Tips to relieve sinus issues

Breathe humidified air. One of the best ways to relieve sinus problems is to keep a humidifier in your bedroom or other rooms where you spend a lot of time. Air that is dry can irritate your sinuses. By keeping the air moist, it can help to reduce congestion. It may also be helpful to simply inhale some of the steam about two to four times a day.

Breathe moist air from the shower. Another way to relieve sinus congestion is to breathe in the steam from a hot shower. Try sitting in the bathroom or shower with the door closed and the shower running. Make sure the water is hot so that a lot of steam is created. In just a few minutes, you should be able to breathe again.

Avoid areas where people smoke or where there are harsh chemicals. Things like harsh cleaning products, paints, hair spray, perfumes, and especially cigarette smoking can irritate your sinuses. Make sure to stay away from people, whether it be strangers, friends or family who smoke. Don’t allow smoking in your home either. When shopping, look for safe cleaning products that are unscented. These are less likely to contain the harsh chemicals that can create or further complicate a sinus problem.

Drink more water. If you have sinus problems, drink more water. You can also try juice and hot tea. Drinking more of these will help thin out mucus and encourage drainage. Be careful not to drink too much caffeine though. Drinks that contain caffeine or alcohol can be dehydrating. And alcohol can actually make sinus swelling worse. Aim for eight or more 8-ounce glasses of water or other drinks each day.

Try nasal irrigation. Nasal irrigation is also called nasal lavage or nasal wash. This can help keep your sinuses clear. It involves using a mild sterile saline solution to flush out the thickened mucus and allergens causing your sinus congestion.

Treatment for sinus infection

A sinus infection is also known as sinusitis. The sinuses are responsible for filtering and humidifying the air we inhale. When we are healthy, our sinus secretions are always moving and draining into the nasal cavity. However, when the movement of those secretions is blocked or mucus is thickened, sinusitis can occur. Sinusitis is a painful inflammation of the sinuses. It is estimated that sinusitis affects up to 20 percent of people at some point. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or other factors.

Symptoms include drainage of a thick, yellow or greenish discharge from the nose or down the back of the throat, nasal obstruction or congestion, causing difficulty breathing through your nose, pain, tenderness and swelling around your eyes, cheeks, nose or forehead, or a reduced sense of smell and taste, ear pain, aching in your upper jaw and teeth, cough, which may be worse at night, sore throat, bad breath (aka halitosis), fatigue or irritability, or nausea.

Treatment options

·       Medications. Medications used to treat sinusitis and sinus infections include analgesics for pain, decongestants, saline nasal irrigation, and intranasal corticosteroids.

·       Neti pots. Nasal irrigation with saline solutions or salt water offer a safe and inexpensive treatment option for sinusitis symptom relief in both adults and children, especially in chronic or frequent sinusitis. Rinsing the nose with a solution of salt water can soften nasal secretions and clear out mucus.

·       Decongestants. Many people find decongestants such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) helpful in reducing pressure and pain. Decongestants reduce sinus swelling and encourage mucus to drain into the nose. The best option is usually a nasal spray decongestant. Topical decongestants should not be used for longer than three days because they can cause rebound congestion.

·       Antibiotics. Not used to treat sinusitis as much anymore. This is cecause most cases of viral sinusitis resolve without treatment, and bacterial infection occurs in only a very small number of cases. They are only often recommended for adults or children who suffer from acute bacterial sinusitis.

·       Surgery. Surgery is sometimes used to treat chronic sinusitis that persists, recurrent acute sinusitis, or when acute bacterial sinusitis does not respond to antibiotic treatment. The goals of surgery are to improve drainage and the passage of air through the sinuses, and to remove unwanted debris. Types of surgery include:

o   Functional endoscopic sinus surgery: the main type of sinusitis surgery.

o   Facial ultrasound: can also be effective for relieving pain and congestion associated with acute bacterial sinusitis.

o   Adenoidectomy (removal of the adenoids) or adeno-tonsillectomy (removal of the adenoids and the tonsils): sometimes used in children to improve symptoms of chronic sinusitis.