Tag: Sinus Infections

Sinus Infection Prevention

You dont always have to wait for sinus infection to strike before you take action. In fact, there are steps you can take to prevent this from happening and here are a few.

1. Moisten the air in your home. You can do this by buying a humidifier or an air conditioning unit as this regulates the temperature during hot and cold weather.

2. Aside from humidifiers or air conditioning equipment, you can also install electrostatic filters which are designed to remove allergens in the air.

3. If you live in an area that is polluted, move somewhere else. You have to remember that sinus infections area also caused by strong fumes and chemicals that may irritate your sinus linings.

4. Drinking too much alcohol may also trigger a sinus infection because it swells the nasal and sinus membranes which leave them exposed to irritation. This simply means that you should drink moderately.

5. Smoking also causes sinus infections because it irritates the sinus lining which causes bad drainage of the mucus and the sinus to congest. So, you should quit smoking and stay away from people who smoke.

6. If you travel often, you should cut down the number of times you have to fly from one destination to the next. This is because a bubble of air within the body expands as the air pressure in the plane reduces. When this happens, this could result in the blockage of the Eustachian tubes causing your nose to clog during the planes ascent or descent. If you have to fly, be sure to bring with you a decongestant nose drop or inhaler and use this before the flight.

7. When you have a sinus infection, the best way to fight it is to stay hydrated. The same thing goes to prevent it by drinking lots of water, juice or any other liquid to replenish what was lost from the body.

8. You should also practice good hygiene since most sinus infections are caused by bacterial and viral infections. This means taking a shower twice a day and washing your hands with soap and water each time you go to the bathroom. You should also do this every time you sneeze because when you cover your mouth, the germs go to your hands.

9. For years, we have said that consuming dairy products will keep our bones strong. But studies have shown that too much can thicken your mucus and cause nasal passages to narrow down which results to headache and pain.

10. You should also get a flu shot every year.

11. Drinking liquids should also be followed with eating good food especially fruits and vegetables. After all, these are rich in antioxidants that will boost your immune system and help your body resist infection.

12. Lastly, stress makes us prone to sinusitis and many other infections. So we should get sufficient rest like 8 hours at least every night.

13. You should also take some multivitamins and supplements to add to your daily supplement.

You can prevent sinus infections from happening so that you dont have to call in sick and miss a day at work or school. It takes a little effort to take these safety measures which happen to be much cheaper than going to your doctor and buying over the counter medication.

Sinus Infection And Antibiotics

Most doctors recommend antibiotics for patients suffering from sinus infections. Are the effective? Not always which is why you should tell your doctor if it is doing well or not so something else can be given.

There are two types of antibiotics that are used for sinus infections. The first are known as narrow spectrum antibiotics. This means that it is designed to only fight a certain type of bacteria. The second are broad spectrum antibiotics that attack a wide range of bacteria.

Studies have shown that the second type is more effective but are more likely to promote antibiotic resistance. This is why most doctors will recommend the first type first then resort to the second when there is no other option. Here are a few of the antibiotics in the market.

The first are Aminoglycosides and these are classified as narrow spectrum antibiotics. This can be administered through irrigation or inhaling through the nose. Given that it is very strong, this should only be administered in the presence of a doctor because it has serious side effects that include damage to hearing, sense of balance and may cause damage to the kidneys.

You also have Macrolides are another form of narrow spectrum antibiotics as it is designed to fight the cocci bacteria. This can be taken orally and tests have shown that it is very effective in slowing or blocking protein formation in the bacteria.

There are also Cephalosporins which are broad spectrum antibiotics. This can be taken orally or through the ear and often used for patients who are resistant to penicillin. The side effects associated with this antibiotic are diarrhea and rashes.

Penicillin is not only used to treat people with kidney problems. They can also be used to fight bacterial that causes sinus infection by slowing metabolic functions vital to bacterial cell wall formation and by stimulating production of enzymes that eventually destroy cell walls. Thus, making it another example of broad spectrum antibiotics that will only attack actively multiplying bacteria and the two commonly used are amoxycillin and amoxycillin-clavulanate.

Among the antibiotics mentioned, Quinolones and Fluoroquinolones are rarely prescribed to patients. These two are broad spectrum antibiotics and although it is effective in treating legionella and mycoplasma, it can interfere with a patients DNA activity.

People should keep in mind that a sinus infection is different from a cold. The sinus infection can be caused by the cold and the only time that the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic is when this lasts longer than 7 days.

In order for the doctor to recommend the best antibiotic around, he or she must first identify the kind of bacteria that is present. To do this, the doctor will remove a swab of nasal discharge and let it grow into a bacterial culture in the laboratory.

If properly identified, the doctor will be able to prescribe the correct antibiotic and you will see an improvement within a day or two after starting the treatment. However, if you only feel better on the tenth day, your condition improved not because of the antibiotic but because your body was somehow able to fight the bacteria on its own.

Antibiotics can only be used if bacteria caused your sinus infection. Otherwise, something else will be recommended to fix the problem.

How To Get Rid Of A Sinus Infection

Ever told someone you are a bit under the weather? Well that is what happens when you are suffering from a sinus infection. Here is what you should do so you can take care of it before it gets worse.

First, try some home remedies. Some examples of these include steam therapy, drinking lots of liquid, getting enough rest, using heat packs and taking some medicine.

If you want to drink something else aside from orange juice or water, try drinking chicken soup or some tea. A lot of tea products are made from herbs and you are sure to find one that will be likeable to your taste. You can try eucalyptus, ginger, peppermint, licorice, lemon balm and Echinacea. Just be careful when you mix herbs with certain drugs because they may have a negative reaction to your body.

You can also consult a homeopathic doctor who will prescribe medication that generally does not have any side effects compared to over the counter medication.

Smoking causes sinus infections. If you happen to smoke regularly, cut it down gradually and then quit the habit. Many people are unaware that smoking damages the lining of the sinuses and causes swelling the in the mucus membranes.

Should you be suffering from an acute sinus infection, you will be back to normal within a week. But if this lasts longer, then you may be suffering from a chronic sinus infection and you will need to see a doctor.

After doing some tests, the doctor will most likely prescribe some antibiotics which you have to take until you feel better if it has been determined that this was caused from bacteria. To reduce the swelling, you will also be given some corticosteroids which can be delivered directly through your nose.

You might be prescribed antihistamines or decongestants which you can take orally. The only downside is that although it can help dry up or shrink the backed up mucus, it is only temporary.

Another way to loosen the dried mucus is through moisture or humidification. Your doctor will not give this to you but suggest that you buy a humidifier which you can use at home.

Lastly, if the sinus infection is caused by an allergy, the only way to get rid of it is with immunotherapy which is a technique that stimulates your antibodies.

You can tell if what is given is working or not based on the color of your phlegm. If you spit out some and this is color yellow, it means that you are on your way to recovery. If this is color green, then a lot more has to be done to make it go away. If this is color brown or orange, there could be complications like pneumonia. Whatever happens, update your doctor regularly until so he or she can track your progress.

Fighting a sinus infection could last a few days to a few weeks. Regardless if this is acute or chronic, you have to take action fast to prevent complications from taking place. If you think that a cold cannot do anything worse, think again because there are times that this could put you into a coma or something fatal. So start out with home remedies and if all else fails, get medical help.

Herbal Remedies For Sinus Infection

Who knew that taking certain herbs could help relieve sinus infection? Believe it or not, a lot of civilizations have been using it for years. We just got caught up with the western philosophy of how we approach medical science. The best thing about using herbs is that there are no known side effects compared to conventional drugs and here are a few you can take.

First is Eucalyptus. Its a fragrant herb that is nice to smell and is known to soothe throat. What makes this herb so unique is that it has antiseptic properties that can help shrink swollen tissues like your nasal passages. You can buy the leaf and mix this with warm water and drink it. If it is still too hot, go close and inhale the steam. You may also take it orally as this is also available in lozenge form.

Next is Echinacea which is an herb that can kill certain viruses in the respiratory system. It is also available in capsule form and you can increase the dosage when needed then reduced when things get better. People who are allergic to ragweed should not try this herb.

One effective herb that is recommended by the World Health Organization to treat sinus infection is the herb known as Ephedra. It is also used to treat other problems like hay fever and the common cold and because there are some risks taking it, this should only be taken under the strict guidance of a doctor.

Most people know ginger as an herb that fights headaches. Since it has anti-inflammatory properties, it can also be used to treat sinus infections. This is also available in capsule form and before taking it, you are advised to read the directions.

Goldenseal is another herb that you can use to treat sinus infection. Studies have shown it improves overall congestion so it improves your overall health. What is even better is that it has antimicrobial properties that can eliminate bacteria. The herb also contains compounds similar to steroids which reduces inflammation.

Peppermint smells very good which is why it can calm the mucus membranes. Like the others, you can mix this in hot water and inhale it and drink it as tea.

Lemon balm is often used to fight bad breath. But did you also know that it can fight sinus infections since it is helpful in fighting off bacteria and viruses? You just have to buy the leaves and then mix this in hot water for about ten minutes. After straining, you can pour a cup and drink as you please.

Then there is licorice. You dont mix the leaves of this herb to relieve sinus infection but rather use its root. There are two types of licorice products around so you can also opt for the capsule version which also boosts your immune system.

There are other herbs you can use to fight a sinus infection aside from the seven mentioned. In fact, most of these herbs can be mixed together. You can buy this in capsule form or pluck it out from your garden.

In the end, it doesnt really matter where you got it because it is designed to do one thing and that is to relieve you from sinus infection.