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Sinus Infection, also called sinusitis means inflammation of sinuses and nasal passages. A sinus infection can cause headache, fever, bad breath, cough, pressure in the eyes, nose, cheeks, one side of the head and nasal congestion. It can be caused due to a number of reasons like bacteria, fungal infection and chronic inflammation of the nasal passage and so on.
Sinus infections can be treated both at home as well as with medical help. In some cases, such as sinusitis caused by viral infection, antibiotic treatment is not required. In many cases, medical help is mandatory especially when the cause of the same is not known. After diagnosing sinusitis and identifying its causes, a doctor can prescribe a proper course of treatment for the same which would reduce the inflammation and relieve the symptoms.
Sinus infection treatment at Home:
Treatments at home are very helpful in opening up the sinuses and reducing its dryness. The steps that can be taken at home to treat sinusitis are:
- Drink lots of water and other hydrating beverages such as hot tea.
- Promote drainage of mucous.
- Inhale steam two to four times a day.
- Take a steamy, hot shower.
- Application of mentholated products like Vicks Vaporub helps in controlling sinusitis. These products are also effective when added to boiling water and inhaling the steam.
- Drugs, known as expectorants are available in the market which may help in expelling mucus from the respiratory passages and lungs.
- Liquid cough medication and tablets also help in reducing the symptoms caused by Sinusitis.
- To reduce the pain, medicines like Ibuprofen and Aspirin can be consumed. These medicines help in decongesting the nasal air passage by reducing swelling.
Medical Treatment For Sinus Infection:
The main purpose of treating sinusitis is to reduce the swelling of the nasal passage, eliminate the infection and promote drainage. Doctors recommend decongestants for reducing congestion, antibiotics to control the bacterial infection and aspirins to reduce the pain.
Patients with sinusitis caused by bacteria can be treated successfully with antibiotics along with a decongestant. Patients suffering from allergic diseases, such as asthma, have to be first treated for allergic symptoms. Also, doctors prescribe steroid nasal sprays to reduce congestion and inflammation in cases for chronic sinusitis though these are not considered safe for long-term usage. For patients with severe chronic sinusitis, oral steroids such as prednisone are prescribed by the physician. These steroids are used only when other medications are not working.
In case all these medical treatments fail to cure the patient, surgery is the only alternative for treating chronic sinusitis. In children, the problem is eliminated by removing the adenoid tissues. Adults with prolonged symptoms can be treated by removing the nasal tumor which sometimes develops due to long-term infection. Lately, the functional endoscopic sinus surgery has become the most common surgery and in this process, the sinuses are enlarged to allow drainage.
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