Saturday, August 29, 2009

Sinusitis

Sinusitis is a common problem caused by acute or chronic inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. The paranasal sinuses are aerated cavities in the bones of the face that develop from the nasal cavity and maintain communication with it. The main sinuses are the maxillary, the frontal, the ethmoid, and the sphenoid sinuses. Maxillary sinusitis is the most common type of sinusitis. The ethmoid, frontal and sphenoid sinuses are affected less frequently.

Symptoms and Signs

The symptoms of sinusitis include:

  • Pain or pressure in the forehead, cheeks, nose and between the eyes
  • Headache
  • Fever
  • Nasal congestion
  • Reduced sense of smell and taste
  • Cough, which may be worse at night
  • Bad breath (called halitosis)
  • An ache in the teeth
The location of your sinus pain depends on which sinus is affected.

Do's and Don't for Sinusitis

Following are some of the simple tips for sinusitis:

- Include green vegetables, fruits, cereals, salads, etc in your diet.

- Eat raw garlic and onions in good amount. It will open the nasal congestion and helps in curing sinusitis.

- Eat healthy and nutritional foods to keep body and mind healthy.

- Drink at least 8-10 glasses and fruit juice.

- Take ginger, cinnamon tea with little sugar and milk. This is very effective in opening nasal congestion.

- Eat fresh juicy fruits like oranges, and other Vitamin C-rich fruits. Freshly prepared orange juice or sweet grape juice both works very well in curing sinusitis.

- Do not eat junk and oily foods, chocolates, sweets, etc.

- Take water vapor; this will loosen and helps in easy discharge of mucus.

- Add a pinch of salt lukewarm water and gargle 2-3 times a day.

- Don’t take milk or any kind of milk product. They will cause congestion and breathing problem.