Sinusitis has become one of the most common respiratory illnesses in recent years. This condition occurs due to inflammation in the sinus cavities, which is responsible for the production of mucus for the nose to function effectively. If not corrected in time, it can cause extremely dangerous complications. So can sinusitis be completely cured?
Let’s find out more about this issue in the article below.
Table of Contents
What is sinusitis?
Sinusitis is inflammation that occurs in the lining of your sinuses. Normally, in a person who is not infected, these sinus cavities are filled with air and are extremely clean.
However, when sinusitis occurs due to bacterial invasion, the area is blocked by mucus. At this time, the more and more bacteria will have the opportunity to multiply and develop, making the disease worse and worse.
In some cases, in addition to bacteria, this can be caused by other health problems such as:
- Flu, cold
- Allergic rhinitis (swelling of the lining of the nose)
- Occurrence of benign tumors or nasal polyps
- Scoliosis of the nasal septum
When sinusitis appears, the patient will easily recognize it through some of the following symptoms:
- Olfactory disorder makes it impossible for the person to smell or smell incorrectly.
- Nasal stuffy, nose is frozen because it contains a lot of mucus.
- Nasal discharge is greenish-yellow in color, thick, and has a slightly salty taste due to the usual drainage of fluid down the throat.
- Persistent coughing spells that are difficult to control, especially at night, appear.
- Cause severe headaches day and night, most severe at midnight.
- Thickening of the maxillary mucosa causes pain in the upper molars due to the structure of the sinus cavities located near this area.
- Bad breath is caused by pus in your sinuses running down your throat.
- Constant high fever, especially in the middle of the night.
What types of sinusitis are there?
According to the analysis of research by experts, sinusitis is divided into four subgroups:
- Acute sinusitis : The first symptoms appear similar to the signs of a cold such as runny nose, stuffy nose, making the patient easy to confuse. These symptoms usually come on suddenly and last for 2 – 4 weeks.
- Subacute sinusitis : When the above symptoms last 4 – 12 weeks and do not improve.
- Chronic sinusitis : Symptoms of the disease last for more than 12 weeks and even longer, causing increasingly severe complications, declining health and affecting the daily life and work of the patient. .
- Recurrent sinusitis : Symptoms of the disease can come on suddenly and then go away and come back again and again over a long period of time when the conditions are right.
The most common cause of sinusitis
Sinusitis can be caused by many different factors, experts say. However, their common point comes from the mucus filling the sinus cavities, thereby promoting the multiplication of pathogenic bacteria.
Some of the factors that can cause sinus infections include:
- Bacteria : According to statistics, for every 10 cases of sinusitis, 1 person will be sick with bacteria.
- Virus : This is the most common cause because up to 90% of sinus infections in adults are caused by the virus.
- Fungi : According to experts, there are some fungal spores that can irritate the inside of the sinus cavities and produce a lot of mucus that causes sinusitis. However, it is very rare to get sick from this cause.
- Environment : Polluted environment, a lot of dust, containing toxic chemicals … are also factors that stimulate the secretion of mucus and accumulate inside sinus cavities.
In addition, there are a number of risk factors that can increase the likelihood of sinus infections in adults and children such as:
- People with sensitive terrain, often suffer from respiratory tract infections.
- The functional function of white blood cells is impaired.
- Abnormal, deformed, or deviated nose structure.
- People who are allergic to fine dust, pollen, dog hair, animals …
- People with a smoking habit …
How to distinguish the symptoms of a sinus infection from a cold
According to experts, it is difficult to distinguish the early symptoms of sinusitis from the cold because they are often quite similar.
Usually, a sinus infection usually develops after a cold. In addition, the symptoms of sinusitis tend to last longer and last longer than the cold. The cold symptoms will get worse but only last within 3 – 5 days to gradually recover. Sinusitis takes more than 10 days, or even longer, if the disease is not treated promptly.
In addition, there are some other symptoms to tell if you have sinusitis rather than a cold:
- The discharge is green
- breath is smelly
- Pain inside the nose due to swollen tissues
- Swollen face.
Accordingly, unlike a cold, symptoms of sinusitis can change seriously and go into a chronic phase when symptoms last for more than 3 months do not improve. At this time, a number of additional symptoms will appear that irritate sinuses and cause swelling. Occasionally, these symptoms will go away temporarily then come on again suddenly.
Can sinusitis be completely cured?
According to experts, sinusitis can be actively treated by relieving the symptoms of the disease, but it is difficult to treat completely. In addition, depending on the symptoms, the severity of the disease, the recent or chronic duration of the disease, whether complications appear or not, the treatment will be highly effective or low, fast or slow.
Therefore, it can be seen that the treatment of sinusitis is not easy, the treatment is even more difficult. Therefore, patients should avoid believing in advertisements for a cure for sinusitis because they not only do not cure but also cause adverse health effects and make the treatment of sinusitis more and more difficult. .
In fact, if sinusitis is mild, only just onset, the patient only needs to use simple pain relievers, follow the implementation of measures to wash the nose with physiological saline, combined steam. With a suitable diet, eating, rest and exercise, it will help to improve the disease effectively.
If after about 2 days, the symptoms of the disease do not improve, or even worse, the patient needs to go to the hospital for examination. At this time, the doctor may prescribe the patient to use antibiotics, anti-inflammatory or perform sinus lavage in case of diagnosis of subacute or chronic sinusitis.
In addition, surgical measures will be indicated when medical treatments do not achieve the desired effect, mainly for patients with chronic sinusitis. However, according to statistics, up to 30-40% of patients have relapse after surgery.
According to experts, this recurrence depends much on the location, the cause and the type of sinusitis. In addition, the patient’s adherence to the treatment instructions of the doctor or not can also lead to a recurrence of sinusitis. So, please consider carefully about surgical methods if not absolutely necessary.
Some complications of sinusitis that patients need to know when the patient is subjective and neglected in the treatment:
- Bone infection
- Brain abscess
So, get regular check-ups if there are any symptoms to avoid complications that endanger your health.
Instructions on how to treat sinusitis early to prevent complications
Depending on the cause of the disease, the duration and severity of the disease, doctors will guide the patient on effective treatments. Such as:
Use medicine to treat sinusitis
Most of the cases of sinusitis symptoms are not too severe, doctors prescribe sinusitis medicines that help to relieve symptoms, remove the mucus inside and clean the nasal cavity. .
The most commonly used are nasal congestion medications. In which, drugs to treat nasal obstruction are divided into 2 types: prescription and non-prescription. Usually, doctors will prescribe you drugs that must not be used for more than 3 days and combine over-the-counter drugs such as nasal sprays such as Coldi-B, Otrivin 0.05 – 0.1%, Hadocort , Flixonase …
For the cases of sinusitis caused by bacteria, the patient will be indicated to use along with some antibiotics such as Augmentin, Cefdinir, Azithromycin … Note, patients only use according to the instructions of the doctor. doctor within 10-14 days to avoid greasy drug and affect treatment results.
In addition, the cases of chronic sinusitis, the patient can use some additional drugs such as:
- Steroid drugs combined with antibiotics
- Pain relievers to help relieve sudden recurring pain in the head, face and teeth
- Antihistamines for allergic sinus infections.
- Antifungal medicine for people with a fungal sinus infection.
- Immunoglobulins (immunoglobulins) have the effect of improving resistance thanks to its ability to increase the cognitive activity of the immune system and neutralize foreign agents such as viruses and bacteria.
A few home remedies for sinusitis
The methods below apply to minor or recurrent sinus infections. The features of these methods are simple, easy to perform at home, the patient does not need to go to the hospital but can still overcome the unpleasant symptoms of the disease, remove the mucus in the sinus cavities. effective.
Clean nose
Regular nasal washing is the best way to keep the nose clean and can help treat sinusitis quite effectively. Research shows that most people who usually wash their nose are less likely to experience headaches and do not have to resort to medications.
You just need to prepare a spray bottle with a small spout and saline solution in and then proceed to pump the nose. This process will help kill bacteria, viruses and remove the mucus that is accumulated in the sinus cavities. However, note that you should not wash your nose with a kitchen hose as the bacteria can get into the nose and cause serious illness.
In addition to saline salts purchased in Western pharmacies, to save money you can use salt diluted with warm water instead.
Nasal spray
Nasal sprays are on the list of over-the-counter medicines, so you can always buy them at pharmacies if the symptoms of a stuffy or runny nose appear. The ingredients in the nasal spray work to constrict blood vessels, reduce blood flow and prevent congestion in the nose, so the mucus in the nasal cavity is easier to push out.
However, patients should pay attention to use according to the instructions on the package, avoid overuse because the drug can cause dry nose or some medications make the degree of blockage worse. Oxymetazoline nasal sprays, for example, cause a hard, dry nose or corticosteroids such as Triamcinolone are only effective when used as directed by your doctor.
Steam your face
A steam bath is one of the most effective home remedies for sinus symptoms. The hot steam entering the nasal cavity helps to soften the dry, hardened mucus, hydrate and clear the nasal cavity. Therefore, the patient will feel extremely comfortable after the facial steam is finished.
To do a facial steam, prepare a pot of hot water, add 1-2 drops of your favorite essential oil and then use a large towel to cover the head and a basin of hot water. When the heat rises, take a deep breath to help the heat go deep inside to penetrate each sinus cavity.
After the steam is finished, perform the combination of washing the nose with normal saline to completely clean the sinus cavities.
Get more rest
Any illness can cause a lot of fatigue, so try to spend the best time resting. A healthy, energetic body will help the body have enough resistance to fight infection and the recovery time will also be faster than those with a weak immune system.
Drink a lot of water
During a sinus infection it is best to drink plenty of water than usual so that you don’t become dehydrated. At the same time, water works to thin the mucus in the sinus cavities and easily clean the sinuses.
Some types of drinking water that you should drink every day such as water, herbal tea, lemon juice mixed with honey and ginger, soup, vegetable broth …
When should you see a doctor?
When you are sick, do not neglect the subjectivity but observe carefully the symptoms and seek immediate medical attention if you experience the following symptoms:
- All of the above symptoms of sinusitis last for more than 10 days without remission.
- Children have symptoms of sinusitis and have a constant fever that does not decrease within 1-2 days.
- There was intense pain
- Fatigue, dizziness, and feeling much weaker in the first place.
Should sinusitis surgery to cure completely or not?
According to experts, the method of surgery for sinusitis still has the rate of 30 40% recurrence after surgery. So, if it is not really necessary, you do not need an operation. However, in some of the following cases, the doctor will prescribe mandatory sinus surgery such as:
- Nasal polyps appear , growing in jars inside the nose
- The septum of the nose is skewed requiring surgery to orthopedic septum (Septoplasty) combined with sinusitis surgery.
- The body does not respond effectively to medical treatments.
Usually, the most commonly prescribed surgical procedure for sinusitis is endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). After that, the doctor will still appoint the patient to apply a combination of medical treatments to achieve the best treatment results and prevent sinusitis from recurring.
Ways to prevent sinusitis
To prevent sinusitis, practice the following habits:
- Wash your hands often with soap and clean water after contacting public surfaces, before eating and after using the toilet.
- Avoid going to places with a lot of dust, chemicals …
- Quit smoking if you don’t want sinusitis and many other medical conditions.
- For children, it is necessary to vaccinate children according to the Health Ministry’s schedule because the child’s resistance is weak, it is easy for bacteria to attack and cause disease.
- Avoid close contact, talk or shake hands with people with respiratory illnesses.
- Keep your home clean, and have a humidifier in your bedroom if you are a person with frequent stuffy or runny nose.
Sinusitis is not a very dangerous disease and can be controlled if you know how and follow the instructions of your doctor. Create good habits to take care of yourself and your family’s health, because prevention is always better than cure.
