What Is Chronic Sinusitis What Causes It
Chronic sinusitis is defined as inflammation in the sinus area that lasts longer than 12 weeks. The inflammation does not need to be severe to indicate a problem for many, its a constant mild to moderate irritation that gets a little worse or a little better depending on changes in the weather, the persons stress, and their diet. Patients also tend to suffer from worsening congestion when they get a cold, which may lead to an acute sinus infection. Most individuals do not realize that their chronic nasal congestion originates from their gut.
The Mayo Clinic published an article stating that 93% of all cases of CS were mold or fungal related. The researchers studied 210 patients with chronic sinusitis. Using new methods of collecting and testing mucus from the nose, they discovered fungus in 96% of the patients mucus. They identified a total of 40 different kinds of fungi in these patients, with an average of 2.7 kinds per patient.1 The clinic test results echo what I see in practice: chronic sinusitis is a result of yeast in both the sinus cavities and the digestive mucosal membrane. Most individuals have little to no background knowledge of mucosal membranes, so Im going to take a moment to explain the importance of these membranes and outline how they function within the body.
Where Does Sinus Drainage Go
It is natural and healthy for your sinuses to produce mucus but at the end of the day, where does mucus go? Is sinus drainage normal? And if so, why does it sometimes make us sick? Here, we answer the question, Where does sinus drainage go? and share potential remedies for excessive sinus drainage / post-nasal drip.
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What Causes Sinus Pain
Sinuses are hollow spaces in your facial bones that are lined with membranes that secrete mucus. Sinus pain is often a result of inflammation that blocks mucus from draining and leads to pain.
Sinus swelling can follow viral illnesses, including the common cold, or it can be due to mucus production from allergies or breathing in polluted air that leads to irritation. It can also happen if there are nasal blockages due to abnormal growths called nasal polyps or structural abnormalities, such as a deviated septum, that make you prone to congestion.
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Ways To Recognize Serious Signs Of Sinus Infections
#1: Duration
The length of the infection is an important determinant of the seriousness of the infection.
I usually consider most infections less than 3 weeks to be viral or inflammation related to congestion. At this point, the best treatment is usually medications that decrease the congestion and inflammation. This in turn will alleviate the symptoms and ultimately cure the illness.
When the illness continues beyond 3 weeks, bacterial infection can begin to develop. Though antibiotics can be considered at this point, other treatments may still be the best answer if they have not yet been given a try.
#2: Mucous Color
I will dispel a myth right here and now. Yellowish/greenish mucous does not necessarily mean the infection is bacterial.
Viruses can cause the same color mucous. The reason for the mucous is generally not the actual bacteria or virus, but the bodys immune response to the intruder.
So dont worry just because you see a colored mucous when you blow your nose. This will also improve as the infection abates.
#3: Sinus Pain
Sinus pain can occur anytime throughout a sinus infection. This is normal and means there is inflammation in the sinuses, as we discussed previously.
However, severe pain, redness over the skin, hardened skin over the sinuses, or even a severe headache are not generally normal and can indicate a bacterial infection.
#4: Fever
A fever can be caused by both viruses and bacteria. So how do you differentiate between the two?
Five Home Remedies For Nasal Congestion
When that stuffy, clogged, or blocked nose won’t seem to go away, you might find yourself looking for anything that tells you how to relieve sinus pressure and get back to normal life. Everyone gets colds from time to time, but when they linger there may be something more than a common cold going on. Having to deal with tissues, mouth breathing, bad breath, and blowing your nose when nothing comes out is never fun – and itâs not normal. Luckily there are nasal congestion home remedies as well as medical options available.
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Add Moisture To The Air With A Humidifier Or Vaporizer
Battling a cold or the flu can leave you feeling dried out and dehydrated, so many people turn to humidifiers or vaporizers to relieve congested sinuses. Extra humidity via humidifiers can provide a lot of relief, says Dr. Stringer. Humidifiers help break up congestion by adding moisture to the air, which helps to thin the mucus in your nose.
Although warm-mist and cool-mist humidifiers are equally effective, its better to use a cool-mist humidifier for a child, to avoid an accidental burn from the warm mist. Also be sure to keep your humidifier clean to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold. Follow the cleaning instructions that come with the humidifier, or simply wipe it down every day with a 10 percent bleach solution .
What Is The Long
Sinus infections are primarily caused by allergies. The most common allergens are pollen, dust mites and pet dander. Those with repeated sinus infections may have chronic sinusitis, which means long-term solutions may be a better option.
Immunotherapy can help. These allergy shots enable your body to decrease sensitivity to common allergens. The Raleigh sinus doctors at Raleigh Medical Group specialize in helping patients with chronic allergy and sinus problems. While immunotherapy is effective, the treatment can take as long as one year to achieve noticeable results and maintenance treatment will likely be needed.
To find out if youre a candidate for immunotherapy, schedule an appointment with one of our internal medicine doctors. We welcome the opportunity to serve you.
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Over The Counter Medications
For help alleviating sinus pressure and pain, try ibuprofen and a decongestant. Some medications include a combination of pain reliever and decongestant.
Mild antihistamines like Claritin and Allegra are helpful in moderation. Strong antihistamines like Benadryl are often way too drying. Be careful not to take antihistamines too often.
Even though you want your nose to stop running, too many antihistamines can make it more likely that youll get sinus infections in the future.
Drugs like Mucinex and Flonase can also be helpful in thinning the mucus in your nose and sinuses.
If you use Afrin, make sure you stop after three days. Though it can seem like a miracle drug, using it more than three days in a row can lead to something called rebound congestion. In other words, when you stop using the Afrin after continuous use, your nose becomes more congested than it was in the first place!
Stay Away From Dairy Products
Some doctors hold the opinion that taking lots of dairy products when suffering from sinus drainage makes it worse by encouraging excessive mucus production.
Should you stop using dairy products and realize that the problem has completely cleared, chances are that you are allergic to dairy products. Talk to your health care provider about it.
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Home Remedies: Steps To Help Relieve Sinusitis
These self-help steps can help relieve sinusitis symptoms:
- Drink fluids.Water or juice will help dilute mucous secretions and promote drainage. Avoid beverages that contain caffeine or alcohol, as they can be dehydrating. Drinking alcohol can also worsen the swelling of the lining of the sinuses and nose.
- Moisten your sinus cavities.Drape a towel over your head as you breathe in the vapor from a bowl of hot water. Keep the vapor directed toward your face. Or take a hot shower, breathing in the warm, moist air. This will help ease pain and help mucus drain.
- Apply warm compresses to your face.Place warm, damp towels around your nose, cheeks and eyes to ease facial pain.
- Rinse your nasal passages.Use a specially designed squeeze bottle or neti pot. This home remedy, called nasal lavage, can help clear your sinuses. If you make your own rinse, use water thats contaminant-free distilled, sterile, previously boiled and cooled, or filtered using a filter with an absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller to make up the irrigation solution. Also be sure to rinse the irrigation device after each use with contaminant-free water and leave open to air-dry.
- Rest.This will help your body fight infection and speed recovery.
- Sleep with your head elevated.This will help your sinuses drain, reducing congestion.
Take these steps to help reduce your risk of getting acute sinusitis:
This article is written by Mayo Clinic staff. Find more health and medical information on mayoclinic.org.
How To Tell If You Have An Actual Sinus Infection
Even though we often say we have a sinus infection even if its just inflammation or an allergic response, there are symptoms of an actual infection that may be treatable with antibiotics. Nasal congestion and pain under the eyes or around the temples are, of course, main symptoms, but others include the loss of the sense of smell, green nasal discharge, mucus dripping down your throat, cough, fever, fatigue, sore throat, and even bad breath.
Sometimes, a sinus infection will clear up without intervention, but if you develop a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher, have your symptoms for 10 or more days, notice that your symptoms are getting worse and are not improved by OTC medications, or you have multiple infections in a years time, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
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How To Treat Sinus Pain
If you experience sinus pain, there are over-the-counter medications, home remedies, and lifestyle strategies that may be helpful.
If your symptoms last more than a week or keep recurring, see a healthcare provider. It could be a bacterial sinus infection, also called sinusitis, that requires a course of antibiotics or it might be migraines or another condition that requires medical intervention.
Fungal sinus infections can also occur and require surgery and/or antifungal medications.
Ways How To Relieve Chronic Nasal Congestion
A chronic nasal congestion is a stuffy nose that doesnt seem to go away. It affects the entire feeling of your body. You will be uncomfortable and sick. You might not be able to carry out important activities.
Furthermore, here are the 20 Ways to Relieve Chronic Nasal Congestion which can help you. Understand the causes and effects to ensure the right treatment.
Causes of Congestion
Here are some ways to treat your congestion:
1. Humidifier
A humidifier is a popular equipment to relieve congestion. It provides more moisture into the air around you. An increase of humidity will prevent your nose from becoming dry. Youll find it easier to get rid of the mucus that is preventing you from breathing properly. This advice on how to treat a nosebleed at home might be handy.
2. Saline Spray
You can purchase a saline spray from the pharmacy. You dont need any prescriptions to buy it. The saline spray will help to get rid of the mucus. The mucus in your nasal passage will be loose. Your nose wont get too crusty and dry either which can be irritating.
3. Warm Towel
A warm towel can also help. The heat from the towel will loosen up the mucus in your nose.
- Boil some water until it is warm.
- Soak in a clean towel or cloth.
- Wring out the excess water.
- Use it to cover face until it is no longer warm.
4. Hot Shower
Take a long, hot shower. The hot water will help distribute heat around the bathroom. It will make your nose feel better as the warm air is all around you.
5. Eat Spicy Food
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Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
Functional endoscopic sinus surgery or FESS is another approach your doctor may recommend to treat chronic sinusitis.
An ear, nose, and throat surgeon will use a special tool with a lighted camera on the end to visualize the inside of your nose.
They will then use small instruments to remove excess tissue, nasal polyps, or nasal cysts to widen your sinuses.
Your ENT surgeon will perform the procedure under anesthesia. They may use general anesthesia or conscious sedation .
Get Rid Of Sinus Congestion At Kaplan Sinus Relief
To get rid of sinus congestion for good, you have to treat its underlying cause. Whether youre suffering from allergy attacks, dealing with chronic sinusitis, or are anatomically more susceptible to congestion, the Houston sinus experts at Kaplan Sinus Relief can assess your needs and determine the perfect treatment for you,
We are here to help Houston breathe easily again. To get started, call Kaplan Sinus Relief at 713-766-1818 or request an appointment online today.
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How You Can Treat Sinusitis Yourself
You can often treat mild sinusitis without seeing a GP by:
- getting plenty of rest
- taking painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen
- avoiding allergic triggers and not smoking
- cleaning your nose with a salt water solution to ease congestion
You do not need to use all of the solution, but make a fresh solution each time you clean your nose.
Stay Away From Pollen
Pollen allergies like hay fever causes nasal congestion. To get relief we suggest you minimize your contact time with the allergens. A good way to do this is to take your shoes off before you enter your home. Change your clothes and brush your hair or shower. Wash your face. Pollen can trigger allergies around your eyes and its good to clean that out. Regularly wash your sheets and pillow cases. Another tip is to keep your windows closed. You want to keep the pollen out.
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What Are Risk Factors For Acute Sinusitis
Some people are more likely than others to get acute sinusitis. These include:
- People who have allergies.
- People who have structural problems with their noses or polyps, which are growths that can hang inside noses or sinus cavities.
- People who spend a great deal of time in places where infections happen, like preschools or day cares.
What Causes A Sinus Infection
A sinus infection can be caused by several different things including:
Seasonal allergies A deviated septum: The septum is the part of the nose that divides it into right and left nostrils. Some people have crooked or deviated septums, which makes them more susceptible to sinus infections. Nasal polyps Respiratory tract infections
Sinus infections may be acute or chronic .
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Natural Remedies For Congestion
A nose and sinus condition can make you feel your absolute worst, causing painful pressure behind your eyes and making your nose run endlessly. Over 35 million people suffer from chronic sinusitis each year, making it one of the most common health complaints in the United States.
Although sinus problems can be uncomfortable, there are effective remedies that can help alleviate pain and discomfort. Here are five effective home remedies that can help you tackle the problem naturally:
Sinus Pressure Points On The Hands
The soft tissue between your thumb and index finger may serve as a pressure point for sinus relief. If you cant find the area by touching it, place your hand flat on a table and bring your index finger and thumb together. The point is beneath where the skin rises up highest.
To access the point, open your hand up and use the thumb and index finger of your opposite hand to squeeze the area for a few minutes
Your fingertips may also be able to act as pressure points for sinus relief. To activate any of these points, simply press and momentarily squeeze each the end of each finger.
There are also pressure points along your hands right next to your fingernails. These points are just beside the nail, in the corners where the base joins the skin.
The specific points are as follows:
- Outside corner of the thumbnail
- Outside corner of the index finger
- Outside corner of the middle finger
- Inside corner the ring finger
- Inside and outside corner of the pinky
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Applying Warm Wet Towels
A warm, wet towel held against the face may help relieve the swelling and inflammation of sinus congestion.
It may also help keep the mucous membranes moist by breathing in moist air, which can help it function properly.
People can also soak a towel in warm water, wring it out, and drape it over their face in a way that is still comfortable for them to breathe through their mouth.