Relieving Your Sinusitis Symptoms

23 Feb Relieving Your Sinusitis Symptoms

male with sinus problems

Many people assume that their nose and throat are the only passages that deliver air to the lungs, but the sinuses also play a crucial role. The sinuses are small open cavities located to the sides of the nose. The pink mucosa that line these openings help humidify the air you breathe in and trap particles that could irritate the lungs. Most people don’t even think about their sinuses until an illness or allergy causes an uncomfortable reaction in the mucosa. If you’ve had problems such as stuffiness, difficulty breathing, swelling around the nose and forehead, headaches with pain concentrated in the face and eyes, you might have sinusitis. We can provide allergy testing, massage and immune therapy, as well as prescriptions to help relieve your sinusitis symptoms. Don’t suffer any longer. Seek relief at our office today!

 

What Are Your Sinuses?

Your nasal passages don’t lead straight to your brain. There are different tissues and bones that separate your nasal cavity from the rest of your face. Your sinuses make up a large part of your nasal system. The sinuses are small open cavities located to the sides of your nose. The pink mucosa that line these openings help humidify the air you breathe in and trap particles that might irritate the lungs. The sinuses aren’t only located to the sides of your nose. You have a series of connected hollow cavities that are on both the right and left side of your nose in the shape of triangles. However, you also have several open cavities along the bridge of your nose and in the central part of your forehead.

 

The largest sinus cavities are to the sides of your nose. The smallest are in the nose bridge. These cavities generally stay pretty empty except for that thin layer of mucus that we mentioned. When your sinuses catch particles that you don’t want in your body, they drain through a small channel in your nose. So that your nose isn’t irritated, that pink lining also stays moist and humidifies air as it filters. When allergies and illnesses irritate your pink mucosa, you might find yourself with sinusitis.

 

seasonal sinus problems

Sinusitis Symptoms

The mucosa that lines the sinuses can be irritated and inflamed by many different foreign bodies. Sinusitis is a broad term that describes anything that causes your sinuses to swell. This can create congestion, pain in your nose, cheeks and forehead and just be downright irritating. You will know you have sinusitis symptoms if they don’t go away after a few days and stick around for several weeks at a time.

 

You can actually suffer from sinusitis symptoms for years without realizing it. These symptoms include:

  • Difficulty breathing and general feelings of stuffiness in the nose and face
  • Chronic pain or low to severe-grade headaches
  • Pain concentrated in the face and around the eyes
  • Swelling around the nose and lower forehead
  • Throbbing and burning sensations in the sinus cavities
  • Yellow or green discharge out of the nostrils or down the throat
  • Cough that is worse at night
  • Sensitivity to pressure around the sides of the nose

 

How Did You Get Sinusitis?

Patients come into our office with sinusitis symptoms often, especially during the spring and summer months. Some sinusitis symptoms are mild, while others pose severe health issues. You always want to seek prompt treatment for sinus problems. You may have gotten sinusitis from:

  • Infections ranging from an upper respiratory infection to the common cold
  • Abnormalities of the sinuses such as a deviated septum
  • Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke
  • Allergies to environmental factors or pollen
  • Infected teeth or gum abscesses
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Tumors, ulcerations in the mucosa or polyps
  • Fungal infections due to long-term mold exposure

Sinus infections are common and happen to many people. A sinus infection is just another name for sinusitis, and is an inflammation of the air cavities in the nose. You may have had sinusitis and not known it, but sinusitis symptoms generally worsen if they are not treated. You also can’t spread a sinus infection to other people like you can the common cold. That’s why we look to infections, allergies and conditions that affect your nasal cavities to diagnose the cause of your sinusitis.

 

male with sinus problems holding his head

Stop the Sniffles

You have a sinus infection. Now what? Chronic sinusitis symptoms that are caused by allergies and asthma can be treated at home. We usually suggest using a nasal irrigation pot or a saline spray to help your symptoms. However, it is possible to overuse these at home and have increased sinus pain. That is why working with one of our specialists can help increase your chances of getting rid of your sinusitis symptoms without causing you further problems.

 

At our office, we will prescribe you a prescription for safe nasal sprays with corticosteroids to soothe your nasal irritation. If allergies are the cause of your problems, we provide full allergy testing to determine if your pets, foods, hobbies or environment are causing your sinus problems. Immune therapy is also proven effective at lowering reactions to irritants you simply can’t avoid. Massage therapy is another soothing option to help your sinuses drain, which can help you even if you have a simple cold you want to get rid of. The point of seeking treatment is to stop your sinusitis symptoms so you can enjoy life once more. Don’t live with sinus pain or irritation for another day! Schedule an appointment with one of our specialists at Mile High Spine & Pain Center today at (720) 507-0080 and see how fast your symptoms clear up!

 



Mile High Spine & Pain Center