Treatment Of Sinusitis: Guidelines To Follow
In the treatment of sinusitis, it is vital to comply with the dosage and not abuse nasal decongestants and strictly follow medical recommendations.
This time, we will tell you a little about sinusitis treatment. This is about inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. There are different types of sinusitis depending on its duration and its severity.
Despite this, it is a very common pathology that affects a large part of the population. Some of the risk factors that influence its appearance are the following:
- Contact with contaminated water
- Allergic rhinitis
- To smoke
- Immunological alterations, which predispose the body to suffer these pathologies
- Cystic fibrosis
- Nasal polyps
- Previous respiratory infections
In most cases it is related to infections. Among these, those caused by viruses stand out, with bacterial infections of a minority nature.
What is sinusitis?
Sinusitis consists of inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. There are numerous causes that can lead to its appearance. Among them we can highlight the obstruction of the paranasal sinuses, infections and allergies.
The paranasal sinuses are cavities covered with mucosa. These are responsible for filtering and moistening the air that enters through the nose. In this way they prevent the entry of microorganisms.
Among the symptoms that characterize this pathology we have pain, bad breath, nasal congestion or headaches. Loss of smell, swollen eyes, greenish mucus and fever also usually appear, which denotes its infectious nature.
It is a fairly common health problem that can affect any of the paranasal sinuses.
Approach and treatment of sinusitis
Typically, sinusitis treatment focuses on improving sinus drainage. Thus, it seeks to eliminate the infection. In this sense, some of the non-pharmacological measures that are carried out are the following:
- Vapors and steam inhalations.
- Application of hot cloths on the breasts.
- Drink hot liquids to reduce inflammation and improve drainage.
- Nasal washes with saline irrigators or sprays.
- Sleeping with your head raised.
Likewise, pharmacological sprays containing decongestant active ingredients can be used . Such as phenylephrine or oxymetazoline. These drugs help decongest the upper parts of the nose, reducing inflammation of the sinuses.
However, it is very important not to overuse these drugs. Well, rebound effect may appear later. In this way, the congestion could be aggravated, complicating the resolution of the sinusitis.
Analgesics such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, oral decongestants, and inhalers with corticosteroids are also sometimes used. These relieve symptoms but take a little longer to work. Among the latter we can highlight fluticasone, budesonide, mometasone or beclomethasone.
Use of antibiotics in the treatment of sinusitis
- Acute sinusitis. The patient has had a high fever and pain for more than 3 days. Then we proceed to the administration of antibiotics. Within these, amoxicillin / clavulanic acid or doxycycline, among others, are usually used. It usually lasts 1 to 3 weeks.
- Chronic sinusitis. The same antibiotics are taken but for a longer period of time. This usually oscillates around 4 and 6 weeks.
In any case, it is very important to take all doses of the antibiotic, regardless of the improvement achieved. Otherwise, relapses and worsening may appear, compromising the initial effectiveness of the treatment.
Finally, in the case of those that antibiotics are not effective, the last option is to carry out a surgical intervention. Through this, an attempt will be made to improve the drainage of the paranasal sinuses, facilitating their decongestion.
