What Is The Fastest Way To Get Rid Of A Sinus Infection
When you notice the first signs of facial pressure and sinus pain, youre probably desperate for a way to stop the infection before it is debilitating. Instead of burying your head under a pillow and waiting for it to clear up, its important that you are proactive with your treatment plan. Even a small sinus infection can develop severe symptoms when left untreated.
Whether its your first sinus infection or you have chronic sinusitis, its essential to know your treatment options. Clearing up the infection should be a high priority so you can avoid potential complications of untreated infections.
How To Get Rid Of A Sinus Infection: Try These Methods Today
Sinus infections can really lower your quality of life, especially if they occur often. So if you’re looking for how to get rid of a sinus infection, try these methods to see if they work for you.
While surgery can be effective, it’s also quite invasive. If you live or work in the Scottsdale/Phoenix Metro area, please give the Sinus & Allergy Wellness Center a call today for an appointment to learn more. The Phoenix area specialty sinus clinic offers an alternate method that’s both quicker, in-office, less expensive, and more effective. Call 480-567-7098 to learn more about this method of treating sinusitis and see if you are a candidate!
Garlic Honey And Olive Oil
The combination of these three ingredients help to provide relief from the sinus infection and other respiratory problems like cold and flu.
- Crush 3 4 garlic cloves into a paste.
- Let it rest for 15 minutes which activates the allicin enzyme.
- Add some honey and olive oil into it and mix well.
- Spread the mixture on either bread or cracker and consume it.
- Repeat the process regularly to get rid of sinus infection.
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How To Treat A Sinus Infection At Home
Many sinus infections go away on their own. You can try some of these treatments at home to help you manage your symptoms and feel more comfortable.
- Press a warm, moist towel to your face for 5-10 minutes every day. This can help reduce swelling and pain.
- Drink lots of water and other fluids. This can help thin your mucus and reduce congestion.
- Breathe in warm, humid air. Using a humidifier helps, or you can take a hot shower or bath.
- Try clearing your nasal passages with a saline solution . A saline wash helps clear your nasal packages and reduces congestion. You can buy saline drops at your local pharmacy or make your own saline solution at home.
- Over-the-counter pain medicine like Tylenol and Advil can help reduce pain and manage other symptoms, like a fever or headaches.
Acupuncture For Sinus Infection Relief
A review in 2014 of randomized controlled trials explored how traditional Chinese herbs could act to prevent or resolve viral respiratory infections. Many of the herbs had antiviral effects and others worked with the immune system to protect the respiratory tract and remove pathogens.
Shi-Bi-Lin is a Chinese herbal formula utilized to support a patient with paranasal sinusitis and allergic rhinitis. This formula is modified from the classic formula, Cang-Er-Zi-San.
A randomized controlled trial in 2009 recruited 162 patients with allergic rhinitis to either be blinded to receive capsules of SBL or placebo capsules for four weeks. The group that received the SBL had significant reductions in nose blockage. And notably, the reductions in symptoms were sustained for two weeks after the last dose of SBL.
Hochuekkito is a formula utilized in both traditional Chinese medicine and Japanese Kampo formulas. The formula includes 10 herbal medicines.
In 2018, scientists used an extract of this formula, HET, in an animal in vivo study to attempt to disrupt the nasal cavity colonization of the bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus . The hope was that if nasal cavity colonization could be prevented, the spread and any possible sinus infections would be avoided.
Due to the statistical significance of the results, the study recommends explorations of HET as a therapeutic option for nasal cavity colonization of MRSA in humans.
Masks to prevent infection spread
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Tomato To Get Rid Of A Sinus Infection
Tomato is widely used to make skin lighter. Tomato is rich in vitamin A that can be used very effective in avoid sinus infection. Vitamin A can also be very helpful in clearing the membrane. It repairs the mucus membrane efficiently. What you can do is:
- Boil a cup of tomato juice in a saucepan.
- Remove it from heat and add lemon juice to it.
- Also add some chopped garlic to it.
- Mix it well and drink it.
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How To Cure A Sinus Infection
Sinus infections impact the lives of millions of Americans just like you. Together, we spend billions of dollars each year in over-the-counter and prescription medications to treat difficult symptoms. It is responsible for more than 16 million doctor visits that take away valuable time from work, friends, and family. The good news is that you donât have to continue suffering. There are cures for sinusitis that are safe, affordable, and ready for you.
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What Causes Sinus Congestion
Before we get into how to get rid of sinus congestion, its important that we review what may be causing your nose to get stuffy. Thats because the type of remedies and treatment you pursue may be dependent on what is causing your sinus congestion in the first place. Some of the most common causes of sinus congestion include but are not limited to:
Illnesses: Many people experience sinus congestion at its worst when they are ill. Common illnesses that have sinus congestion as a main symptom include: the common cold, acute and chronic sinusitis, influenza, and non-allergic rhinitis.
Allergies: Allergens are a primary culprit when it comes to what causes sinus congestion. Congestion is one result of your body trying to produce enough mucus to block pollen, dust, mold, smoke, and other irritants from entering your body. Allergens also irritate the lining of your sinuses, which can cause them to swell.
Anatomical issues: Sometimes the anatomy of our nose can contribute to congestion and other sinus problems. Patients with a deviated septum, nasal polyps, and enlarged adenoids are at a higher risk of experiencing frequent nasal congestion.
Hormones: Hormonal changes, including those related to pregnancy, can cause you to become congested.
Drink Lots Of Water And Get Adequate Rest
âI recommend drinking a lot of water because it thins the mucus,â Abi Hachem says. While thereâs no evidence about the most effective quantity, he recommends drinking at least eight eight-ounce glasses of water each day.
You can also try drinking hot liquids like tea or soup to temporarily help relieve your symptoms. But you should avoid drinking alcohol, as itâs dehydrating and can worsen your congestion. If youâre taking an antibiotic for your sinus infection, drinking alcohol could increase side effects like upset stomach and drowsiness.
Itâs also important to get about seven to nine hours of sleep each night to help your body rest and recover. âYou want to get enough sleep and follow a normal sleep cycle so that all the hormones in your body are maxing out your immune system function,â Abi Hachem says.
Because getting a good nightâs sleep can be difficult due to the pain and congestion, you can do the following to help you get more rest:
- Use a neti pot before going to bed to help clear your nasal passages.
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Differentiate Between Sinus Headache And Migraine Headache
Many people who assume they are having sinus pain due to sinus pressure are actually having a migraine headache. Migraine pain can involve the same nerves as the sinus cavities and is frequently accompanied by nasal congestion, nausea, and aggravation by bright light. “If sinus pain is caused by a migraine, the best natural treatment is lying down in a dark, quiet room,” advises Das.
Saline Spray And Sinus Rinses
Using a saline solution, rinse your nose and sinuses with a neti pot or other irrigation system.
You can buy saline solution over the counter or make your own at home with distilled water and saline packets. Saline spray also comes in small bottles that you can spray directly into your nose.
Sinus rinses like these work by flushing mucus out of the nose and sinuses to keep things flowing freely.
Saline also has a natural decongesting effect, meaning it shrinks your swollen nasal tissues and makes it easier for you to breathe through your nose!
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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.
Most Sinus Infections Dont Require Antibiotics
Ah, sinus infections. The New England Journal of Medicine published a clinical practice review of acute sinus infections in adults, that is, sinus infections of up to four weeks. The need for an updated review was likely spurred by the disconcerting fact that while the vast majority of acute sinus infections will improve or even clear on their own without antibiotics within one to two weeks, most end up being treated with antibiotics.
It is this discrepancy that has clinical researchers and public health folks jumping up and down in alarm, because more unnecessary prescriptions for antibiotics mean more side effects and higher bacterial resistance rates. But on the other hand, while 85% of sinus infections improve or clear on their own, theres the 15% that do not. Potential complications are rare, but serious, and include brain infections, even abscesses.
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Your Sinusitis Wont Go Away Heres What You Need To Know
Sinusitis also known as a sinus infection is, for the most part, a bacterial infection caused by inflammation of the sinuses. Chronic and recurring long-lasting sinusitis can render you incapacitated and quickly eat up your sick days.
But when your sinusitis wont go away, what options do you have? This guide walks you through how to identify a sinus infection, what happens if you ignore it, how to treat your chronic sinusitis, and more.
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Hum Your Way To Sinus Pain Relief
“Some people report that humming for one hour improves sinus pain,” says Das. Researchers in Sweden have found that humming can keep your sinuses clear. How could that be possible? Humming may increase both airflow through your sinuses and the level of nitric oxide in your sinuses. The combination of nitric oxide and airflow may reduce your risk of sinusitis. So if you have a common cold or allergies, want to prevent a sinus infection, and know a happy tune that you don’t mind hearing for an hour, you may want to try a little humming.
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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.
How To Treat Your Cold And Flu While Pregnant
Having the cold and flu while pregnant is the worst. What medications can you safely take?
You know that unpasteurized brie is a no-go during pregnancy, and those double martinis and oysters on the half shell are strictly verboten. But what about cold and flu medications? When you inevitably come down with a hacking cough, myriad aches and pains, and a serious case of the sniffles, what can you take? Here, our guide to navigating cold and flu season with a baby on board.
Get the vaccine
YOURE PREGNANT!Sign up to get weekly email updates on your baby »Influenzaa severe respiratory illness that causes fever, cough and congestionis not something to be trifled with. As Laura Magee, an obstetrician and clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia, says, women who are pregnant and have the flu are at an increased risk of serious complications. And that list of potential repercussions includes pneumonia, kidney failure, swelling of the brain, premature labour and even death. An estimated 10 to 20 percent of Canadians becomes infected with influenza each year, causing upwards of 12,000 hospitalizations and 3,500 deaths.
The good news is the vaccine is safe throughout pregnancy. Be sure, however, to request the injection, which is made from an inactivated virus, and not the nasal-spray vaccine, as thats made from a live virus and not recommended for use by pregnant women.
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Causes & Risk Factors
Any health situation that blocks off the vital drainage channels of your sinuses can cause a sinus infection including:
- Respiratory infections like the common cold
- Hay fever or exposure to allergens such as cigarette smoke, dry air and pollutants
- Obstructions in the nasal or sinus cavities including nasal polyps, deviated septum, or nasal bone spur
- Non-allergic rhinitis
- Infections resulting from dental problems
- Physical injury to the sinuses
- Bacteria, viruses, and fungi
The five most common bacteria that can cause sinus infections are: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes.
Risk factors for sinus infections include:
- Being in the hospital, especially if the reason you are in the hospital is related to a head injury or you needed a tube inserted into your nose
The Hot & Cold Compress
For treating sinus headache, the hot and cold compress is the best choice.
When you apply this remedy, it will help to relieve blocked sinuses as well as open them up in order to decrease the inflammation. Thus, if you have sinus headache, lets follow this detailed direction below:
- Now pour warm water into a pad to make hot compress meanwhile wrap some ice cubes to make cold compress
- Then apply the hot compress for 3 minutes
- Next apply the cold compress immediately after taking the hot compress
- Leave it on more than 30 seconds
- Do this process from three to five times a day
- Repeat every day until your condition is better
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How Do You Diagnose Chronic Sinusitis
The presence of two or more of the listed symptoms for at least three months raises the suspicion of a chronic sinus infection.
In such cases, we will evaluate you to confirm the diagnosis. This involves applying pressure on your sinuses to elicit tenderness. If the tenderness is positive, your sinuses are likely to be inflamed. We will then take a peek into your nose using a small flexible scope, and check for nasal polyps, pus-filled discharge, and deviated septum.
We may also recommend nasal endoscopy. This is an office procedure that enables us to view the interior of your nose and sinus passages. Its done with an instrument called an endoscope, which is a thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera and a light. We will pass this scope into your nose and sinuses to look inside. Nasal endoscopy allows us to detect any swelling and polyps, as well as collect discharge from the infected area. This can help spot the cause of your infection and whats the best way to treat it.
If need be, we may also perform imaging in the form of a computed tomography to look for further problems.
Allergy skin tests look for allergic causes and to check for problems within your immune system may also be done.
What Can I Do About Recurring Sinus Headaches
Many sinus headaches, especially those that recur, are actually migraines. But its smart to see your healthcare provider to figure out the cause of your headaches.
You may find that the best long-term solution is figuring out what triggers your migraine headaches so you can avoid them. Its helpful to keep a headache diary to track potential triggers. Triggers you can control include:
- Specific foods, such as chocolate, red wine or strong cheese.
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