Many people ask the question of how do I keep from getting sinus infections – most people do not just get once as a rare occurrence but instead find that they get them frequently – constantly living day to day in a fog and with head congestion that leads to headaches and later possibly even a bacterial infection that requires antibiotics.
First, it helps to understand how sinus infections happen. Identifying the causes of sinus infections can greatly help you learn what lifestyle changes as well as what best practices can help in treating them to make sure they go away. For most people a sinus infection occurs when too much mucous gets stuck in the sinus cavities. You sinuses are pretty much just hollow spaces in your head, and so when mucous gets trapped there it can cause a lot of pain and pressure. Although most sinus infections are caused by viruses, sometimes these infections can turn into a bacterial problem, which requires a visit to your doctor for antibiotics before more serious complications occur.
If you’ve been suffering from sinus problems and congestion non stop and it seems like you never get better, there’s a number of things you can do:
1. Use Natural Remedies to treat the Congestion: Most antibiotics actually make sinus infections worse, especially if it is not bacterial in nature. Doctors should do a simple swab of your nose to find out if your infection is caused by a virus or bacteria before prescribing antibiotics. Using antibiotics is only necessary if the infection is indeed bacterial – if it’s not, then the antibiotics only provide temporary relief by drying out your mucous and you’re going to keep getting the same problems over and over again. See Here for the Best Natural Remedies.
2. Eliminate Allergy Triggers: Chronic allergies can also lead to a lot of sinus problems. Many people do not even realize what they are allergic to, especially food allergies that can cause constant runny nose or watery eyes. Seeing an allergist can be a great step in the right direction to determine if you do indeed have allergies that could be putting you at greater risk for sinus infection problems. Making changes so your home is dust free, avoiding foods that you may be allergic to, and others are all steps in the right direction.
3. Use a Nasal Rinse: Many people have found a lot of success with regularly rinsing out their sinuses and nasal passages using a painless procedure that can easily be done at home. This helps prevent too much mucous from being trapped and can often help with preventing infections from recurring over and over again.
4. Boost Your Immunity: Your immune system is what will help prevent you from getting sick and catching every cold or flu virus out there that leads to sinus infections. There are a number of foods that boost your immune system to eat as well as different supplements you can take. Generally you want lots of antioxidants (found in mostly fruits and veggies) as well as many others.
5. Wash Your Hands: Hand washing to a near obsessive compulsive level can be a big help in keeping flu and cold viruses away. You can also use hand sanitizer. You should always wash your hands for about 15-20 seconds especially after using the restroom, before preparing food, after cleaning, etc. Getting in the habit of washing your hands at least 6-8 times a day depending on your activities can greatly help reduce the spread of germs that keep making everybody sick.
6. Clean the House: A clean house is also important in keeping germs away. Wash sheets, blankets, get new pillows, wash sinks, tubs, clear away dust, etc. etc. Using an all natural disinfectant spray may or may not help, but it won’t likely hurt.
7. Rule Out Underlying Causes: Let’s say you try all of the natural sinus remedies, are taking supplements to help boost your immunity, eat a really healthy diet, exercise, have a sparkling clean house, and the allergist couldn’t find anything wrong with you but you’re still getting sinus infections…well, then you may have something else causing your problems and you’re going to have to be a bit of a detective to figure out what that is exactly. Most of you will likely feel better after steps 1-3 – but sometimes no matter what you do you can’t seem to figure out the cause. The only thing you can do in this case is to find a doctor who is not just going to prescribe you drugs but actually have several tests done to determine what could be causing your problems.
You don’t have to suffer with sinus problems for the rest of your life – even if it does seem that way. There are things you can do that will start making a difference. What are you waiting for?
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