Related topics: •  How to Stop a Cold

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses, the air-filled pockets in the bones around your nose. It usually gets started when allergies or an infection -- often a viral infection such as a cold -- irritates your nasal passages and they become inflamed, clogging the small openings to your sinuses. Bacteria then multiply in the mucus trapped in your sinuses, causing painful pressure just above your eyebrows, behind and around the eyes, or under your cheekbones.

Aside from the painful pressure you're likely to feel in your forehead, behind your eyes, or over your cheekbones, you may notice one or more of these symptoms:

•a stuffy nose

•a cold that won't seem to go away

•green, yellow, or blood-streaked mucus draining from your nose; it can also drip into the back of your throat, making you cough

•pain in your head that worsens when you bend it forward

Anyone can get a sinus infection, but those who are born with a deviated septum or an especially narrow sinus opening -- or those who have suffered an injury to their nose -- are most susceptible. Either condition makes it harder for mucus to drain, which makes it easier for bacteria to get trapped and grow. You're also a likely candidate if you're a smoker or have hay fever or other allergies that stuff up your nose.

Like the common cold that often precedes it, sinusitis usually goes away after a few days, making a trip to the doctor unnecessary. However, see your physician if your symptoms last more than seven days, you notice facial swelling or blurry vision, you have a severe headache, you develop a stiff neck, you have a fever that lasts longer than two days or is higher than 102, or you get sinusitis more than three times a year.

For starters, keep your sinuses moist. Use a cool-mist vaporizer, which is thought to get more moisture deeper into the nasal and respiratory passages.

Also, consider these options:

•Drink plenty of fluids -- at least eight glasses a day. They'll help dilute the mucus, so it drains more easily, and you'll feel better if you're not dehydrated.

•Try a nasal wash. Dissolve a half teaspoon of noniodized salt plus a pinch of baking soda in an eight-ounce glass of warm water. Fill a bulb syringe with this solution and very gently squirt it into one nostril while leaning over the sink. Once you've emptied the syringe, carefully blow the fluid out your nose. Salt water helps shrink swollen mucus membranes, which opens up nasal passages and encourages draining. Although not as thorough, a saline (saltwater) nasal spray has similar effects.

•Try decongestants. Available in pills and sprays, these drugs also shrink swollen mucus membranes. However, using decongestants for more than a few days in a row can actually worsen your condition. (Also, avoid antihistamines, which dry up your nasal passages, making it difficult for the mucus to drain.)

•Prop your head up with pillows or blankets at night to make it easier to breathe.

•Place warm, moist compresses over your inflamed sinus area -- the heat can be soothing.

References

First published October 1, 1998
Last updated November 14, 2007
Copyright © 1999 Consumer Health Interactive

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