Sinus infection or sinusitis is a condition where the sinus tissue lining is inflamed. Sinuses are normally air-filled, but if they become blocked and fluid-filled, germs like fungi, viruses and bacteria will thrive and thereby cause infection. Several conditions can lead to sinus blockage such as cold, nasal polyps, deviated septum and allergic rhinitis. Below are some of the sinus infection cures that can be administered to ease the soreness brought about by the condition.
DIY Treatment
Roughly 67% or 2/3 of sinus infection cases are mostly due to viral infection. Oftentimes, the infection will clear even without the assistance of a doctor. It lasts as long as a common cold. At such instances of mild sinusitis, there are OTC drugs that can be bought from the pharmacy to relieve the symptoms.
There are OTC painkillers including ibuprofen, aspirin and paracetamol for easing headaches, facial pain, tenderness and fever. Care should be taken when administering these medications. Aspirin should not be given to young children below 16 years old and ibuprofen should not be used by patients with asthma.
Decongestants in spray or drop forms can also be bought without prescription. They can relive blocked nose so you can easily breathe (not necessarily hasten recovery). They should not be used for over a one week period.
If after taking these medicines, the condition still does not improve (or gets worse) or if it is recurrent, it is time to see your doctor. Various treatment options may be provided by the health care expert, particularly if your sinusitis infection is severe. You might be referred to an ENT specialist where tests will be done in order to confirm what might be causing the persistent or chronic sinusitis.
Antibiotics
If after seven days, sinusitis has not cleared yet, antibiotics will be prescribed by the doctor. It is known that one out of three cases of this condition would eventually develop into bacterial infection that needs antibiotics for its treatment.
Steroid Drops/Sprays/Implants
Inflammation of the sinuses may also be reduced with the use of steroids in form of implants, sprays or drops. Steroid treatments will only be prescribed if you are diagnosed with chronic sinusitis.
Surgery
This would be the last resort in treating the condition and will only be required if the symptoms have not yet improved after the entire course of medication with antibiotics. The operation is called FESS or functional endoscopic sinus surgery, which is reported to provide high rate of success in easing discomfort and pains due to sinus infection. When undergoing FESS, you will be given general anesthesia and thus, will be put into slumber. Yet, there are also instances when just the local anesthesia will be given to make the nose numb.
An endoscope will then be inserted into the nose. The endoscope is a thin kind of tube with lens for magnifying the interior parts of the nose. The surgeon will look at the sinus drainage channel opening. There are several possible solutions that the surgeon will perform. One is to remove whatever tissues are blocking your sinus. Another is inflating a small balloon in the nose so that the drainage passages will open up. A self-dissolving implant could also be inserted into the sinuses so the sinuses would open up and allow mometasone (a steroid drug) to be applied to your sinus lining.
DIY Treatment
Roughly 67% or 2/3 of sinus infection cases are mostly due to viral infection. Oftentimes, the infection will clear even without the assistance of a doctor. It lasts as long as a common cold. At such instances of mild sinusitis, there are OTC drugs that can be bought from the pharmacy to relieve the symptoms.
There are OTC painkillers including ibuprofen, aspirin and paracetamol for easing headaches, facial pain, tenderness and fever. Care should be taken when administering these medications. Aspirin should not be given to young children below 16 years old and ibuprofen should not be used by patients with asthma.
Decongestants in spray or drop forms can also be bought without prescription. They can relive blocked nose so you can easily breathe (not necessarily hasten recovery). They should not be used for over a one week period.
If after taking these medicines, the condition still does not improve (or gets worse) or if it is recurrent, it is time to see your doctor. Various treatment options may be provided by the health care expert, particularly if your sinusitis infection is severe. You might be referred to an ENT specialist where tests will be done in order to confirm what might be causing the persistent or chronic sinusitis.
Antibiotics
If after seven days, sinusitis has not cleared yet, antibiotics will be prescribed by the doctor. It is known that one out of three cases of this condition would eventually develop into bacterial infection that needs antibiotics for its treatment.
Steroid Drops/Sprays/Implants
Inflammation of the sinuses may also be reduced with the use of steroids in form of implants, sprays or drops. Steroid treatments will only be prescribed if you are diagnosed with chronic sinusitis.
Surgery
This would be the last resort in treating the condition and will only be required if the symptoms have not yet improved after the entire course of medication with antibiotics. The operation is called FESS or functional endoscopic sinus surgery, which is reported to provide high rate of success in easing discomfort and pains due to sinus infection. When undergoing FESS, you will be given general anesthesia and thus, will be put into slumber. Yet, there are also instances when just the local anesthesia will be given to make the nose numb.
An endoscope will then be inserted into the nose. The endoscope is a thin kind of tube with lens for magnifying the interior parts of the nose. The surgeon will look at the sinus drainage channel opening. There are several possible solutions that the surgeon will perform. One is to remove whatever tissues are blocking your sinus. Another is inflating a small balloon in the nose so that the drainage passages will open up. A self-dissolving implant could also be inserted into the sinuses so the sinuses would open up and allow mometasone (a steroid drug) to be applied to your sinus lining.
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