Tips on taking care of sinusitis What else should I discuss with my healthcare professional? Get plenty of rest. Lying down can make your sinuses feel more stopped-up, so try

lying on the side that lets you breathe the Current health concerns best. You can prop yourself up with a pil- Any symptoms not related to my sinuses SINUSITIS low. Illnesses for which another healthcare professional is treating or has treated me Sip hot liquids and drink plenty of fluids.

Current medications and supplements Apply moist heat by holding a warm, wet towel against your face or breathing in Antibiotics I have taken recently steam through a cloth or towel. This will relieve sinus pressure and help open your Allergies or adverse reactions I've had to sinus passages. medications Other prescription medications I am tak- Add humidity to your living quarters by us- ing, such as steroids, heart medications, ing a humidifier or vaporizer. diabetes medications Talk with your doctor before using an over- Over-the-counter medications such as the-counter cold medicine. Some cold NSAIDs medicines can make your symptoms Concerns about possible side effects worse or cause other problems. The best way to take my medications Don’t use a nasal spray with a deconges- How my diet may affect my medications tant in it for more than 3 days. If you use it Herbal supplements, or vitamins I'm taking for more than 3 days, the swelling in your Sinusitis is inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, sinuses may get worse when you stop us- which may be due to infection, allergy or Lifestyles ing the medicine. autoimmune issues. Most cases are due to a viral infection and resolve over the course of 10 days. Avoid alcohol, which can worsen swelling Changes in my diet It is a common condition with more than 24 million in the sinuses. Changes in my sleep patterns cases occurring in the United States annually.

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Reviewed September 2010 UHS Sinusitis

This can occur because of changes in tempera- How is

ture or air pressure. Allergies can cause sinusitis. acute sinusitis

Using decongestant nasal sprays too much, treated?

smoking, swimming or diving can also increase your risk of getting sinusitis. Some people have Treatment for sinusitis growths called polyps (say: “pawl-ips”) that block depends on the cause. their sinus passages and cause sinusitis. Various Over-The- Counter medications may When sinusitis is caused by a bacterial or viral help relieve your symp- toms. infection, you get a sinus infection. Sinus infec- tions sometimes occur after you’ve had a cold. You can use a saline nasal spray, which will The cold virus attacks the lining of your sinuses, clean out your nasal passages and help clear causing them to swell and become narrow. Your congestion. Your doctor may recommend a pre- body responds to the virus by producing more scription nasal spray that helps treat inflamma- mucus, but it gets blocked in your swollen si- tion. nuses. This built-up mucus is a good place for bacteria to grow. The bacteria can cause a sinus Saline sinus rinses often bring relief to patients infection. with chronic sinus or rhinitis problems. There are several different commercial products available (i.e. Neti Pot), that you may use.

If you have sinus pain or pressure, a deconges- tant may help your sinuses drain. Decongestants Sinuses are the air chambers in the bone be- are generally only recommended for short-term hind your cheeks, eyebrows and jaw. They use. make mucus, a fluid that cleans bacteria and other particles out of the air you breathe. Tiny Over-the-counter pain relievers such as aceta- hairs called cilia (“sill-ee-ah”) sweep mucus minophen (i.e. Tylenol) and ibuprofen (i.e. Advil, out of your sinuses so it can drain out through What are the symptoms of sinusitis? Motrin) can ease headache and sinus pain. your nose. The symptoms include: If your case of sinusitis is very severe and your What is sinusitis? Pain or pressure in the forehead, cheeks, doctor thinks the cause is bacterial, he or she may prescribe an antibiotic. You may take an nose and between the eyes Sinusitis (“sine-you-site-iss”) is the name antibiotic for 10 to 14 days, but you will usually Headache for a condition in which the lining of your start feeling better a couple of days after you sinuses become inflamed. Fever start taking it. It is important to take antibiotics Nasal congestion exactly as your doctor tells you and to continue taking it until it is completely gone, even after What causes sinusitis? Reduced sense of smell and taste you’re feeling better. Cough, which may be worse at night Anything that causes swelling in your si- Bad breath (called halitosis) If allergies are causing your sinusitis, your doctor nuses or keeps the cilia from moving mu- An ache in the teeth may treat the allergy. Then the sinusitis will usu- cus can cause sinusitis. ally clear up on its own.