Health and Education

Natural Home Remedies for Sinusitis

By Dr M A Alam, An SSMC Student, Dhaka

SINUSITIS

Sinusitis is redness, soreness, and puffiness (inflammation) of the air pockets in the bones of your face (sinuses). The redness, soreness, and puffiness can cause air and mucus to get trapped in your sinuses. This can allow germs to grow and cause an infection.

There are a number of causes for chronic sinus infections:

# Excessive dairy consumption (cheese, milk, ice cream, yogurt)
# Environmental allergies
# Tobacco and pollution irritation
# Food allergies
# Dental infection
# Fungal infection in the sinus cavity
# Systemic Candida albicans (overgrowth of yeast)
# Colds and flu symptoms.

HOME CARE

Drink enough fluids to keep your pee (urine) clear or pale yellow.
Use a humidifier in your home.
Run a hot shower to create steam in the bathroom. Sit in the bathroom with the door closed. Breathe in the steam 3–4 times a day.
Put a warm, moist washcloth on your face 3–4 times a day, or as told by your doctor.
Use salt water sprays (saline sprays) to wet the thick fluid in your nose. This can help the sinuses drain.
Only take medicine as told by your doctor.

GET HELP RIGHT AWAY IF:

Your pain gets worse.
You have very bad headaches.
You are sick to your stomach (nauseous).
You throw up (vomit).
You are very sleepy (drowsy) all the time.
Your face is puffy (swollen).
Your vision changes.
You have a stiff neck.
You have trouble breathing.

NOT ALL HEADACHES ARE SINUSITIS

It's a common scene in doctors' chambers: A patient shows up complaining of "sinusitis." But an examination turns up no sign of sinus disease. It could be that consumers have seen so many ads for "sinus headache" products that we're too quick to diagnose ourselves with the problem. Whatever the reason, doctors say that only about 10 % of people who seek medical attention for sinus trouble actually have anything wrong with their sinuses. The rest may truly be suffering from headaches, but not because their sinuses are inflamed.

Amazingly, those same patients who take medicines marketed for relief of sinus-headaches may end up feeling better, at least in the short term, since these medicines contain an analgesic. However, if you suffer from chronic headaches, consult with a doctor to investigate the cause and find out how to prevent and treat them.