There are two types of sinus one is acute and the other one is chronic. Acute sinusitis lasts for about four weeks or less and chronic sinusitis lasts for over 8 weeks and is much more difficult to cure. Sinusitis is basically an inflammation of nasal sinus that results from a bacterial or a viral infection, which is activated by allergy and environmental irritants. Sinus includes symptoms like severe headache, pain across the midsection of your face, fever, nasal discharge that is green or yellow in color and also loss of smell. Take a look at some steps below to relieve yourself from sinus problems.
Complexity Level: Moderate
Time Required: 1 week
Resources Required:
- Hot water bag with hot water in it
- Saline solution
- Steamer for steam vaporizing
- Decongestant spray and liquid
- Over the counter pain relieve medicines
Instructions:
1. Pain relief, both medicinal and natural ways
The headache in sinus is very severe and unbearable. You need to first reduce or cure the pain and then treat your sinus. Take an over the counter medicine to help you relieve your headache. You can also place a warm moist towel on your face to ease your swelling, headache and congestion. You can replace the towel with a hot water bag. The heat will help thinning the thick mucus allowing it to flow down easily.
2. Use saline solution to flush nasal passage
Your nasal passage needs to be drained out and you can do it at home with the help of a saline solution that can be bought from a store or can be made at home. To make a saline solution, you need to take 2 cups of warm water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of baking soda to it. Put 8 to 10 drops of the solution into each nostril. This will help you drain out the mucus.
3. Course of antibiotics recommended by a doctor
If your sinus is due to a bacterial infection, you should consult a doctor and get a complete course of antibiotics. Make sure you do not discontinue the course of medicines. The entire course needs to be completed even if you feel better in the middle of the treatment. The antibiotics need to be recommended by a medical practitioner, as they are not available over the counter. These medicines are recommended only if you have a very serious problem. Avoid using antibiotics if they are not recommended by a doctor.
4. Consult a doctor if things get worse
People suffering with chronic sinus need to ask the doctor for other treatment, if everything has failed. There are surgeries available to cure chronic sinusitis. At times, a surgery is necessary to reduce nasal blockage and improve draining out of mucus. With the help of a surgery the doctors enlarge the opening of your sinus and remove any unnatural growth.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are the treatments for sinus headache?
Drinking plenty of warm fluids can thin out the mucus. Inhaling plain water steam can also be very helpful in thinning mucus and draining it out. Steam inhalation can be done in two ways – firstly, place your head over a pot of hot boiling water and secondly, you can also sit in a warm bathroom. The warm steam will thin the mucus and help it flow out. The last option can be over the counter pain killers.
Quick Tips:
- Buy a salt water flush pot that is available at a health food store to drain out the troublesome mucus from your nasal passage.
- Stay hydrated by sipping a lot of warm fluids.
Things To Watch Out For:
- If you have been smoking, stop smoking as smoking can only make sinus worse.
- If your sinus is not cured or not better after trying 7 days of natural treatments, visit your doctor to get proper medication.