Sinusitis occurs when our sinuses get inflamed. Sinuses are cavities or air-filled spaces that occur in a pair of four. They are situated within the bones of head and open in to the nasal cavity. The inner lining of sinuses is composed of cells that produce mucus. The mucus traps unwanted materials, forbidding them from reaching the lungs and also keeps the nose hydrated during breathing. The sinuses or paranasal sinuses are of four types: frontal sinuses (situated in the eyebrow area), maxillary sinuses (situated within each cheekbone), ethmoid sinuses (situated just behind the bridge of nose and between the eyes) and sphenoid sinuses (situated in the upper region of nose and behind the eyes).
During sinusitis the sinuses become red and swollen and secrete huge amounts of mucus that lead to aches and a feeling of congestion and heaviness. Pain may occur in the forehead, ear, neck, both sides of nose, between eyes, cheeks, teeth, upper jaw etc depending upon the location of the affected sinuses. The other symptoms of sinusitis include thick whitish, greenish or yellowish secretions from nose, post nasal drip, stuffy or runny nose, feeling of fullness over face, decreased sense of smell, fever, tiredness, sore throat, swollen eyelids, nausea, irritability and cough that worsens at night. Sinusitis may be acute (lasting for 4 weeks), sub-acute (lasting for 4-12 weeks), chronic (lasting for more than 12 weeks) and recurrent (occurring several times within a year). The causes of sinusitis may be listed as follows:
1. Bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract
2. Common cold or any other such viral infection
3. Fungus attacking abnormal sinuses
4. Weak immune system
5. Allergies
6. Nasal polyps/tumors
7. Cystic fibrosis
8. Teeth infection
9. Acid reflux
10. Deviated nasal septum
Home Remedies
1. Tie 1 teaspoon cumin seeds in a cloth to make a tiny pouch. Take it to your nose and sniff from time to time. This will de-congest your nose.
2. Eat lot of mangoes to keep sinusitis at bay.
3. Liberally use onion and garlic in cooking. This is a good way to deal with sinusitis.
4. Boil 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds in 2 cups water until the water is reduced to half. Strain and let it cool. Drink the tea twice daily to get cured of sinusitis.
5. Drink warm carrot juice in combination with beet juice or spinach juice or cucumber juice. This is a useful sinusitis remedy.
6. Eating horseradish or using horseradish sauce as a topping for food items helps to get rid of sinusitis.
7. Drinking of oregano tea produces rewarding results in case of sinusitis.
8. Add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder to a cup of hot water and drink the solution thrice daily. This cures sinusitis.
9. Put few drops of eucalyptus oil in a bowl of boiling water and inhale the steam for 10-15 minutes. This will facilitate mucus drainage. Also you can apply eucalyptus oil on your handkerchief and sniff from time to time.
10. Sipping hot fennel, sage or anise tea also keeps sinusitis away.
11. Mix one-fourth teaspoon salt, one-fourth teaspoon baking soda in a cup of warm water and use the solution as a nasal flush. This alleviates the discomfort associated with sinusitis.
Read about effective Home Remedies for Sinusitis. Also know about Home Remedies for Scars.
