Treating Acute Sinusitis

You know that your cold is getting better but suddenly after a few days it seemed to get worse. You experience pain in the face. You have fever, runny nose, and thick yellow or greenish nasal discharge. If you think you have this symptoms you have to consult your physician immediately because you can be suffering from sinusitis.
People often regard weeks of colds and fever as a simple sign of colds. But what people often forget to understand is that this simple case of colds can result to sinusitis. When a person has sinusitis this means that the sinuses are inflamed. The failure of normal mucus transport and reduced sinus ventilation are the major factors contributing to the development of sinusitis. Sinusitis can affect the daily activities of a person. He can miss work and have low quality of output. Sinusitis is also the reason why many students miss school each year. The good news is experts have continuously made research to address this problem and fortunately they have discovered new ways of treating and preventing sinusitis.
Most people who reports symptoms of sinusitis do not need aggressive treatment, hence, they can be cured using home remedies. When you have acute sinusitis treatment can include hydration, nasal wash, decongestants, expectorants and medication for mild pain and fever reduction among others.
Drinking plenty of water can open and hydrate the sinuses. Inhaling steam two to four times a day can also help. If you think that steam is not enough long steamy showers, facial saunas and vaporizers can also be a good idea. A nasal wash can also help remove mucus from the nose. For short term treatment, decongestants may be used. However, they thicken secretions in the nasal passages and reduce the ability to clean-up bacteria.
It is important to understand that the symptoms of common cold and sinusitis are almost the same. Therefore, if the infection persists for less than five to seven days then the sinus problem do not require antibiotic. If, however, the infection does not improve after five to seven days, the infection is likely caused by bacteria and antibiotic can be taken to cure it. Usual treatment for acute sinusitis is ten to fourteen days. If your sinus infection does not improve for quite a while, your doctor can prescribe a treatment of several antibiotics.
Progress in sinusitis treatment over the years has provided hope for sinusitis sufferers. With the advancements in medicine today, sinusitis can be immediately treated before it gets worse. Thus, people should not dismiss a simple case of colds immediately. Anything beyond the usual symptoms of cold should be given proper attention.