Sinus Infection - Here is the nurse’s Guide

First of all, what exactly are sinuses? The sinuses are the air chambers or cavities in the bone that rests behind your cheeks, eyebrows and jaw. The sinuses make mucus, which is a fluid that cleans bacteria, viruses, fungi and other particles out of the air you breathe. Tiny hairs called cilia keep mucus out of your sinus cavities so it can drain out through your nasal passages.

Sinusitis is the name given to any inflammation of the sinuses. This can be irritation, inflamed areas or infected areas. Any blockage of the sinus drainage can be caused by foreign particles or the swelling of the tissue that secretes the mucus. It leads to the accumulation of the mucus inside the sinus. A quart of fluid moves through the sinuses every day. And when the sinuses get blocked it backs up.

Sinusitis can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. When they get infected it’s called a sinus infection. Sometimes sinus infections occur after you’ve had a cold as a complication. The cold virus attacks the lining of the sinuses, which causes them to swell up and become narrow sometimes closing completely. Your body reacts by producing more mucus, but it gets even more blocked in your swollen sinuses. This mucus back-up can cause bacteria to grow. The bacteria can cause a sinus infection if you didn’t have one already. This excess mucus production can cause sinus congestion.

For many years it was thought that most sinus infections were caused by bacteria. But a sinus research study surprised the scientists by revealing that most of the infections were caused by fungi. There were at least 40 different fungi found. Some people had two or more types in their sinus cavities. This changed the course of treatment dramatically and resulted in fewer doctors prescribing antibiotics for sinus infections. Fungi are simply mold.

Unfortunately mold is everywhere and air borne too and it may not be easy to remove the cause. You can check your bedroom, bathroom and kitchen for mold and clean it up if you have it. Check around the toilets, tubs, sinks and showers. Make sure you wear a quality mask or have someone else with a mask clean it thoroughly. Even if you get better you may get reinfected if your sinus infection. Other causes that may affect breathing and block nasal drainage include anatomical causes. Anatomical causes of sinusitis include a deviated septum. Polyps, tumors or other growths may develop and block sinus passages and cause sinusitis.

Some other causes that increase one’s susceptibility include changes due to pregnancy, working with children, and smoking. Many smokers suffer from chronic sinusitis. Allergies and reflux disease (GERD) can contribute also. Tooth infections can cause sinusitis and dental work including extractions and root canals can inflame or infect the sinuses, if they are near your sinuses.

Children with enlarged or infected adenoids (located in the upper back part of the throat) can cause sinus problems too.

Anything that causes swelling in your sinuses or keeps the cilia from moving mucus through can cause sinusitis. This can occur because of changes in temperature or air pressure. Allergies such as hay fever can cause sinusitis. Using decongestant nasal sprays too much swimming or diving can also cause or increase your risk of getting sinusitis.

It’s important to know what causes sinusitis, assuming you know you have it based on your symptoms, so you can try to remove the one or more causes that are causing it whether it’s acute or chronic. There are a few other causes too, not gone into here.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1392301