Yelling Won’t Help With a Chronic Sinus Infection

Years ago, people used to believe that if you yelled, the vibrations would clear out the sinuses that were causing the problem. Let’s all agree that yelling is not the answer. Let’s first define sinus infection. According to emedicine health, a sinus infection, or sinusitis, is an inflammation of the sinuses and nasal passages. A sinus infection can cause a headache or pressure in the eyes, nose, cheek area, or on one side of the head. A person may also have a cough, fever, bad breath, and nasal congestion with thick nasal discharge.

Sinus infections are classified into acute, which have a sudden onset, and chronic, which are the most common and are long-term.

The big difference between acute and chronic sinusitis is that an acute infection starts quickly and lasts about a week, while a chronic infection can last for months and be very difficult to clear and can recur.

There are several common causes for chronic sinus infections:

• airborne mushrooms
• Nasal or sinus obstructions
• allergies
• facial trauma
• respiratory tract infections
• some medical conditions
• Symptoms of a Chronic Sinus Infection
• Headaches
• Congestion
• labored breathing
• reduced sense of smell
• ear bread
• Tired
• Cough
• Nausea
• sore throat
• Pain in the upper jaw or teeth

Most people will try to self-medicate to get rid of the sinus problem and this can alleviate the symptoms, especially if it is an acute sinus infection. However, if you’re fighting a chronic sinus infection and it’s not getting better, then it’s time to go see your doctor.

He will review your medical history with you and do an exam, looking at your mouth and nose, feeling your glands, and other things. Most likely, he will order some tests that will help diagnose his problem and rule out other things.

Test that can be performed:

• MRI – Like an X-ray, it will show details of the sinuses and nasal areas.
• CT Scans – Like an X-ray or MRI, it will provide exact details of the sinuses and nasal cavities.
• Nasal endoscopy: A thin, flexible tube with a light is inserted into the nose to see what is going on up there. Some now have small cameras to take photos or look at on a screen. It is not a really comfortable procedure and is usually given as a last resort to see what is wrong.
• Taking sinus cultures – taking a sample to see if anything is growing in the lab and then they can prescribe the right antibiotic.
• Allergy test: Different allergens are usually injected into the back to see if the cause of chronic sinusitis is due to an allergy to something.

After the tests are done, the doctor will see you and review the results with you. He will explain what he found and if you have any questions or concerns, now is the time to ask. He will most likely prescribe antibiotics. If you have a lot of swelling and inflammation in your nasal cavities or sinuses, a corticosteroid may be prescribed to help reduce it. For the relief of symptoms, he will prescribe antihistamines, decongestants or expectorants.

There are a few other things your doctor may try: the first is called humidification and is simply loosening and then moistening the socket. Another thing you can do if the chronic problem is due to allergies is called immunotherapy. What this is, is a deliberate method of stimulating the antibodies that obstruct the body’s reactions to a particular allergy.

Both types of sinus infections can be prevented if you follow certain steps and if you are prone to chronic sinus infections then it is important that you follow these steps as they will help prevent you from getting sick for long periods of time.

The following are steps to prevent a chronic sinus infection:

• Get your flu shot
• Get vaccinated against pneumonia
• Use proper hygiene
• Keep hydrated
• Keep away from people with colds and infections.
• Use a humidifier in your house
• If your sinuses are dry due to living conditions, use a saline nasal spray.
• Stay away from indoor places with smokers.

Chronic illnesses, including sinus infections, are not to be taken lightly, they are serious problems in your daily health life. Go to your health doctor and follow what he tells you. Stay in touch and let them know your progress. Anything bad that happens to your body on a chronic basis affects it in more ways than just your health, so get a handle on it and find ways to be healthier.