What Exactly Is Behind Your Sinus Problems?
Do you suffer from sinus problems? Do you wake up in the morning with congestion, headaches, and a distinctive pain or pressure from very specific points in your face, nose, or forehead? You may be one of the millions of Americans who suffer from sinusitis.
Despite its widespread prevalence, some people know little about their sinuses and the problems they can sometimes get into.
So, to help you and the millions out there who may be in the dark, we're here to give you the scoop on what exactly goes on behind your sinus problems.
Your sinuses are like your air filters.
They are spaces in the skull that take in the air you breathe and remove any unwanted materials that could potentially harm your inner breathing organs.
To do their jobs, these spaces are connected to your nose and throat.
This is how the air gets into them and how they eventually clean out the dirt they collect.
Like your regular air filters in your home, the sinus cavities need to be cleaned so that the dirt and unwanted materials don't accumulate.
This is normally done by mucus and cilia.
Mucus is what the body uses to trap the dirt and unwanted materials in these cavities.
Once the trapped materials are in the mucus, the body then uses cilia, tiny little hair like organs that can move back and forth, to sweep contaminants out of the sinuses and into the nose or throat where you can expel it.
So where do the problems start? The problem usually relates to this air filtering function.
Sometimes, the sinuses will filter something that causes significant irritation to the sinus cells.
Certain materials can cause allergic reactions or infections.
Bacteria, viruses, and fungi can all cause infections.
When any of these get into the sinuses, the body will try to ensure that the lower breathing organs like the lungs are safe, so it will start to produce more mucus to trap the harmful materials.
However, sometimes, the body perceives these materials as such threats to the inner organs that it produces too much mucus.
The excess production starts to clog the passages to the nose and throat, preventing successful drainage.
Sometimes the materials themselves cause the drainage passages to swell up and close.
When these happen, all the harmful materials get trapped, causing further irritation that causes further mucus production that impedes the drainage process further.
The sinuses eventually get inflamed and you get sinusitis.
To treat this problem, the first step is getting to the cause of the problem.
Before, many doctors prescribed antibiotics as the baseline treatment.
Recent studies have shown, however, that antibiotics may not be the best choice in all sinusitis cases.
The Mayo Clinic states that antibiotics are usually not needed for acute or chronic cases.
The American Academy of Otolaryngology warns against the overuse of antibiotics.
Ask your doctor to help you figure out what is causing your problem.
Allergies are a common cause.
The easiest way to treat it is to prevent it by avoiding the materials that cause the allergies (these materials are called allergens).
Fungal infections have gained ground in recent years and may be a major but overlooked cause of sinusitis.
Again, ask your doctor to help.
The AAO suggests that physicians should also test for fungal infections in cases of sinusitis.
For viral infections and as a general rule, you should try to keep your immune system up.
The best way to do this is to eat right, sleep right, and exercise regularly.
All of these go a long way in keeping your body healthy.
Despite its widespread prevalence, some people know little about their sinuses and the problems they can sometimes get into.
So, to help you and the millions out there who may be in the dark, we're here to give you the scoop on what exactly goes on behind your sinus problems.
Your sinuses are like your air filters.
They are spaces in the skull that take in the air you breathe and remove any unwanted materials that could potentially harm your inner breathing organs.
To do their jobs, these spaces are connected to your nose and throat.
This is how the air gets into them and how they eventually clean out the dirt they collect.
Like your regular air filters in your home, the sinus cavities need to be cleaned so that the dirt and unwanted materials don't accumulate.
This is normally done by mucus and cilia.
Mucus is what the body uses to trap the dirt and unwanted materials in these cavities.
Once the trapped materials are in the mucus, the body then uses cilia, tiny little hair like organs that can move back and forth, to sweep contaminants out of the sinuses and into the nose or throat where you can expel it.
So where do the problems start? The problem usually relates to this air filtering function.
Sometimes, the sinuses will filter something that causes significant irritation to the sinus cells.
Certain materials can cause allergic reactions or infections.
Bacteria, viruses, and fungi can all cause infections.
When any of these get into the sinuses, the body will try to ensure that the lower breathing organs like the lungs are safe, so it will start to produce more mucus to trap the harmful materials.
However, sometimes, the body perceives these materials as such threats to the inner organs that it produces too much mucus.
The excess production starts to clog the passages to the nose and throat, preventing successful drainage.
Sometimes the materials themselves cause the drainage passages to swell up and close.
When these happen, all the harmful materials get trapped, causing further irritation that causes further mucus production that impedes the drainage process further.
The sinuses eventually get inflamed and you get sinusitis.
To treat this problem, the first step is getting to the cause of the problem.
Before, many doctors prescribed antibiotics as the baseline treatment.
Recent studies have shown, however, that antibiotics may not be the best choice in all sinusitis cases.
The Mayo Clinic states that antibiotics are usually not needed for acute or chronic cases.
The American Academy of Otolaryngology warns against the overuse of antibiotics.
Ask your doctor to help you figure out what is causing your problem.
Allergies are a common cause.
The easiest way to treat it is to prevent it by avoiding the materials that cause the allergies (these materials are called allergens).
Fungal infections have gained ground in recent years and may be a major but overlooked cause of sinusitis.
Again, ask your doctor to help.
The AAO suggests that physicians should also test for fungal infections in cases of sinusitis.
For viral infections and as a general rule, you should try to keep your immune system up.
The best way to do this is to eat right, sleep right, and exercise regularly.
All of these go a long way in keeping your body healthy.
