Acute sinusitis is a painful problem 'for the unfortunate millions of people who are suffering'

Acute sinusitis makes the spaces inside your nose (sinuses) become swollen and inflamed, which blocks drainage and creates excess mucus.

"Sinus headaches essentially come from either air or mucus getting trapped in your sinuses," Dr. Brian Lee of Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center said. "And that drainage pathway, or that drainage hole, is what we are talking about when that gets plugged up. That can get plugged up from inflammation, just from simple allergies or a cold. One of the best ways to try to quickly alleviate that would would be to take a decongestant like Sudafed, which helps shrink down some of the some of that inflammation to get those sinuses to ventilate a little bit or relieve the pressure."

If you have acute sinusitis, it might be difficult to breathe through your  nose. The area around your eyes and face might feel swollen, and you might have throbbing facial pain or a headache.

"I think most people who don't have issues with their nose or sinuses have no idea," Lee said. "For the unfortunate millions of people who are suffering with chronic sinus issues, all of these sinus issues trickled down into every facet of their life, because when you're not breathing through your nose, you're not sleeping well. And then you don't have the proper energy, and you feel foggy all the time. There are a lot of easy, simple things we can do to really improve their quality of life."

Acute sinusitis is usually created by the common cold. Unless a bacterial infection develops, it usually resolves itself within a week to 10 days. Home remedies are sometimes all that is necessary to treat acute sinusitis. However, sinusitis that lasts for more than 12 weeks is known as "chronic sinusitis."

A Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz, which is available from Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center, can help potential patients evaluate their symptoms. 

Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center is committed to providing the best sinus and allergy relief in the Scottsdale area, using the most advanced, proven patient-friendly techniques available. With 29 million Americans suffering from sinusitis and 242,000 annual chronic sinusitis ER visits, our mission is to provide minimally invasive options for needed, long-lasting relief so that patients can get back to living. We call this mission Breathe Free and Live Well, and it is the North Star that guides us in each unique, collaborative patient interaction. To learn more about Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center, please visit our website.