A Guide to Sinus Infections

Sinusitis is common to all ages from 6 months to adulthood, especially during “Winter Cold and Flu Season” and in dry, dusty climates like Laramie. Usually a head cold or allergy congestion leads to the nose becoming inflamed and then your own nose bacteria set up the sinus infection.

Symptoms:

Sometime hard to tell from a bad cold, Sinusitis commonly follows a cold, has a persisting low-grade fever, last over a week, has facial pain or headache, cough (worse at night), sore throat and ear pain or “popping”. Discolored (yellow or green) nose congestion is not sinus infection, rather it's due to exposure to the air of nose congestion.

Treatment:

Antibiotics help treat the bacterial infection in the nasal passage. In infrequent infections, simple and therefore inexpensive antibiotice work well. In recurrent or chronic infections, sometimes more broad coverage antibiotics are used.

Decongestants help shrink the swollen drippy nasal lining and relieve the throat drainage. Decreasing the nasal congestion helps resolve the infection.

Saline Nose Spray helps re-moisturize the irritated nasal lining so it can heal. Use 3-4 times a day. This is as important as the antibiotic. Steam up in the bathroom, use a humidifier, and use saline nose spray every 2-4 hrs while awake.

Steroid Nose Spray is sometimes used to assist healing the inflammation. This is more often used in recurrent or chronic sinusitis.

Sometimes prolonged treatment is needed with re-occurring or chronic sinus infections.

Prevention:

Using saline nose spray twice a day every day can help minimize the risk of sinusitis. Avoiding smoking cuts it by a factor of 7 times! Use decongestants quickly with head colds and drink lots of fluids daily.

If you have further questions about sinus infections, you can contact the office at:

Info@LaramieKids.com

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A Guide to Sinus Infections

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