How Can You Tell If You Have Chronic Sinusitis
Does it feel like your sinus infection just wont quit? If you experience at least two of the following for 12 weeks or more even though youve been treated it may be chronic sinusitis:
- Discharge of mucus or postnasal drip
- Pain or pressure in your face
- Problems with smell
Chronic sinus infections can be triggered by colds but are typically caused by long-term inflammation. Sometimes, when treatments to control that inflammation fail, people with chronic sinusitis need surgery to drain their mucus.
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Youre Using Nasal Spray Too Much
Over the counter nasal sprays work great in alleviating sinus infection pressure in the short term, but can have lasting effects if not properly used. The main chemical in nasal spray can cause your sinus infection to get worse! If you have had a sinus infection for over a week and are still using nasal decongestant spray, call our Southfield ENT specialists immediately to make an appointment.
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Types Of Sinus Infections: Chronic Vs Acute
There are four types of sinus infections. These classifications depend on the length and frequency of the infection:
- Acute sinusitis.This type of sinus infection lasts only for a short time, defined by the American Academy of Otolaryngology as less than 4 weeks. This short-term infection is usually part of a cold or other respiratory illness. It may also be caused by a bacterial infection .
- Subacute sinusitis. A subacute sinus infection lasts between 4 and 12 weeks .
- Recurrent acute sinusitis. An acute sinus infection is considered recurrent if the infection returns four or more times within a year, with each infection lasting 7 days or more.
- Chronic sinusitis.Chronic sinus infections last for more than 12 weeks or continue to recur.
Many sinus infection symptoms are common in both acute and chronic forms. Seeing a doctor is the best way to learn if you have an infection, find the cause, and get treatment.
For cases of acute bacterial sinus infections, these symptoms last at least 10 days without improving, or they worsen within 10 days after seeming to improve. In this case, its important to talk with a doctor, such as a general practitioner or an ear, nose, and throat doctor , to get a diagnosis and treatment plan.
Learn more about the symptoms of a sinus infection below.
Anatomy Of The Paranasal Sinuses
The paranasal sinuses comprise four pairs of sinuses that surround the nose and drain into the nasal cavity by way of narrow channels called ostia . Mucus leaving the frontal and maxillary sinuses drains through the ethmoid sinuses , so a backup in the ethmoids is likely to clog the other two types of sinuses. The sphenoid sinuses are located deep in the skull, behind the eyes. Sinusitis develops when one or more sinuses become blocked.
There are millions of bacteria in our noses, and most of the time, theyre harmless. Even when a few creep into the sinuses, they dont cause trouble, as long as they keep draining into the nose along with mucus. But if sinus drainage is blocked, glands in the sinuses continue to produce mucus, and the resulting pool of backed-up mucus provides what Dr. Metson calls the perfect culture medium. The bacteria grow out of control, causing infection, and the immune system kicks off an inflammatory response. The result: swelling, which causes and facial pain mucus buildup, which produces congestion and an influx of white blood cells to fight the bacteria, which thickens the mucus and may tint it yellow or green. Other symptoms include loss of smell or taste, cough, bad breath, fever, toothache, and fullness in the ears.
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The Right Way To Treat A Sinus Infection
5 min Read Time
Your head is throbbing, especially around your eyes. You cant stop coughing, and for some reason, your breath is terrible. Blowing your nose is a mess.
Bad news: You could have a sinus infection. Most frequently triggered by the common cold, over 30 million American adults are diagnosed with sinusitis yearly.
So, what exactly are sinus infections? How can you tell if you have one? And holy cow how can you feel better as quickly as possible?
Alternatives For Nasal Sprays
Nasal sprays arent typically intended as a long-term solution for allergies and frequent sinus congestion. Some people report that nasal sprays can be habit-forming, and side effects such as rebound inflammation and nosebleeds can occur if you overuse these products. Alternatives to consider include:
- Run a cool-mist humidifier or essential oil diffuser in your home to keep sinus congestion to a minimum.
- Consider a HEPA-filter air filtration device if environmental allergies are a problem indoors.
- Apply a warm compress to your forehead and nasal passages to soothe painful congestion.
- Keep oral allergy medications in mind as an alternative to nasal sprays.
- Breathe in steam or take a warm shower to loosen mucus thats inflaming your sinus passages.
Nasal sprays can help you manage hay fever or sinus infection symptoms. But there are times when you may need to see a doctor about your symptoms.
Talk with a doctor about your congestion if you have one or more of the following symptoms:
- nasal congestion that lasts for 2 weeks or more
- a high fever that lasts for over 72 hours
- nasal discharge that appears green and comes with a recurring fever or headache
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Why Use An Anti
For years, the go-to choice for allergy relief was an antihistamine, usually in the form of a pill. But antihistamines only block histamine, just one of the many allergic substances your immune system releases when youre exposed to an allergen.*ii
An OTC allergy spray thats formulated with corticosteroidsa type of medicine approved by the FDA to treat nasal allergy symptomsprovides more complete relief of total nasal symptoms than an antihistamine.iii
Nasal sprays with corticosteroids block a variety of allergic substances. For example, FLONASE helps block six key allergic substances, including histamine, to treat your symptoms.*
Acute Vs Chronic Sinusitis
The vast majority of people who come down with a case of sinusitis will experience the illness as a result of complications from a cold, or perhaps a particularly bad bout of allergies. These cases are said to be acute in nature. That said, many people suffer from regular occurance of sinus infections, often due to structural abnormalities such as deviated septum.
While the vast majority of cases of acute sinusitis are caused by viruses, chronic sinusitis is often due to inflammation and/or structural abnormalitiessurgery may be required for symptomatic relief in severe cases.
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Medications For Sinus Disorders
Antibiotics
Antibiotics help fight bacterial infections. They’re useful for treating bacterial sinus infections but will not help a cold caused by a virus. Many bacteria that were once treatable by common antibiotics have become resistant, so doctors in the UPMC Sino-Nasal and Allergy Center are careful when prescribing antibiotics for sinus problems. A culture of the bacteria found in the sinuses will provide guidelines to the best sinus antibiotic to use.
While taking an antibiotic, it may help to restore the good bacteria in your system by taking probiotics or acidophilus tablets. You can also eat foods that contain large amounts of benign bacteria, such as yogurt or kefir.
Antihistamines
The body releases histamine during an allergy attack. Histamine causes sneezing, itching, and welting. Antihistamines block the histamine receptors that cause allergic reactions.
Newer antihistamines like Zyrtec , Clarinex , Allegra , and Claritin have a very low rate of causing side effects, compared to older antihistamines. They do not cause drowsiness, except for Zyrtec. Zyrtec may impair performance or cause sedation, but much less often than the older antihistamines.
Sudafed is now a behind-the-counter decongestant. Phenylephrine is less effective than pseudoephedrine. All oral decongestants can cause side effects such as urinary retention, insomnia, and jitteriness.
Leukotriene modulators
Leukotrienes are potent agents of broncho constriction.
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Nasal rinses
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- SINUS PRESSURE RELIEF. Effective nasal spray decongestant that relieves sinus pressure and shrinks swollen nasal membranes
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- 12 HOUR RELIEF. Works for up to 12 hours for long-lasting relief of nasal stuffiness and sinus pressure
- BREATHE FREELY FAST. Provides powerful sinus congestion relief in seconds so you can breathe freely
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How To Make Your Own Saline Nasal Spray
You can make your own saline nasal spray at home with salt and tap water. Here is a simple recipe to try:
The high salt content is hostile to most bacteria and disease-causing microorganisms. Even so, the solution should be kept for no longer than three days, whether at room temperature or refrigerated. Discard the contents after three days, and wash the bottle thoroughly between uses.
You can also combine 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized salt with one cup of distilled water and mix to dissolve. Place in a sterile squeeze bottle, and discard the contents after 24 hours.
Best For Chest Congestion: Nasacort Nasal Spray For Sinus Infection
The Nasacort Nasal Spray For Sinus Infection is capable of outshining several other sprays featured in this list in overall features for the price point. The nasacort nasal spray for sinus infection is fragrance free and it is highly recommend. Please consult with your doctor before taking nasacort with any other medication. Also, the spray works for itchy eyes, matches the product description and it is perfect for night time.
The spray works for other ingredients and it is safe to use. Finally, the nasacort nasal sprayfor sinus infection is alcohol free and it is great for nasal allergies.
Almost all customers quickly discovered that the spray is when required a prescription and not an OTC drug. Moreover, they strongly agree that the spray is good for allergy relief but not cold symptoms. In addition, a few strongly agree that this nasal spray really does last 24 hours like the company claims. In conclusion, buyers found this to be one of the best sprays for daily purposes.
Top Customer Quotes:
- I used to need benadryl every day but never need it now.
- This can be used as directed with blood pressure medication.
- Take nasacort nasal allergy spray day or night.
- You can buy multiple packs, which makes it more affordable.
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When You Shouldnt Use A Nasal Spray
While most people can safely use nasal sprays, your doctor or pharmacist may have other recommendations if you have diabetes, high blood pressure or hyperthyroidism, or if youre taking other medications.
You also shouldnt use a nasal spray if your nasal passages are damaged. This condition, known as rhinitis medicamentosa, happens when you use a decongestant nasal spray for longer than a few days. When this happens, you might need more medicine to control your congestion, or your congestion might worsen if you stop using the spray, Dr. Aronica cautions.
As always, the best thing to do is to consult your doctor to make sure that nasal spray is safe for you. With their help, youll be well on your way to safely getting your allergies under control.
To learn more about allergies from Dr. Aronica, listen to the Health Essentials Podcast episode Dealing with Spring and Summer Allergies. New episodes of the Health Essentials podcast publish every Wednesday.
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?
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How Does These Oils Benefit
Using essential oils for post nasal drip can provide a lot of benefits. They help in maintaining a healthy body and mind. Also, they have several soothing properties that are known to produce a rejuvenating effect. They also increase metabolism, digestion, and prevent several chronic conditions as well.
These essential oils have various properties that help in curing post nasal drip condition. The have anti-oxidants that prevent the disease from becoming chronic. Also, they help in reducing excess mucus production, sore throat, and cough.
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How to Use Essential Oils for Post Nasal Drip?
There are several ways these essential oils for post nasal drip can be used. They can be inhaled directly to provide relief or they can be massaged over throat and nose as well. They can also be consumed on an empty stomach too.
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Using Steroid Nasal Sprays With Other Medicines Food Or Alcohol
Some medicines can interfere with the way steroid nasal sprays work, although this is uncommon.
Check the leaflet that comes with your spray to see if it could be affected by other medicines. Ask a pharmacist or doctor if you’re unsure.
You can usually drink alcohol while using a steroid nasal spray and you do not normally need to avoid any particular foods.
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Causes And Risk Factors Of Sinus Infection
The terms sinus infection and sinusitis are often used interchangeably, but sinusitis simply refers to the inflammation of the sinuses, with or without an infection. The medical term for sinusitis is rhinosinusitis because the illness affects the mucous membranes in both the sinuses and nose. Sinus infections ultimately develop because of sinus and nasal blockages that result in sinus inflammation. There are several underlying causes of sinus blockage, including various environmental, anatomical, and genetic factors. But the most common cause of the blockage is inflammation or swelling of the nasal passages because of the common cold or allergies. when a blockage occurs, mucus fails to drain properly, increases in thickness, and fills the sinus spaces. The cilia also slow down their sweeping and cleaning, making it even harder for mucus to drain. When the mucus is unable to drain, it becomes the perfect medium for microbes to grow out of control and cause an infection.
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How Long Do Symptoms Last
Typically, a sinus infection clears up within 2 to 3 weeks. COVID-19 lasts for about a week or two depending on its severity and your overall health.
A 2020 study surveyed 270 outpatients with COVID-19. Among them, 175 people reported returning to their usual level of health about 7 days after a positive COVID-19 test.
Some symptoms like cough and loss of smell or taste may linger temporarily after COVID-19. Some people may experience long-haul COVID-19, a group of symptoms that persist in the weeks and months following an infection.
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Is It Time To Get A New Natural Nasal Spray For Allergies
Youre looking for a new natural nasal spray for allergies. What do you think? Its difficult to predict future price changes. If there are no signs of production slowing, it can be worth buying now to enjoy your investment sooner. But if output is declining and prices are predicted to rise, you might want to wait until the buzz has died down before making a choice.
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