How to Treat a Sinus Infection: Our Useful Tips
Sinus infections make you miserable. Whether it’s the facial pressure, the headaches or the nasal congestion, a sinus infection (sinusitis) puts a damper on your everyday life and makes it difficult to concentrate at school or at work.
That’s why we wanted to provide this useful information on how to treat a sinus infection, as well as other useful information such as how you get a sinus infection and whether or not sinus infections are contagious.
Our Useful Tips on How to Treat a Sinus Infection
Most sinus infections are caused by viruses. Therefore, antibiotics will not be useful against a viral sinus infection. Most viral infections have to “run their course,” but in the meantime, we’ve gathered some useful information on how to treat your sinus infection and make you more comfortable.
Use a Warm Compress
When you have an infection, your sinuses aren’t able to drain normally, which means mucus builds up, causing swelling and the facial pain so common in sinus infections. Using a warm compress on your forehead will go a long way toward relieving the discomfort.
Drink Plenty of Fluids
By hydrating yourself, fluids will help thin mucus, which in turn will help your sinuses drain. When you have a sinus infection, you should avoid alcohol, which in many cases may make swelling worse.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep can be challenging when you have a stuffy nose or sinus pain, but rest is vital to give your body a chance to recover.
Use Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medication
For pain, you can use OTC medicines such as ibuprofen. Decongestants and nasal sprays can also help thin mucus. However, there’s an important caveat: do NOT use decongestant nasal sprays for more than three days. If you do, you are at risk of actually making your congestion worse.
If OTC medicine has not helped you, we can prescribe an appropriate prescription medication that will aid your treatment.
Use a Saline Rinse
These rinses can help clear your sinuses and provide relief. However, be sure to follow the instructions carefully; failure to ensure that the saline rinse is properly sterile can result in a more serious infection.
Utilize Allergy Medicines (if Appropriate)
Your sinus infection may be the result of seasonal allergies. If so, we can provide comprehensive allergy treatment to help you. In certain cases, immunotherapy or “allergy shots” can also be an appropriate long-term solution.
Use a Humidifier
This can help ease your sinus passages, so it may help to use one in areas where you sleep or spend a lot of time. Be sure to keep your humidifier clean and use it only as instructed.
How Do You Get a Sinus Infection?
There are several ways you can develop a sinus infection. An infection occurs whenever built-up fluid fills your sinuses, setting the stage for germs to grow.
Most sinus infections are caused by viruses, and therefore, are contagious, so you could easily catch one from someone else. (We’ll examine this subject in greater detail below).
You’re also more likely to develop sinus infections if:
- You have seasonal allergies
- You’ve had a cold
- You smoke (or you’ve been exposed to secondhand smoke)
- You have a structural problem with your nose
- You have a weakened immune system
Is a Sinus Infection Contagious?
A sinus infection is caused by either bacteria, fungi or viruses. A bacterial or fungal sinus infection is not contagious. However, if your sinus infection is caused by a virus—as most are—then your sinus infection is contagious.
Remember, antibiotics won’t work on viral sinus infections. Overuse of antibiotics have led to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, so it’s important not to use antibiotics unless it is absolutely necessary.
When Should You Schedule an Appointment?
Most sinus infections can be easily managed at home. However, there are instances when you should schedule an appointment with our internal medicine physicians in Raleigh. These include situations where:
- Your symptoms improve but then get steadily worse
- You have severe headaches or facial pain
- The symptoms have lasted for more than 10 days with no improvement
- You have a fever that has lasted for more than three to four days
It’s also appropriate to schedule an appointment if you’ve had chronic sinus infections. Typically, chronic sinusitis is caused by allergies, and we can provide effective, long-term allergy treatment that can reduce your chances of developing sinus infections in the future.
Important Information About Sinus Infections and COVID-19
Sinus infections and COVID-19 share some of the same symptoms. These include headaches, fatigue, stuffiness and loss of smell. The only way to determine for certain if you have COVID-19 or a sinus infection is to be tested for COVID, especially if you have previously been exposed to someone who has had COVID.
Raleigh Adult Medicine Has The Sinus Infection Treatment You Need
While sinus infections generally have to run their course, they can be indicative of a deeper problem, such as chronic or seasonal allergies. Often, by addressing the underlying cause of these sinus infections, we’re able to tailor a treatment plan for you that will eliminate the sneezing, sniffling and facial pain of sinusitis.
Ready to get started? See for yourself why our compassionate, experienced internal medicine doctors in Raleigh have made us the provider of choice for Raleigh and the Triangle area. Contact us to schedule an appointment today.
For more than 20 years, Raleigh Adult Medicine has served as the Triangle area’s premier internal medicine provider. We tailor our treatments to provide the finest personalized health care available for each stage of your adult life. Contact us to schedule an appointment.
