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Sinusitis Preventions
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Preventing sinusitis and sinus infections might be hard to achieve, if not an impossible objective, but there may be ways to reduce the frequency and severity of a sinus attack and possibly prevent it from becoming chronic sinusitis.
Inflammation in the nose is caused by allergies which predisposes a patient to having strong reactions to all irritants.
Since there is no practical way of eliminating sinusitis, it is always beneficial to treat the causes of sinusitis rather than trying to recover from a severe attack. Here are measures to prevent a sinus disorder and allergies -
- Treating allergies and colds - Inflammation in the nose caused by allergies and colds predisposes a patient to having a strong reaction to all irritants.
- Moisten the air in your home - Your sinuses drain better when air is moist. Humidifiers can better increase moisture in the air of your home. Air conditioners are also good way of stabilizing the temperature in either high or low weather.
- Filters - Electrostatic filters attached to heating and air conditioning equipment are helpful in removing allergens from the air.
- Avoid pollution - Exposure to polluted environments and contaminated air may irritate the nasal passages and aggravate your sinusitis. Chemicals and strong fumes may irritate your sinus linings.
- Eliminate smoking habits - Tobacco and smog are famous for causing irritation of the sinus lining which causes bad drainage of mucus, as well as causing your sinus to become congest.
- Eliminate alcohol consumption - It is amazing how even casual consumption of alcohol can cause nasal and sinus membranes to swell, exposing them to irritation and infection. Often beer is the offending drink.
- Reduce air travel - Air travel may cause a problem for an individual suffering from acute or chronic sinusitis. A bubble of air trapped within the body expands as the air pressure in a plane reduces. This expansion causes pressure on the surrounding tissues and can result in the blockage of the Eustachian tubes (tube connecting ear to pharynx). The result may lead to a discomfort in the sinuses or in the middle ear during the plane's ascent or descent. Doctors recommend using decongestant nose drops or inhalers before the flight to avoid this discomfort.
- Drink lots of water - Water increases the amount of moisture in the body and helps to prevent congestion. It also helps to thin the mucus for proper drainage.
- Avoid swimming - Sinusitis-prone people may be uncomfortable in a chlorine treated swimming pool as it irritates the lining of the nose and sinuses.
- Refrain from diving - Divers often experience congestion which results in a sinus infection, where water is forced into the sinuses from the nasal passages.
- Good hygiene - Bacterial and viral infections are the most common causes of sinusitis, therefore the risk of getting them needs to be reduced by carefully monitoring your hygiene, such as frequent hand wash with soap and water.
- Minimize consumption of dairy products - An excessive consumption of dairy products may thicken your mucus and cause your nasal passages to narrow down which results in pain and headaches.
- Take many hot showers and inhale steam - This will loosen your mucus and moisten your throat, enabling proper drainage of the nasal cavities.
- Avoid temperature extremes - Very high and low, or sudden changes in temperature will increase sinus pain.
- Get an influenza vaccine each year - This is the quickest way of treating colds and flu, if they are left untreated, it may lead to sinusitis.
- Wash your hands frequently, particularly after shaking hands with others -
Everything that surrounds us is covered with germs, so it's very important that you wash your hands all the time. When most people sneeze, they use their hands to cover their nose and mouth, which they don't wash afterwards.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables - You must eat fruit and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants and other chemicals that could boost your immune system and help your body resist infection.
- Reduce stress - Even though some of us don't notice it, stress makes our sinusitis symptoms worse. If you've had sinusitis in the past, stress can trigger it or make it worse.
- Natural Herbal Medicines - Use natural herbal and homeopathic medicines, vitamin supplements etc. as preventatives.
Here is some Additional information on sinusitis prevention:
Is Humming Good for Sinusitis?
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According to a study in Sweden, humming "may reduce the risk of sinusitis". It was found that humming allows people to exhale significantly more air from their nasal passages than during normal exhalations, an advantage that could lower the risk of sinus infections. I know this may sound crazy and bizarre, read below for a brief script form the study...
Here is a brief Communication script from the study:
Humming greatly increases nasal nitric oxide. The paranasal sinuses are major producers of nitric oxide (NO). We hypothesized that oscillating airflow produced by humming would enhance sinus ventilation thereby increasing nasal (NO) levels. Ten healthy subjects took part in the study. Nasal (NO) was measured with a chemiluminescence technique during humming and quiet single-breath exhalations at a fixed flow rate. (NO) increased 15-fold during humming compared with quiet exhalation. In a two-compartment model of the nose and sinus, oscillating airflow caused a dramatic increase in gas exchange between the cavities. Obstruction of the sinus ostium is a central event in the pathogenesis of sinusitis. Nasal (NO) measurements during humming may be a useful noninvasive test of sinus (NO) production and ostial patency. In addition, any therapeutic effects of the improved sinus ventilation caused by humming should be investigated." Nitric oxide is a potent dilator and will bring more blood and immune cells to either fight off infection or modulate hyperactive immune cells.
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