Sinus Infection (sinusitis)

Sinus Infection Overview

Sinusitis is a viral or bacterial infection located behind your cheek bones and forehead, these spaces are known as sinuses. They are usually free of germs, but if the mucous gets stuck in the sinuses, it may cause sinus infection.

The sinuses are basically sacs filled with air located in the facial bones of the head. There are four pairs of sinuses:

Asthma Infographic Description

 – The frontal sinuses; they are situated above the eyes, in the region between the eyebrows.
The maxillary sinuses; situated within the cheekbones, behind the nose bridge.
The ethmoid sinuses; situated in between the eyes, behind the nose bridge.
The sphenoid; situated behind the ethmoid sinuses, as well as behind the eyes.

Symptoms in Sinus Infection

Sinuses have several functions, for example: making the incoming air warmer and helping in the formation of different sounds. If the sinuses get inflamed and infected and the condition lasts less than four weeks, it is called acute sinusitis. If acute sinusitis becomes persistent and symptoms last longer than three months it has progressed into chronic sinusitis. Sinusitis can get from a minor annoyance to a serious condition – chronic sinusitis – that could require surgery if not treated properly!

A few of the symptoms you may have associated with sinusitis are stuffy nose, headache and thick, green, yellow or blood-tinged nasal secretions.

Treatments in Sinusitis

Prescription drugs, like decongestants or antibiotics, bring relief only temporary and have unhealthy side effects. In long-term (chronic) sinusitis, sometimes the only prescribed treatment is surgery; which is usually not the most successful either. Usually the surgery is endoscopic, that means a tube (endoscope) is inserted into the nasal passages. This way, small pieces of bone or tissue that block the sinuses are removed. Surgery is recommended only if prescription medication or other therapies fail to provide the desired relief. However, there are long-term natural therapies that are able to greatly improve sinusitis. One of these is salt therapy.

Risk factors in sinus infection are allergic rhinitis or nasal allergy (hay fever), nasal polyps, congenital nasal abnormalities (deviation of septum), cystic fibrosis, asthma, smoking, low immunity.

Salt therapy can help with all of these respiratory diseases, not only sinusitis, working on the risk factors as well. It strengthens the respiratory immunity to all kind of pathogens, keeping you healthy and energetic. Salt therapy is very easy to use – you just breathe the salty air released from a salt machine, usually during the night sleep. Yes, is a home therapy that offers you long-term treatment necessary in a chronic condition. It is like breathing the seashore aerosol for an entire night…over and over! The salt aerosol fights bacteria, viruses or fungi and clears the secretions. It helps to reduce inflammation and the IgE levels, strengthening the respiratory immunity. Salt helps to fluidize the sticky mucus and clears the airways, promoting better blood oxygenation and better sleep. It helps you breathe better and regain your health, without any side-effects.

How Salt Therapy helps in Sinusitis

  1. Clears sticky secretions from sinuses and from the entire respiratory system
  2. Fights the pathogens (bacteria/viruses/fungi) and reduces inflammation
  3. Opens the airways and promotes better blood oxygenation
  4. Reduces the need of antibiotics or inhalers
  5. Strengthens your respiratory system
  6. Prolongs remission time in recurrent sinusitis
  7. Reduces hospital visits and eliminates invasive procedures
  8. Improves general health and quality of life
  9. Promotes better sleep and relaxation
  10. Enforces resistance to respiratory tract diseases

Read more about sinusitis here.