Sinus Infections, Symptoms and Treatments

Sinus infections can be painful enough to interfere with your daily activities, but the treatment options can be quite effective. Sinus infections can lead to a sore throat as a result of post-nasal drip. Post-nasal drip is generally the worst at night when you are lying down. Mucous from your sinuses collect in your throat causing irritation, coughing and redness. Sinus infections and the symptoms that go along with it also may interfere with a good night's sleep.

Sinus infections generally start as a common cold, leaving one feeling tired and achy. Sinus infections not only cause nasal pain but can affect the head and throat. Sinus infections have a lot of very unpleasant symptoms. Allergic rhinitis symptoms may include an itchy and runny nose, sneezing, itching in the ears, itchy eyes, and sore or itchy throat. Seasonal allergic rhinitis is usually caused by pollen in the air and has similar symptoms. Infected sinus cavities can also cause severe headaches.

Treatment of sinus infections is an individual approach depending on your symptoms and their severity.

The main thing is to try to prevent your sinus passageways from getting blocked. One technique is to irrigate your nose and sinuses with a squeeze bottle filled with salt water or use a Neti pot. A neti pot is a small plastic pot that resembles a teapot. It can be purchased at most pharmacies. It usually comes with a powder or premixed saline like solution for irrigation. This nasal wash is known to clear your nose of pollutants such as mold, dust, dander, etc. It also reduces the swelling in your nasal passages that may have become inflamed. Over the counter medications can be effective in relieving some of the symptoms.

Surgery should only be an option if conventional treatments fail or if there is a nasal obstruction that medications or treatments cannot improve. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery is recommended for certain types of sinus diseases. A chronic cough manifests itself as a cough that will not go away and may be an indication of another issue such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinus infection, heavy cigarette smoking, Acid Reflux, or a post nasal drip, bronchitis, pneumonia, medications, and less frequently tumors or other lung diseases.

In conclusion you should see your doctor or a medical professional and discuss your problem before trying anything mentioned in this article. Use guides like this one to discuss your options with your doctor, not as a substitute for proper medical care.