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[T1293]Treating A Sinus Infection

by Groshan Fabiola, Gro

The nose plays a special role in the body's defense system. The air which enters the nostrils and goes through the nose to sinus cavities and then goes to the lungs is filtered by the nose. The nose has a cilia system that does all this cleaning up. If this system gets affected by pollutants, bacteria and allergies an inflammation will occur. Because the cilia will slow down their movements, mucus will be mass produced in order to eliminate the accumulated bacteria and in the end it will be trapped in the sinuses and cause a local infection.

Treatment must be instituted as soon as possible to help the patient feel better and prevent other complications. The goals are stopping the infection, clearing up the sinuses and the nose from the mucus and preventing other recurrences of the sinus infection.

A person who already has a low immune system is at risk of developing an inflammation of the sinuses, due to the bacteria and viruses attack the lining cells in the sinuses. Due to the pressure that is caused by the inflammation, the patient will suffer of headaches and airway obstruction. For killing the bacteria doctors recommend antibiotics. Oral decongestants are useful but they must not be used in excess because they might become less effective. Nasal sprays are also helpful and act even faster than oral decongestants but they must also be used for a determined period of time.

For keeping your cilia system intact and for recovering more quickly after sinus infections you must drinking hot tea. It does not matter what type of tea you drink, green, black, or herbal, the important thing is to drink hot liquids. If you get hydrated, your cilia movements will improve and the mucus from your sinuses will be washed out, so you will cure faster. Chicken soup is also helpful. Coffee is considered to be less effective than these other liquids.

Steam inhalation is also considered to be useful, done 2-4 times a day, for about 10 minutes.

Another option is applying wet bandages on your face. The compresses must be soaked in warm water in order to help the cilia move more efficiently. You must apply them three times a day and keep them for five minutes on your face.

If none of these solutions work, there remains the surgical option. By surgery, the drainage of the sinuses will be done and bacteria will be killed, but this is not a pleasant and easy bearable solution.

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Is it a sinus infection or a common cold? Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish the difference. Infection or inflammation of the sinuses also known as sinusitis affects millions of people every year and in many instances causes serious discomfort or pain. The symptoms of sinus infections actually depend upon which of the four sinuses are affected and whether or not the sinus infection is acute or chronic.

Acute sinusitis normally lasts eight weeks or less or occurs no more than three times per year with an average episode lasting less than ten days. Chronic sinusitis on the other hand normally lasts longer than eight weeks or occurs more than four times per year with symptoms usually lasting longer than twenty days.

There are many symptoms of acute sinus infection including nasal discharge, post nasal drip whereby mucus drips down the throat behind the nose, facial pain or pressure in the area of the affected sinus cavities, fever and headaches.

Symptoms of chronic sinus infection include chronic soar throat, chronic nasal discharge, bad breath, prolonged facial pain, discomfort below the eyes or across the bridge of the nose, toothaches and low-grade headaches.

It is often difficult to determine whether or not you have a common cold or a sinus infection. For example, a stuffy nose could be a symptom of a sinus infection or a common cold.

Your doctor can diagnose sinusitis using an assortment of methods including listening to your symptoms, doing a physical examination, taking X-rays, and if necessary, an MRI or CT scan (magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography).

Many people have reported positive results in treating sinus infection using an all natural mineral supplement called colloidal silver.

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Both Groshan Fabiola & Mike Harader are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Groshan Fabiola has sinced written about articles on various topics from Woman Menopause, Medical Condition and Health. You can visit