A Sinus infection can be miserable. Check this video out to get ideas on how to recognize one, what you can do at home to treat and prevent from getting worse and when to see the doctor!
Here's a review of the material presented:
Most common symptoms of sinus infection are
• Cough
• Congestion
• runny nose
• sinus pain and pressure
• sometimes fevers
• Drainage down the back of your throat.
Some reasons you may want to go to doctor sooner:
• Persistent fever over 101.
• Symptoms that are getting worse or lasting more than 10 days are a concern
• Symptoms that initially started to get better then all of a sudden got worse and continued to do so
Most of the time we don’t consider treating a sinus infection unless they have been going on for over 10 days or if you are having severe symptoms not relieved by normal treatments
Things you can focus on at home to help:
The first thing we can start trying are Decongestants: Now there are three main types that you can get over the counter.
a. The first is Phenylephrine- this is the ingredient that you can find in most of your decongestants that they sell on the shelf. It can help some and it is easier to get but it’s probably the least effective out of all of them.
b. The second you can get is pseudoephedrine or Sudafed. This tends to work better than the phenylephrine but its main problem is that government does control the sale of it. You need to ask the pharmacist for this one.
c. The last one is oxymetazoline, these are your Afrin nasal spray type productus. Theses are very fast acting and can work pretty well. We have to offer up a really big warning here though. You don’t want to be taking Afrin for more than 3-4 days
2. A Second group that can be helpful are taking some mucus thinners such as Mucinex. These medications when taken with a lot of water help to thin out the mucus secretions and can help facilitate a little better draining of the sinus. So look on the box and take them as directed.
3. The third thing you can do is start using some Nasal Steroids: these are now over the counter medications such as Flonase, Nasacort- these work best in trying to help keep the inflammation down in your nasal passages and sinus. These medications don’t start working right away. It takes a few days for them to start to take affect so they aren’t meant for immediate relief. They are best if you use them daily to try and prevent recurrent infections.
4. Sinus rinse- These include things like saline spray, Sinus rinse kits such as those made by Neil-Med, Neti-pot or the Navage. Use them according to manufacturers instructions.
**Disclaimer- Remember my purpose in sharing this information for you is to educate you in things that you can think about in trying to make decisions in your own health. In no way should be taken as direct medical advice to you in your own situation. Please consult your own doctor for concerns regarding your specific situation.
Sinusitis Diagram:
Sinusitis. Healthy and inflammation nasal sinus
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