5 Ways You’re Making Your Sinusitis Worse

Trying to treat chronic sinus inflammation can be frustrating; even more so when you can’t seem to get any relief. Many people don’t realize that small mistakes can keep inflammation around. These mistakes are common but you can easily avoid them if you know what to look for.

Not Staying Hydrated

Water makes up 90% of healthy mucus, which makes it flow. When your sinuses produce extra mucus, there’s not enough water to go around. This leads to mucus becoming thicker and forming blockages. Drinking more water will help thin out mucus and clear out congestion. Inflamed tissue uses water to transport proteins and blood cells. These factors won’t make you feel more thirsty, so it’s important to boost your water intake.

Lack of Sleep

The CDC shows that on average 35% of Americans get less than 7 hours of sleep. Sleep is important for many reasons, but especially so for sinus inflammation. White blood cells repair inflammation, and need sleep to function. Improper sleep increases inflammation throughout the body which overworks the immune system. Getting at least 7 hours of sleep helps the immune system reset and run smoothly. Resting goes beyond sleep, and it’s important to reduce stress in your daily life. Stress causes inflammation, but also high blood pressure and constricted blood vessels. The tiny blood vessels in the sinuses are more susceptible to this pressure. Even a small break can be effective in reducing stress. A study found that as little as 10 minutes of meditation helps lower blood pressure. Another study reported a noticeable reduction in chronic inflammation through meditation. Exercise and changing to a healthier diet bolstered these effects.

Dry Environment

Drinking enough water is one step to making sure your sinuses stay hydrated. Dry air can also dehydrate your sinuses. Using a humidifier will make the air you breathe more hydrating. Running it – at night especially – will help reduce congestion, sore throats, and coughing. Winter months are especially dry, and running the heater dries out the air even more. Humidity will help keep the small blood vessels in the nose moist so they won’t crack and bleed. One of the best ways to hydrate your sinuses and reduce symptoms is using a nasal rinse. Nasal rinses clean out the sinuses with saline. This moisturizes the mucus membranes and removes dried mucus. Clearing out obstructions like dried mucus will help improve airflow and reduce inflammation. If you have an infection it will help remove microbial debris as well so you can heal faster.

Irritants

People who work with chemicals or aerosols know that these can cause irritation. That’s why they use protective equipment to help prevent damage. What people don’t realize is how many irritants are in their usual environment. Things like tobacco smoke, pollution, allergens, and even perfumes can irritate mucous membranes. It’s important to try to remove anything in the air that may trigger irritation. Some people will feel quick relief by using different fragrances or quitting smoking. For allergens and pollutants, the easiest solution is an air purifier. A HEPA rated filter will remove the most problematic particles. They’re rated by the EPA and made to catch 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. Dust, pollen, and pollutants are most penetrating at that size. Allergen avoidance is a good start to reducing allergic response. But, the best solution is therapy targeting the immune response. Allergy immunotherapy mitigates the immune system’s response to allergens over time. As the body gets used to the allergens, symptoms become less severe. It is done either with shots under the skin or drops under the tongue. Both have equal efficacy but have different timelines, with shots working quicker.

Nasal Spray Rebound Inflammation (Nasal Spray Addiction)

Half of sinus inflammation is mucus backing up, the other half is swollen blood vessels. Certain nasal sprays target these blood vessels to reduce inflammation. Unfortunately, using them for more than three days can cause inflammation to recur. Sometimes the recurrent inflammation is worse than the initial inflammation. It’s believed that the blood vessels gain a tolerance to the medicine. Without the medicine working to keep the vessels open, they constrict again. While sometimes called nasal spray addiction, it’s not a true physical addiction. Tolerance of the medicine doesn’t lead to a psychological need for it. Weaning off the medicine is usually enough to treat the inflammation. There are special kits made that dilute the amount of medicine in the spray over time, such as Rhinostat. Steroid nasal sprays don’t cause this same effect since they work differently. They can help reduce symptoms of rebound inflammation as you wean off. Long-Term Solutions The factors mentioned above can be controlled to limit your sinus symptoms. You need to address the root cause of your sinusitis for a more permanent solution. That’s where sinus specialists come in. They will be able to help you identify the source of inflammation and prescribe a treatment plan. Sinusitis is caused by allergies or deep rooted infections. Depending on your case there’s a few options to treat that. As mentioned earlier, allergies can be treated with allergy immunotherapy. Infections can be treated with antibiotics. Deep seated inflammation takes some extra work to treat. Steroids can be prescribed, either as a spray or as oral tablets, to reduce inflammation. For more severe inflammation, your doctor may consider surgical options. Talking to a doctor who specializes in sinusitis will help direct you to getting relief.