Sinusitis Treatment Options Meet and Greet

Sinusitis is a medical condition referring to the inflammation of the sinuses. For a lot of possible reasons, including reactions to certain physical or chemical irritants, the sinuses swell. The inflammation disrupts the normal drainage of mucus in the sinuses to the nose. This accumulation of mucus becomes a very suitable ground for the multiplication of bacteria, thus progressing to an episode of sinus infection. It is also possible that a nasal infection by bacteria or virus can progress to invade the sinuses as well.

So what can you do in the event of a sinus infection or sinusitis? Try these:

Plan A: Homebound

There are simple things you can do to fight-off sinus infections. In fact, it might surprise you that some of them are actually things you absolutely do everyday. It only takes a little modification to make these activities helpful in making sinusitis take a back seat. First, EAT. Now, really, who doesn’t, right? The key is to include these in your diet: CITRUS FRUITS to boost your immune system to fight-off infections in general; GARLIC CLOVES which are renowned for their anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties; APPLE CIDER VINEGAR which have properties that help to loosen the extra-thick, not to mention copious mucus secretion that can make breathing quite difficult for you. And then, of course, if there are DOs, there are also some DON’Ts. And regarding sinus infections, one food item to avoid is milk - and all its by products.

Plan B: Medicate!

If home medications don’t help clear out your sinuses in a few days, it might be necessary to take the action a notch higher by taking sinus medication, guided of course, by your trusted health professional. It might be necessary to take one or more of these sinus medications: DECONGESTANTS to ease up your breathing and relieve the stuffed feeling in your nose and in your head; CORTICOSTEROIDS to help shrink the swollen sinuses; ANTI-PYRETICS, should the infection cause a fever, and of course, ANTIBIOTICS or ANTI-FUNGALS to stop the proliferation of the bacteria or fungi that are the actual sources of infection.

Word of advice - as with any other medications, follow the doctor’s prescription while taking your sinus medication. Neither should you stop abruptly once you start to feel better, nor prolong intake beyond the given instructions.

Plan C: Wash-out

You don’t have to be a health expert to know that good hygiene is a major contributor in achieving an overall good health status. Nasal washing/rinsing/irrigation, the process of making saline solution enter one nostril and out the other to wash-out debris and microbes is gaining the nods of approval of experts as a good addition to our daily hygiene, just like bathing and brushing our teeth. It effectively prevents the accumulation of debris, before they actually cause sinus infection. Talking about irrigation, you might be interested about ActiveSinus. It is a breakthrough medical irrigator, which works by squirting into the nasal and sinus cavities a solution containing your prescribed medication. Because the medication immediately comes in contact with the sinuses, the effect is more rapid, compared, in general, to sinus medication taken orally.

With this wide variety of available treatment options, you can ask your doctor to help you choose the treatment approach that would work best for you!