Onslow Memorial Hospital: Moisture can help prevent sinusitis

Dr. Matthew Bolinger

Dr. Matthew Bolinger

Published: Sunday, June 22, 2014 at 03:25 PM.

Sinusitis, an infection of the sinuses near the nose, is a major health problem affecting more than 31 million people in the United States. Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on over-the-counter medications to treat sinus complaints. People who have allergies, asthma, weakened immune systems or structural blockages in the nose or sinuses are at greater risk for sinusitis; but anyone who has ever had a cold can experience a sinus infection. Unlike a cold resulting from a virus, however, a sinus infection can be caused by bacteria.

According to Dr. Matthew Bolinger, one of the simplest and most cost-effective methods of preventing a sinus infection is to keep your body’s “air filter” — your nose, that is — clean. So get yourself a neti pot (or a saline solution), and read on.

OMH: What are the sinuses, and why do we have them?


Dr. Bolinger: Basically, the sinuses are air-filled cavities within the bones of the face. They are lined by the same kind of mucosa that lines the nose and therefore are subject to the same kind of inflammatory reactions as the nose.

There are three major theories about why the sinuses evolved: 1) they function as air pockets to lighten the weight of the skull so it can be supported by the neck; 2) they act as shock absorbers for trauma to protect the brain and the arteries that run along the base of the skull; and 3) they evolved as part our capacity for vocalization.

OMH: How do the sinuses become infected?

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