What is sinusitis?
The sinuses are the left and right of your nose into the bone of your upper jaw (maxillary sinus) and forehead (forehead cavity).
The top of the jaw cavities adjacent to the eye socket. Just below the maxillary sinuses begin the tooth roots of the upper teeth.
All sinuses are through a small opening in communication with the nasopharynx. The nasopharynx and the sinuses are lined with mucous membrane.
At each cold are the mucosa of the nose-pharynx and the mucosa of the sinuses inflamed. You have a sinus infection when you source less smell when cold symptoms (current, snotty or stuffy nose) or pain / pressure feeling in your face.
What are the symptoms of sinusitis?
Sinus infection usually starts with a common cold: a running, snotty or stuffy nose and sneezing. The snot can hereby be watery, yellow or green, sometimes with traces of blood. Snot leaking back into your throat, sometimes leading to (night) cough.
Come come additional complaints to the common cold? Then called a sinus infection. These symptoms are:
-In the upper jaw, face or forehead you feel pressure or pain.
-You smell less.
-The roots of the upper teeth and molars can be sensitive.
-Chewing or bending can induce or aggravate the pain.
-In most cases the ignition on one side (left or right), sometimes with swelling of the cheek.
-When you have a sinus infection fever.
How is a sinus infection?
Colds are usually caused by a virus, sometimes by a bacterium. They give a catarrh which the mucous membrane swells and lots of mucus (snot) will produce.
Can the gap between sinuses and nasopharynx close by mucosal swelling and snot down. The mucus becomes thicker and can hardly sprout. It is, as it were too full in the sinuses. This allows you to feel pressure or pain.
Advice from a sinus infection
*Steaming can reduce the symptoms. It can be hot 3 times a day, for a quarter of an hour over a bowl of water. Beware of burning: the temperature of the water does not rise above 60 degrees Celsius.
Young children should not steaming, as they are at extra risk of burning.
Adding chamomile, salt or menthol makes no sense. You may in children under two years anyway not use menthol.
*Steaming can also be opened by turning the hot water tap in the bathroom or shower and steam gently breathe. Steam is not a special kitchen faucet with boiling water (cooker). The danger of burns is very large.
The dripping or spraying salt water into the nose can reduce the symptoms.
The saline solution can ready-to-eat (as drops or spray) buy at the drugstore or pharmacy. This is very easy and you have immediately a dropper (pipette) or spraydop at. The ready-made saline solution you can also give to young children. Babies and children under 2 years are often not pleasant.
You can also make the saline solution yourself. Sprinkle this 9 grams of salt in one liter of lukewarm water. Use a clean balance and a clean, shrewd bottle. This solution is in the fridge for 3 days. You can use a few times a day (or as often as you find comfortable) dripping or sniff. Use in children under 6 years rather not homemade saline.
Steaming or use of a salt solution ensures that you recover faster.
*Stop smoking. Smoking irritates mucous membranes and slows the healing.
Medications for sinusitis
Medications are not necessary. A sinus infection heals itself.
If you like it, you can use these resources:
*Some people use xylometazoline spray or drops. This reduces the swelling of mucous membranes in the nasal pharynx and reduces the symptoms of a stuffy nose. Xylometazoline is available. At the drugstore and pharmacy You can use it 3 times a day, but no longer than 1 week.
Avoid using xylometazoline in children between 2 and 6 years. Possibly only if the obstruction of the nose gives a lot of complaints and inadequate helps saline. Use xylometazoline 0.05% for children between 2 and 6 years.
*Give xylometazoline not give to children under 2 years. They can get these rare but serious side effects.
If necessary use a painkiller. Preferably use acetaminophen because it works well and there is little chance of adverse reactions. Take than 2 to 4 times a day 1 or 2 tablets of 500 milligrams. If that does not help, adults can try another painkiller, such as ibuprofen or naproxen. These two agents may cause side effects such as upset stomach or sometimes severe allergic reactions.,
Antibiotics are rarely needed for a sinus infection. They have no influence on the complaints in the restoration of a normal sinus infection. Or Antibiotics do provide common side effects, especially gastrointestinal symptoms and vaginal symptoms. You may also be allergic to the antiboticum, and you can never use it.
Do you have a weakened immune system (for example, a disease or because you take certain medicines), antibiotics may sometimes be needed by a sinus infection.
How it goes on at a sinus inflammation?
A sinus inflammation usually resolves spontaneously within 1 to 3 weeks. 1 in 10 people has still 3 weeks after complaints.
When contact with a sinus infection?
Call your GP practice in these situations:
-You are very sick (fever and unable to do anything).
-You have more than 5 days of fever.
-You get a fever again after a number of fever days.
-The symptoms of sinusitis are not decreased in two weeks.
-You get severe headaches.
-You are sick and care about.
-You will be drowsy.
-The complaints to get one eye:
-The eyelids are thick or red.
-Your eye hurts, thickens and bulges out.
-You suddenly see less or double.
-You have swelling on the forehead.
Antibiotics may This additional disease symptoms sometimes be necessary.