by woundcaresociety

Nosebleeds definitely arent the most appealing thing to see and they make us question our health and could even cause panic. The good news is, nosebleeds are harmless in most cases. There are 2 main types of nosebleeds: anterior and posterior. Anterior nosebleeds originate from the wall between the 2 nose channels that contains many delicate, easily-damaged vessels. Posterior nosebleeds include heavier bleeding from the arteries inside your nose and they are usually much more serious and more common in adults. There are innumerable reasons for nosebleeds, but the main question: can sinus infections cause nosebleeds?

How Do Sinus Infections Start

Sinusitis occurs when the lining of the sinus or nasal cavity becomes inflamed. What can start as inflammation in your sinuses from a respiratory infection, allergies or environmental pollutants can spark a sinus infection when the lining of the sinuses becomes inflamed and swollen, causing mucus to become trapped and germs to grow.

“Once you have a cold or upper respiratory tract infection, that virus can then settle into the sinuses and cause inflammation as well,” said Dr. Mas Takashima, an otolaryngologist and chair of Houston Methodist ENT Specialists. “About 95% of sinusitis is caused by a virus making it much more common than bacterial sinusitis. Viral sinusitis is also much more infectious as well.”

Certain conditions, such as having allergies, asthma or a respiratory infection, can make people more susceptible to getting chronic sinus infections, and it is important that these patients be evaluated to address the cause and not just the sinusitis symptoms.

“There are many causes of chronic sinusitis. “Patients with a weakened immune system are more prone to getting recurrent acute sinusitis,” explains Dr. Takashima. “Sometimes, however, the issue may be anatomy, such as a deviated septum , scarring from previous sinus surgery, or nasal polyps, which result from chronic inflammation in the nose. Once the polyps get to a certain size, they rarely regress on their own and they narrow the sinus drainage pathways.”

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Rare Cases Can Turn Serious

Antibiotics also can help ward off rare but potentially dangerous complications that arise when a sinus infection spreads to the eyes or brain, Dr. Sindwani says.

Complications around the eyes are the more common of the two. These complications can cause redness, swelling around the eyes and reduced vision, and even lead to blindness in a severe form known as cavernous sinus thrombosis. Serious cases are immediately treated with IV antibiotics. Patients are usually admitted to the hospital for a CT scan to see if fluid needs to be drained, Dr. Sindwani says.

Also in rare cases, sinus infections in the rear center of ones head can spread into the brain. This can lead to life-threatening conditions like meningitis or brain abscess, Dr. Sindwani says.

Before antibiotics, people would die from sinusitis, he says. But he emphasizes that such complications are unlikely. In most cases, the bacterial infection goes away, especially if you dont have underlying medical problems.

Its important to monitor your symptoms if you suspect a sinus infection. If the condition lingers or worsens, call your doctor.

Treating Sinus Infections Without Antibiotics

Tomah, WI – People often want antibiotics to tackle a sinus infection but that might not be the best treatment since most infections are caused by viruses. Antibiotics fight bacteria, not viruses.

There are also complications that can develop with dependency on these drugs. The more antibiotics are used the less effective they can become, with possible side effects like dizziness, stomach problems and rashes.

Instead of turning to antibiotics, Alan Conway, M.D., family physician at Mayo Clinic Health System Franciscan Healthcare in Tomah, suggests some alternative methods of treatment. Dr. Conway says, First of all, you should give yourself enough rest. Your body needs the time to fight the infection with full force, especially in the first few days when symptoms are the most severe.

Dr. Conway also says. Watch out for over-the-counter products that contain oxymetazoline. These products may relieve symptoms for a few days, but they can cause congestion if used longer than three days. Instead, use generic pseudoephedrine pills if you are stuffed up for more than three days.

Sinus infections can turn into a bacterial infection, due to the prolonged blockage in the sinus cavity. It is not easy to determine whether the infection is viral or bacterial, considering that the symptoms are the same for both. Even if the infection becomes bacterial, 70% of the time the infection will go away within two weeks without antibiotics.

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Killer Sinus Infection How To Tell If Yours Is Viral Or Bacterial

You know the symptoms: nasal congestion, facial pressure, pain, fever, too much mucus. Ugh. Its probably another sinus infection.

But is your infection caused by a virus or bacteria and does it really matter?

It does matter. Doctors treat viral and bacterial sinus infections differently. Here is what you need to know about both kinds of infection and how to treat them.

Viral or bacterial?

Most sinus infections are viral, and most are caused by the virus that causes the common cold. How can you tell, based on symptoms, whether your infection is viral or bacterial?

Normally, you can’t.

Symptoms like bad breath, yellow or green mucus, fever and headache are not reliable signs of a bacterial infection. They can be present with viral infections, too. Even your doctor cant tell if your infection is viral or bacterial based solely on symptoms or an exam.

Instead, your doctor looks at symptom duration to determine the source of your infection. A viral sinus infection will usually start to improve after five to seven days. A bacterial sinus infection will often persist for seven to 10 days or longer, and may actually worsen after seven days.

4 steps you can take

Whether your sinus infection turns out to be viral or bacterial, you can help to ease your symptoms early on with supportive care:

What to do for chronic sinusitis

Pain Or Pressure In Your Sinuses

Facial pain is a common symptom of sinusitis. You have several different sinuses above and below your eyes, as well as behind your nose. Any of these air-filled cavities can hurt when you have a sinus infection.

Inflammation and swelling can cause your sinuses to ache with dull pressure. This is because inflammation may alter the typical path of mucus from the nose to the back of the throat.

You may feel pain in:

• your forehead
• on either side of your nose
• in your upper jaws and teeth
• between your eyes

This may lead to a headache. Headaches caused by sinus infections can occur where the sinuses are or in other places.

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Ways To Deal With Sinus

Treating neck pain from a sinus infection can include treating the infection itself, either with rest and plenty of water or with antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. Severe, protracted sinus infections can cause neck pain that lasts weeks. Treating the neck pain itself can include over-the-counter pain relief medications. For more advanced cases, your doctor may prescribe nasal corticosteroids.

Other treatments for sinus infections include antihistamines or special nasal sprays. However, if stiffness in your neck persists, especially if you have a high fever , its important to seek immediate medical attention, as this can be an indication that the infection may be spreading.

If your neck pain and stiffness are associated with a sinus infection, instead of muscle problems like a strain, some treatments like prescription muscle relaxers or massage may not help the pain and stiffness.

In some cases, neck pain associated with inflammation of the sphenoid sinuses may be treated with antibiotics. For worse conditions, you may need surgery to drain the sinuses.

Sinus Infection And Neck Pain: Is There A Correlation

People with allergies or chronic colds understand that sinus infections can be a real pain in the neck. Most cases of acute sinusitis get better on their own. Your doctor may recommend treatments to help relieve sinusitis symptoms, but acute sinusitis can cause potentially dangerous complications. Read on if youre wondering if sinus infections can cause neck pain.

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Tips For Treating Chronic Sinus Infections

No matter the season, having a cold is never convenient. Its even worse when your cold turns into a sinus infection. A sinus infection will stick around long after symptoms of an upper respiratory infection are gone. You might even know its a sinus infection because you get sinus infections frequently. Perhaps your doctor diagnosed your sinus infection after you just couldnt seem to get better. After all, since almost 30 million Americans suffer from sinusitis, your doctor likely treats them a lot.

The question is, when do you need to see a specialist? If your sinus infection just isnt going away, or if you seem to get recurrent sinus infections, it may be time to see an ear, nose, and throat specialist.

What Is Sinus Infection Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment And Prevention

Lying behind your eyebrows, behind your cheekbones, and between your eyes are your sinuses air-filled cavities lined with a mucous membrane that filters and humidifies the air you inhale.

This membrane produces and circulates mucus into your sinus and nasal passages to help remove dust, particles, and microbes from the air that you breathe. Tiny hair-like cells called cilia sweep the mucus to the openings that lead to the back of your throat, allowing it to slide down into your stomach.

A sinus infection occurs when the sinuses become inflamed and swell up because of a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection. The infection can be acute or chronic .

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Sinus Infection Definition And Facts

• Sinusitis or sinus infection is inflammation of the air cavities within the passages of the nose.
• Sinusitis can be caused by infection, allergies, and chemical or particulate irritation of the sinuses.
• The fastest way to get rid of a sinus infection can include medications, home remedies, alternative therapies, and surgery.
• Most people do not spread sinus infections to other people.
• Sinusitis may be classified as acute sinus infection, subacute sinus infection, chronic sinus infection, infected sinusitis, and noninfectious sinusitis.
• Sinusitis signs and symptoms include