Sinus infection is a painful condition where one experiences swelling or inflammation in the sinus tissue. Healthy sinus cavities are usually stuffed with air that helps in easy breathing. But when you catch cold, the sinuses become blocked with mucus which leads to germs- and ultimately sinus infection. Also known as sinusitis, sinus infection is mostly caused from common cold. The other factors leading to sinus blockage include allergic rhinitis, nasal polyps and deviated septum. Excessive smoking during cold can lead to severe sinus infection. Sinusitis is a common health issue and affects both adults and kids alike annually.
Types of sinus infection
There are two major types of sinus infections:
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Acute sinusitis
It generally begins with common coldlike symptoms like stuffy or runny nose, facial pain and so on. It can start all of a sudden and last for around a month.
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Chronic sinusitis
It’s a more severe form of sinus infection and the symptoms last for over 20 days. You may take around 2 months to fully recover from chronic sinus infection.
Symptoms of sinus infection
There are several symptoms of sinus infection or sinusitis. We will discuss here the common symptoms of both Acute sinus infection and Chronic Sinus infection.
Symptoms of Acute Sinus infection:
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Serious nasal congestion & discharge
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Pain in areas around eye, teeth and cheekbone
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Postnasal drip & sore throat
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Severe pain in ear
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Fever
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Dizziness
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Facial swelling
Symptoms of Chronic Sinus infection:
It’s to note here people suffering from chronic sinus infection will experience all the symptoms usual in acute sinus infection but on a more serious level. Besides, there are some symptoms that are most common especially for people down with Chronic Sinusitis:
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Pain gets worse in late morning & when you wear glasses
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Bad breath
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Acute sore throat
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You will feel more pain while leaning forward
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Tooth sensitivity and acute toothache
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Serious facial discomfort
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More coughing at night
Home remedies of sinus infection
It’s better to take to home remedies if your infection is at manageable level. There are several effective treatments for sinus infection that you can easily try at home.
- Stay hydrated
Drink plenty of water when you are down with sinus infection. Good hydration will keep the sinuses moist and flush out the congestion easily. You have to drink minimum 8 glasses (8 ounce) of water every day.
- Flush out nasal passages
You must flush out nasal passages multiple times day when you are down with sinus infection. The more you clear out the mucus, better will be the situation. The whole idea is to keep the sinus cavities free from mucus so that the air passage does not get congested. Saline wash has been proved to be really effective here. It thins down the mucus which makes it easier for you to flush it out of nasal passage.
- Take steam vapor
This is surely one of the best home remedies for sinus infection.
Steam vapor will moisten your sinuses which will eventually help you to clear them out of your nose more conveniently. You can sprinkle drops of eucalyptus oil or menthol on your vapor tub. Additionally, when you are having a sinus infection, go for a steamy bath instead of cold shower. A cold shower will harden the mucus and make it more difficult to get it out of your system. On the other hand, a warm steamy bath will loosen the debris and mucus that are blocking your nose. And as discussed above, it is easier to get rid of loose moist mucus since it can conveniently pass through your nasal passage.
Besides, a hot shower will also relieve you of the body pain caused from sinus infection and fever.
- Apple cider vinegar mix
Apple cider vinegar has proved to be highly effective in thinning mucus and that too almost immediately. It’s surely one of the best natural remedies for sinus infection that you can easily try out at home. To make the mix, you will need- vinegar (2 tablespoons), honey (1 teaspoon) and water (8 ounces). Blend all the ingredients well. Once it’s prepared, take it 3 x a day. You have to continue the therapy for at least 5 days to get the infection out of your system effectively.
The Don’ts during sinus infection
Below is a list of certain things to avoid when you are suffering from sinus infection.
- Avoid flight if possible
Please do not take flight if you can avoid it. When you are under acute sinus infection, flight may aggravate risks of pain in ear and may also lead to other health complications. However, if you have an urgent business, the flight could be unavoidable. In such situations, make sure yawn & swallow while the flight shoots upwards. Follow the same while the plane intends to land as well. It will clear the tubes running from throat to ear and eliminate risks of pain.
- Avoid smoking & alcohol
Smoking and alcohol are a strict NO when you are under severe sinus infection. Smoking will only exaggerate your infection and leave you in chronic pain. In fact, it can even give you one more bout of the infection.
On the other hand, alcohol dehydrates the body. A dehydrated body further swells up your sinus which can worsen the situation. You can only touch alcohol when you are completely free from the sinus infection.
- No plunging into the pool
It has been reported that chlorine in pool water causes irritation in the nasal tubes which can hamper your infection further. So, please avoid getting into swimming pool when you have not fully recovered from sinus infection. However, if you still have to, count on nose clips.
- Never lift weights
It’s not unhealthy to workout when you are having sinus infection, but be careful. Do not ever lift weight in such dire times. It will pose pressure on chest, leading to serious breathing issues.
