Constant Sinus Infections: What Do I Do?
Millions of people around the world may find themselves asking this question over and over again. You have a sinus infection and use nasal sprays or other medication to relieve your symptoms until it subsides, only to be disappointed when it comes right back after just a week or two of relief. This painful pattern can turn your everyday life into absolute misery and make even the simplest of things feel difficult and tiring.
Sinus pressure and pain leads to headaches, congestion that makes it difficult to breathe, and sleepless nights. These are just a few of the painful outcomes that recurring sinus infections may bring to its most severe sufferers. Not only does sinus pain make you feel terrible, reduce productivity, and make you miss out on life’s biggest moments, it can also contribute to other serious health problems. Sinus pain should not come and go as it pleases; it's time to take back control of your sinuses.
What happens when a sinus infection goes untreated?
Although it may seem like it, your sinuses are not just contributing to your infections. They have many other functions, like regulating air temperature, producing mucus to fight infections, and assisting in communication. The sinuses are very important to your overall health and contribute to many different bodily functions.
Many sufferers are able to let their body clear up the infection on its own. They can suffer through their symptoms for a few days or even a week with only over-the-counter medication and feel better fairly soon. When sinus infections won’t seem to go away or continue to return, there may be a more serious problem going on. These particularly painful infections are known as chronic sinusitis and they need more attention and care than just over-the-counter medications.
Frequent sinus infections have been known to take a toll on all aspects of sufferers’ lives. When headaches, congestion, fatigue, facial pain, bad breath and much more continue, it can contribute to other serious issues such as:
- Relationship problems
- Decrease in productivity
- Decline in workplace performance
- Depression
- And much more
How should I treat my sinus infection?
A mild, one-time infection should be handled much differently than a sinus infection that won’t go away or keeps coming back. But, even mild infections can become more serious as time goes on, and for the best results, they should be monitored and treated by an ENT. A minor sinus infection treatment may consist of:
- At home remedies: Many are searching for “natural cures for sinus infection." At home remedies are often not successful at getting to the root of the problem, but they may be helpful in easing the severity of your symptoms. Sufferers have found that warm compresses and humidifiers are very helpful.
- Antibiotics: Sinus infection antibiotics can only be successful when patients are suffering with a bacterial infection. In order to understand what kind of infection you may have, it is important to contact your ENT so they can prescribe you antibiotics when appropriate.
- Sinus Medication: Sinus infection medication may consist of nasal sprays, decongestants, and more. They are helpful to ease the symptoms but are not a long-term solution to chronic sinusitis.
For more severe infections, or chronic sinusitis, many sufferers have tried at home remedies, antibiotics and infection medications with no luck. When this is the case, patients may have to turn to more permanent solutions:
- Sinus Surgery: For the most severe and chronic infections, patients have had to turn to sinus surgery performed in a hospital or surgical setting. Many times, this is reserved for nasal deformities causing sinus infections.
- Balloon Sinuplasty: There is a far less invasive procedure available for sinus sufferers known as Balloon Sinuplasty. This in-office procedure has a high success rate, a low risk of complications, and can offer fast relief with a shorter recovery period. Most insurances cover the widely adopted procedure.
Treating Your Sinus Infection at Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy:
At Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy, our team is dedicated to finding the right treatment for all of our patients’ sinus infection needs. No one should have to feel the miserable symptoms that chronic sinus infections bring. Our team of experts understand that all patients are different and require a unique treatment plan.
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