A cold with a runny nose and sinusitis often go hand in hand. The symptoms are therefore often not clearly distinguishable from each other. And while most people will seek cold treatments san bernardino ca specialists say if you have sinusitis, a different treatment will be required.
What Is Sinusitis?
Sinusitis can occur alone or be a sign of generalized respiratory disease, and it is very common. It can also be acute or chronic. It’s inflammation of your mucosa. These are cavities in your forehead and face that serve different purposes. One of the functions of the sinuses is the production of mucus, for the detection and removal of pathogens and other foreign bodies.
Sometimes your sinuses can become inflamed and often an infection is the cause of this inflammation. The result is that the mucus cannot drain, and this causes a sinus infection. Nasal polyps, changes in atmospheric pressure or inflammation of the teeth can also be the cause of a sinus infection. Although the effects of natural remedies are limited, they can reduce your symptoms or prevent your sinus infection from worsening.
Acute sinus infections generally occur in children. Typical symptoms include a stuffy nose, facial pain, headaches, and limited perception of taste or smell. The symptoms usually resemble a cold, however, with sinusitis there is pain, pressure, and congestion. Also, the nose may swell a bit, and in the acute form, there may be a fever.
Chronic sinusitis differs with the addition to the duration of symptoms, there is comparatively less pain. Chronic sinusitis is considered when it lasts more than 2-3 months. Certain circumstances may cause sinusitis to develop more easily like a weakened immune system, and aggressive pathogens. A typical cause of chronic sinusitis is that the sinuses are closed because mucus transport is persistently disturbed.
Treating Sinusitis Problems
In many cases, sinusitis is initially mistakenly for a bad cold, and people often use home remedies for a cold. But treatment depends upon the correct diagnosis, thus it’s necessary to consult a doctor. Conservative measures such as decongestant or nasal sprays, inhalations and heat treatments usually suffice for acute sinusitis, but in more serious cases a cortisone nasal spray or even surgical intervention may be necessary. Surgery will often improve the condition in 80 percent of the cases, but in 10 percent of cases the disease will reappear.
But there is some risk associated with surgery because of the proximity to the eyes. Double vision, and vision loss are some of the risks, but these complications only occur in less than 1 percent of cases. In addition, you can relieve the symptoms of an acute sinusitis by medication like an expectorant, or a prescribed anti-inflammatory. Herbal remedies that include eucalyptus and sage can also help with comfort.
Because most viruses are behind acute sinusitis, treatment with antibiotics is rarely useful. Doctors find that antibiotics, especially with the active ingredient amoxicillin, can only counteract sinusitis if it has been proven that bacteria are responsible for the inflammation, or the patient has a chronic inflammatory respiratory disease. For comfort, patients should inhale warm steam, drink plenty of warm liquids, and rest.
