How Do I Know If I Have A Sinus Infection?

At first, you may think you have a common cold. Your nose is congested, your head hurts and that minor cough has now become a major problem. The symptoms seem to stick around for more than a week or two which is unlike the basic cold.

You try to go through the motions of your life feeling completely miserable but at some point you've had enough. Finally, you make a trip to your doctor's office in hopes that he/she will be able to provide some relief from these painful symptoms you've been having. Their diagnosis? You have acute sinusitis or in other words, a sinus infection.

Sinus infections may be the most common complaint doctor's see and treat because the symptoms of one of these infections can be painful enough to effectively disrupt your daily life.

A sinus infection can be defined as an inflammation of your nasal and sinus passages. This inflammation makes it extremely difficult for secretions and air to pass through the passages, resulting in pressure and pain.

Couple that pain with other symptoms like a sore throat, cough, fatigue and fever and you have the makings of an illness that's enough to keep you out of play for a few days. The good news is that there are plenty of remedies for a sinus infection that will help you get back on your feet in no time.

Differences Between the Common Cold and A Sinus Infection

Even though the symptoms of a common cold and sinus infection are similar; such as nasal congestion, a cough and a sore throat, there are other sinus infection symptoms that are unique to just a sinus infection.

These signs will tell you whether or not you need to take a trip to the doctor's office for antibiotics, or if you simply need to nurse your virus from home until it passes.

For example, even though both illnesses include nasal congestion, a sinus infection will generally have nasal secretions that are thicker and are green or yellow in color.

Pain is another tell tale sign of an infection. Most sinus pain is felt in the forehead, around the eyebrows or on the cheekbones just under your eyes.

Sinus infections most often come on at the tail end of a cold rather than on their own. What happens is, most people will find that they're just beginning to recover from a common cold when they see a relapse in their symptoms along with some of the other signs listed above.

If you suspect you might have a sinus infection, there are a few ways to treat it. It might be a good idea to make an appointment with your doctor to get the necessary prescription medication necessary to kick the infection out of your system completely. (The last time I visited my doctor, I was charged $125 for 5 minutes of his time and still had to spend $20 on my prescription!)

I have nothing wrong with doctor's, but they're not your only choice. You could go the more natural way. I have found that whenever I feel a cold coming on, I reach for a natural supplement that boosts my immune system BEFORE I visit my doctor.

If you want to see what I use every single day to build my immune system just click here and check it out. It's worked wonders for me and because of it, I can tell you that I have not gotten sick in over 3 years.

The point is, there are plenty of choices in effectively relieving sinus infections as long as you don't wait until your cold turns into an infection.

To Your Health,

Michael Toscano & Brue Baker
Owners / Founders
DietHealthandFitness.com

Your Treatment Options for Sinusitis

In order to determine your treatment for sinusitis, you should have a basic understanding of what sinusitis is first.

Sinusitis is the swelling of your nasal sinuses that can be caused by a bacterial, fungal or viral infection or even other factors such as allergic reactions or environmental elements.

The sinus cavities, predominantly above your eyes and behind your cheekbones, have mucus secretions that, if blocked from draining, can grow thicker and become inflamed.

Risk Factors for Sinusitis

Your treatment for sinusitis will depend on your risk factors for this inflammatory condition. Knowing how to develop sinusitis will help in finding the treatment for your sinusitis. That being said, since infection is usually the predominant cause, it usually follows on the tail of a bad cold or even the flu.

Allergies to pollen, dust, pet dander, cigarette smoke, smog and even excessive dryness due to central air or the heat in your home, can also cause sinusitis.

Some less common risk factors of sinusitis include immune system deficiencies and even structural abnormalities in the nasal passage. Polyps, a deviated septum, tumors or even bone spurs in the sinus cavity can also be part of the problem.

Treatment For Sinusitis

Often times when the cause is a bacterial infection, doctors will prescribe a course of antibiotics as the primary treatment for sinusitis. In the rare cases that a fungal infection occurs, the course of antibiotics will be prescribed with the addition of a decongestant to help with the swelling of the nasal tissues.

An expectorant may also be prescribed to help thin the mucus secretions and at times the expectorant will be paired with antihistamines which will help with the inflammation only. When a tougher treatment for sinusitis is needed, a doctor may prescribe a nasal steroid which will work harder to reduce the swelling in the sinus cavaties as well as promoting sinus drainage.

For non-medicated options for treating sinusitis, a salt water nasal spray can help keep the nasal passages moistened while rinsing out bacteria and other irritants that may be laying claim to create an infection. In addition, an air purifier is a great way to reduce indoor allergens which helps prevent irritation to the sinus membranes causing sinusitis.

Our best advice, is during days of particularly high pollen counts or when air pollution is bad, stay indoors as much as possible. As part of your treatment for sinusitis, sleep with your head elevated to promote healing and sinus drainage and look into an immune system supplement. Of course, it goes without saying that a healthy diet, exercise, nutrition and avoiding sick people is the ultimate preventative treatment for sinusitis.

To Your Health,

Michael Toscano & Brue Baker
Owners / Founders
DietHealthandFitness.com