Sometimes, when people have a cold, they just don’t get better, or their health actually worsens after 5 to 7 days. One possible cause: sinusitis. Sinuses are mucus-lined membranes surrounding air-filled spaces in the skull located behind the nasal bones, cheeks, eyes, and forehead. Healthy sinuses are germ-free, and mucus is able to drain, and air is able to circulate freely. When a person gets sinusitis, however, their sinuses become inflamed, and their sinus openings become blocked, too much mucus builds up, and germ growth flourishes.
Sinusitis comes in two flavors, chronic and acute. Here are the key symptoms of acute sinusitis:
- headache—feeling painful pressure behind the eyes and cheeks
- stuffy, runny nose
- fatigue and generally not feeling well
- fever
- cough, often worse at night
- loss of smell
- bad breath
- toothache
With chronic sinusitis, the symptoms are the same as those of acute sinusitis, but they tend to be milder and last longer than 3 months.
Sinusitis isn’t contagious, but the cold that caused it is. Here’s how to treat an acute sinusitis infection:
- Drink plenty of fluids, especially warm beverages like tea and fruit juices with Vitamin C.
- Rest a lot.
- Use a sinus rinse with a saline solution.
- Use a decongestant.
- Take aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen for headaches.
- Eat chicken soup.
- Eat spicy foods with hot peppers and/or horseradish help clear sinuses.
- Inhale steam 2 – 4 times a day (but don’t inhale the steam while the water is still boiling).
- Take a long, steamy shower.
- Use a vaporizer.
- Indulge yourself with a facial sauna.
Here are some recommended treatment options for chronic sinusitis:
- Visit a health practitioner.
- Take antibiotics.
- Use a corticosteroid nasal spray.
- Use a sinus rinse with a saline solution.
- Take medications, like steroids, which are anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Use decongestants.
The best way to prevent sinusitis is to avoid the cold virus that resulted in the sinusitis – wash hands frequently, don’t borrow or lend pens, avoid shaking hands, and if you’re exposed to cold germs, use a zinc nasal spray right away to discourage viral growth.
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