How Do You Treat Sinusitis?
Treating your sinusitis depends on how long the symptoms have lasted. You can treat acute sinusitis without prescribed drugs. You can get symptom relief with home remedies and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in 70 percent of cases.
Example of home remedies and medications for symptom relief include:
– OTC corticosteroids
– Steam inhalation
– Decongestant tablets and sprays
– Warm compresses
– Nasal irrigation
– Essential oils
– Rest
Here’s how you can manage some common symptoms of sinusitis.
Congestion
This is one of the most common symptoms and you’ll often need help to relieve the pain from the pressure on your sinuses.
Place a warm towel on your face and forehead as often as you need to. You can also use one of those nose irrigators you can get from the drugstore. The saline rinse will help you clear mucus in your sinuses and bring relief.
You can also use decongestant pills or sprays. Taking OTC medication such as guaifenesin can also help you thin out mucus.
Pain Relief
The pressure from blocked sinuses can cause headaches. Using ibuprofen can help, consider staying hydrated, and get a lot of rest too.
Persistent Symptoms
If after the above treatment your symptoms persist after two weeks, you need to see a doctor. It’s a confirmation that a bacterial infection caused your sinusitis.
The doctor will prescribe antibiotics that you need to take for up to 14 days or according to her instructions. You should stick to the medication. If not, the bacteria might fester and the infection will not be treated completely. Then there’s a likelihood it will happen again.
Surgery
Where chronic sinusitis does not improve with medication, doctors might consider surgery to deal with the underlying cause.
This level of severity might result from polyps or deviated septum, which doctors can repair with surgery.
