Chronic Sinus Infections

The pain that one experiences during a sinus attack is equivalent to the pain experienced while undergoing a surgery. Chronic sinus infections last for longer periods than acute ones. This means double the pain!

Chronic sinus infection refers to an inflammation of the sinuses, that are air-filled cavities in the bones near the nose, that continues for a long period of time and even re-occurs. It is also known as chronic sinusitis.

The root cause behind sinusitis is allergies or infections. An allergy or bacterial invasion leads to an inflammation of the nasal membrane. this causes a blockage in the membrane lining and traps the mucus inside. When this sinusitis recurrs for a longer time, it is known as chronic sinusitis. A nasal bone that is deviated from its original position can also lead to a sinus infection.

The symptoms of chronic sinus infections are same s those of acute ones. The sole difference is in the duration. While acute sinusitis lasts upto three weeks, chronic sinusitis may last upto three months or more. The symptoms include facial pain, headache, pain in the jaws, a thick discharge from the nose, accompanied by cough, cold and fever.

The treatment for chronic sinus infections includes the method of percussion to check tenderness in sinus ares; transillumination to check the presence of sinusitis; x-rays, CT scans and MRIs to check the extent of infection; and a method called aspiration to check the presence of bacteria.

The treatment for chronic sinusitis varies according to the cause of infection and the nature of sinusitis. Antibiotics may be prescribed where bacteria is the cause of infection. Decongestants, nasal sprays and pain killers may also be given.

Other than these, home remedies may be resorted to. These include drinking plenty of warm fluids, eating jalapeno peppers, inhaling steam, applying a paste of cinnamon with water or ginger with water on the forehead and placing a hot cloth on the forehead to ease the pain and swelling. If none of the above works, a surgery can be done to broaden the sinus openings to ease the decongestion in the sinuses.

Thus, chronic sinus infections, though curable, last for a long time with the strong possibility of recurrence. Hence, the best remedy is prevention against sinusitis!