5 Causes of Sinus Infections and Sinus Problems - Nurse's Guide (Sinus Infection Relief)

If you're having sinus headaches, sinus pressure or pain or other sinus problems regularly or you have chronic sinus infections you may want to know what may be causing them. Sometimes just knowing the cause of a sinus condition will help you stop exposure or avoid them in the future. I'll mention just five of the causes here that you may or may not know about.

1. Sinus infections. In recent studies it was found that most sinus infections are caused by a fungus. For many years it was thought they were bacterial in nature or viral but studies have shown only a small percentage of them are.

2. Exposure to dust mite droppings. Dust mites are tiny creatures that are too small for you to see. They love to hang out in bedding and load up mattresses so they actually can weigh more after a few years of use it's claimed. Dust mite droppings are the culprit and it takes a thorough HEPA vacuuming of your carpets and hot water washing for all bedding to eliminate most of them.

To get rid of them all and prevent future problems, you'll need allergen prevention, zipped covers for your pillows and mattresses to keep the dust mites out. Some people even remove the carpeting in their bedroom. You'd need to get a dust mite allergy test to determine if they're the cause.

3. Cigarette smoke. Smoke you inhale either as a smoker yourself, or from second hand smoke can wreak havoc with your sinuses and cause the lining of the cavities to swell, causing sinusitis. Avoid inhaling smoke at all cost. Secondly any other kind of smoke from fire extinguishers, forest fires, neighborhood burnings, etc. can be a major source of sinus problems.

4. Dust. Digging around in old boxes of files or household items or stirring up old dust in any household area can raise dust and cause it to be airborne. Wear masks to help limit your exposure to this dust. It can get up into your sinuses and make them swell narrowing the passages or causing a blockage and start up a sinus infection.

5. Polluted air or smoggy conditions outdoors. Be aware of air quality reports on the local news if you're plagued with sinus problems. It only takes a short walk around the neighborhood or the windows open at home for you to be exposed to polluted air. Keep your windows and car windows closed.

These are just a few of the causes of sinus infections and other sinus conditions. There are natural ways to treat your sinus problems and you can learn how to treat a sinus infection naturally at home. You don't have to suffer ever again. Once you learn how to stop them with natural treatment you'll know once and for all how to prevent your sinus symptoms from turning into full blown sinus infections.

Sinus Infection Relief : Getting To Know Sinus Infection

Sinus Infection

Sinuses are small cavities in the bones near the nose that protect the brain against impacts. They are also instrumental in reducing the weight of the skull. A sinus infection is an infection that effects the nasal membrane.

Pollutants and dry air affect the nasal membrane and cause sinus infection. The movement of cilia is slowed down. There is massive secretion of mucus to remove the accumulated bacteria. Due to the slow functioning of cilia, the mucus gets trapped in the sinuses and leads to sinusitis.

The types of sinusitis vary in accordance with the duration. For instance, the sinusitis that lasts for a months' duration is known as acute sinusitis. Similarly, the sinusitis lasting between one to three months is known as sub-acute sinusitis and the one that lasts more than three months is known as chronic sinusitis. A sinusitis that recurs frequently within the span of one year is called a recurring sinusitis.

Sinus infections can also occur due to occupational reasons. The people who are in constant contact with irritants like smoke and petrol, perfumes etc. are prone to sinusitis. Health care personnel are also at a risk. Those who smoke a lot have a major threat of developing sinusitis as smoking causes irritation and reduces resistance to infection.

The symptoms of sinusitis include fever, severe headache, pain in the upper jaw and colored nasal discharge. Any of these occurring for more than ten days demands immediate medical attention. If not treated in time, sinus infection can lead to other chronic diseases like bronchitis, pneumonia and ear infections.

The treatment of sinusitis aims at opening the blockages, curing the infection and reducing chances of recurrence. Home remedies are beneficial in healing the pain. Intake of hot fluids and inhalation of steam are popular home remedies for sinusitis. Antibiotics, mucus thinning agents, decongestants are all recommended to eliminate the infection.

If not benefited by the home remedies, the last resort is a surgery that lasts 2-3 hours that includes opening the sinuses to remove blockage. However, a surgery does not warrant a permanent cure, it only makes the treatment easier in case the sinus infection recurs. The best remedy, thus, still remains prevention.