Sinus: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
What are Sinuses?
The cavities that are free for both air and mucous, and are open in the continuous connection with nasal openings are known as sinuses. The sinus symptoms and signs are shown as a result of swelling in these cavities because of some bacteria or infection. This also causes the sinus headache. The human body has four major pairs of sinuses, namely:
- Maxillary sinuses (behind the cheekbones)
- Frontal sinuses (in the forehead)
- Sphenoid sinuses (behind the eyes)
- Ethmoid sinuses (between the eyes)
Causes of Sinus infection
Also known as sinusitis, it is a swelling of the inner lining of the sinuses. The swelling blocks the openings in the sinuses through which mucous drains into the nose, it results in a pressure because of the blocked fluid which gets painful.
There are several causes for the swelling of sinuses, thus resulting in the showing of symptoms for sinusitis. For instance, viral infections, fungus, bacterial infection, allergies, ashthma, and a number of other factors which could either paralyze or even destroy the cilia that facilitate the movement of the mucous.
Bacterial Infection
The blockage in the sinuses would create an ideal environment for the bacteria to grow and further block the working of the cilia by creating an acidic environment, causing the mucous membrane to swell more.
Fungus
A microscopic mold or a plant, if ingested into the body with food or breathing, would affect the immune system resulting in the aggravation of sinus.
Virus
The viral infection can paralyze the cilia as well, causing the blockage.
Allergies
The allergens to cause the allergies could be anything ranging from food particles, dust, pets to some medications or drugs. Prevalence of asthma is also a reason for the occurrence of sinusitis. The avoidance of the allergens causing the blockage of the sinuses can provide a relief from the symptoms.
Other factors
Substances like certain foreign objects, scuba diving when already suffering from cold, drugs, temperature and humidity, narrow sinuses, defective mucous membrane, and even the dehydration of our body can result in the sinusitis.
Symptoms of sinus
The sinusitis is of two types, depending upon the frequency of the occurrence of the symptoms:
Acute sinusitis: It means that the sinusitis is temporary and is not prevalent for long periods of time. The symptoms usually last for no more than 30 days.
Chronic sinusitis: It means that there is a prolonged occurrence of the sinus symptoms. It could also result because of the occurrence of the acute sinusitis again and again. The symptoms can be less painful than those of the acute sinusitis, but they are highly annoying.
Common sinus infection symptoms include headaches, tenderness of the face, fever, coughing, sore throat, and a greenish, cloudy, or yellowish nasal discharge. The other signs which are kept a tab on by the doctor for diagnosing are reddened and swollen areas near the eyes, nasal passage, drainage from the nose that is similar to pus and facial areas over the sinuses that are tender to percussion.
List of few major Symptoms of sinus infection
- Pain in the forehead, jaws, teeth and cheeks, or between the eyes.
- Headache, especially after just waking up.
- Swollen or inflamed tear ducts, eyelids, and other tissues surrounding the eyes.
- Fever.
- Congestion, sore throat, neck pain or cough.
- Weakness and fatigue.
Treatment for Sinus
Causal organisms for sinus infection are bacteria, fungi and viruses. Treatment of the sinus infection purely depends on the type of the causal infection. Early diagnosis helps a great deal in the quick recovery. Some of the important steps that can be taken to treat sinus are given below under relevant heads:
Home Remedies
- Drinking a lot of water and hydrating drinks such as hot tea helps in curing the infection.
- Inhaling hot water steam 2 to 4 times a day for about 10 minutes is advisable. Vicks vaporub can also be added into the water before taking the steam, which is most effective in clearing the nasal passage. A steamy, hot shower is also effective.
- Thin the mucus: Expelling the mucous from the lungs and the respiratory passage is the foremost requirement. Expectorants are the drugs which are helpful in that. They induce thin secretion of the mucus and enhance drainage from sinuses. Guaifenesin is the most commonly used medicine for this initiative. OTC cough medications, which are in liquid form, or prescription tablets can also be added to the list to reduce sinus infection symptoms. For knowing the right combination, a physician or the pharmacist should be consulted before taking any medicine.
- Relieve pain: For reducing the inflammation and severe pain, pain relief medication is used. Commonly used drugs for this thing are ibuprofen (Motrin and Advil are examples), naproxen (Aleve) and aspirin. These drugs are useful for opening the airways by reducing the swelling. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is also used for fever and pain but it is not effective in reducing inflammation.
Medical Treatment
Home remedies should always be complemented with good medical treatment for fast recovery. The main target of the sinus treatment is to reduce the inflammation and swelling in the nasal areas, curing the infection and supporting the drainage from sinuses so that open sinuses can be maintained. Medications are suggested for at least a time span of a fortnight.
In case of the chronic sinus infection, in the rarest of times, infection extends up to brain and may eventually cause death. With the slight care and proper treatment at the right time, sinus is cured within the prescribed time frame.
