Sinus Problems
Sinus Problems
Relief for the Permanently Stuffy Nose
Malfunctioning sinuses cause all kinds of trouble. Like headaches and facial pain. Like coughs, congestion and postnasal drip or permanently stuffy noses.
Chances are, you or someone close to you is all too familiar with the pressure, pain and stuffiness that are hallmarks of sinusitis (otherwise known as sinus trouble).
Sinus trouble comes in two varieties: acute and chronic. Both involve hollow cavities in the bone structures around your eyes and nose.
Acute sinusitis is typically short-lived and triggered by a cold or flu, and it is accompanied by facial pain, puslike discharge of mucus, congestion and sometimes even fever. Antibiotics are the usual treatment, and decongestants and home remedies can ease the symptoms.
Chronic sinusitis is milder but constant, and it's often traced to allergies and environmental pollutants.
OPEN UP CLOGGED SINUSES
Either way, you'll want to put sinusitis on the endangered list of your personal medical problems. Follow these suggestions from some top women doctors.
Install an air conditioner in your bedroom. "The first thing to do is rid your environment of the pollutants that can trigger sinus problems," says Barbara P. Yawn, M.D., associate professor of clinical family medicine and community health at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and director of research at the Olmsted Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota. And remember to change the filter regularly.
"The little hairs inside your nose comb out airborne particles--smoke, pollen, molds and other pollutants. These pollutants irritate the lining of your nose and sinuses and cause swelling that results in feelings of pressure and stuffiness," says Dr. Yawn. "So do whatever it takes to avoid them."
Get someone else to clean. "Pass on doing dusty cleaning jobs if you can," says Dr. Yawn. "If you can't, wear a mask." Dr. Yawn also sug
gests that you wear a mask when working with oven cleaners and other noxious chemicals.
When To See A Doctor If you've tried everything, and chronic sinus pain is making life insufferable, check with your doctor, says Barbara P. Yawn, M.D., associate professor of clinical family medicine and community health at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and director of research at the Olmsted Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota. "Several treatment options can ease your discomfort quickly. Topical cortisone nasal sprays are very effective and have few side effects," she says. Sinus symptoms that need a doctor's care include: * Mucus discharge that is puslike, green, yellow or foul-smelling * Persistant cough * Fever * Facial pain or headaches
* Toothaches
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Make yours a humid home. "The nasal hairs that filter out irritants work best when they are plumped up and moisture-rich," says Dr. Yawn. "So be sure to humidify the air that you breathe." Humidifiers in your home and office should do the trick. But there's a right way and a wrong way to humidify a room.
"The mist from a humidifier should fall close to your face," says Dr. Yawn. "If your humidifier is down on the floor dampening the rug, it's not doing your nose any good." She recommends using cool-mist humidifiers and cleaning them regularly.
Take a super-soaker shower. "Before bedtime, a nice long, hot shower will humidify you for a good night's sleep," says Dr. Yawn.
Drink up. Be sure to drink at least eight glasses of liquids a day, says Carol Fleischman, M.D., staff physician at Allegheny University of the Health Sciences MCP-Hahnemann School of Medicine and at the Center for Women's Health, both in Philadelphia. "You need internal as well as external humidity to keep nasal passages moist."
Don't rely on sprays and pills. "When you have chronic sinus problems, it's a mistake to rely on nasal sprays like Afrin or decongestant pills like Sudafed. Both will cause a rebound effect," says Dr. Yawn. In other words, they work temporarily, but over time, they make the problem worse. "If you're on a plane or in a situation where you just can't be stuffed up, short-term use of either a nasal spray or decongestant can provide temporary relief."