Vitamins and Supplements

Sinusitis

Introduction.

Sinuses – not just in your nose!

The sinus cavities are a vital to you as they produce a mucous which lubricates the respiratory system and helps to keep it free from debris that is inevitably breathed in. If your sinuses become inflamed and/or blocked then they are unable to maintain the flow of mucous resulting in painful and uncomfortable symptoms – which is commonly referred to as sinusitis. However, help is at hand to alleviate the symptoms of sinusitis, if not to relieve them entirely, from a range of health supplements.

What is sinusitis.

Sinusitis can give you the urge to massage your nose.

So, sinusitis arises when the sinus cavities are prevented from releasing mucous. You actually have four pairs of bones at the front of the skull and around the area of your nose that comprise the sinus cavities. They are: either side of the nose, above the eyes, behind the cheekbones and behind the bridge of the nose. All four pairs have a membrane lining that secretes the mucous which passes through tiny holes in the sinuses to clear away debris from the respiratory tracts. This debris is mainly in the form of pollen, dust and even germs. The mucous collects up all this debris which is then automatically swallowed and is then dealt with by the stomach, whose acids can readily deal with it. All of this happens on a 24/7 basis and we’re never even aware of it – until something goes wrong with the sinuses! A major problem here is if the sinuses become inflamed or irritated they will produce a thicker mucous that is more difficult to pass through the tiny holes through which it is secreted. The result of this is that we become “blocked up” and develop headaches, the nasal area can feel full and, in some cases, the mucous finds its way into the nasal cavity where it can become a breeding ground for germs.

Causes and symptoms of sinusitis.

Sinusitis can be quite debilitating.

Sinusitis can be a result of a physiological problem such as a malformed nose, septum or as a result of nasal polyps. However, for most people sinusitis will be related to the onset of another illness such as any respiratory infection, influenza or even the common cold. Sinusitis can also arise in allergy sufferers or those exposed to excessive smoke/exhaust fumes in their work. Needless to say smoking tobacco will irritate the sinuses too. We’ve already mentioned headaches, especially behind the eyes, and feeling blocked up as being symptoms of sinusitis. Sinusitis sufferers can also experience pain on bending the head forward and experience toothache, as a referred pain. Sinusitis will also often lead you to feel the urge to massage your nose, in the hope of relieving pain and/or helping to unblock the passageways. If you should experience severe pain accompanied with redness and bulging in the eyes, or even paralysis in the eyes, you may be suffering from orbital collitis – requiring immediate medical treatment.

Supplements to help with sinusitis.

Inhaling can help to temporarily relieve sinusitis

If sinusitis is caused by a bacterial infection then you will need to obtain the appropriate antibiotics to cure the infection or, if sinusitis is a recurring problem for you, you should visit your physician to establish exactly why you are so susceptible to sinusitis and what options are open to you in treating the condition. However, if you are only occasionally, or rarely, bothered by sinusitis then there are a range of health supplements that will help to treat and alleviate the symptoms. Otherwise, maintaining a good balance of essential vitamins and minerals is vital for maintaining a healthy body, so taking a daily combined multivitamin and mineral supplement capable of delivering your recommended daily allowances of vitamins and minerals is to be recommended. In particular here you should take vitamin C with flavonoids, these two health supplements not only help to protect your body against germs by strengthening your immune system – but will also minimize the work of inflammatory histamines, which you body produces to deal with allergens. The risk of inflammation can also be reduced by increasing your intake of Omega-3 fats by taking a daily dose of a fish oil or flaxseed oil health supplement. Finally, there are several health supplements that can help to boost your immune system that you should also consider taking these are echinacea, astralagus, cat’s claw (reishi) and maitake mushrooms.

Other helps for sinusitis sufferers.

Chronic Sinusitis can be helped with balloon Sinuplasty.

Inhaling a eucalyptus scented vapor can often help to alleviate sinusitis congestion, just add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to a bowl of steaming hot water. With a towel over your head and enclosing the bowl breath in the vapor for 5 to 10 minutes. Some people find placing a warm/mildly hot compress over their nasal area to help open up the sinuses. Finally, for those with chronic sinusitis a surgical procedure called sinuplasty can be performed, during which the sinus passageways are opened up by inflating a balloon inside them.