One of several fun genetic traits I’ve inherited is sinus problems. I grew-up with many ear infection related problems, and still to this day have frequent sinus problems and allergies. My mom has actually had one of the sinus surgeries performed to help with sinus problems, and I think I’m getting closer and closer to going down that path myself as my occurance of getting sinus infections is ever increasing.
Given my high frequency of sinus infections, I’ve personally found a pretty good regiment for handling the various symptoms associated with them. I’m not a doctor by any means, so you might want to run this by your doctor for your particular case. Anyhow, here’s what I use to manage the symptoms of short term sinus infections:
- Sudafed 24 Hour - You’ll probably have to ask your pharmacist for them since they are usually behind the counter, but they do actually last 23-24 hours. Helps keep your sinuses from getting too congested, and I have never noticed them making me drowsy. You’ll want to read all of the precautions as this medication is not for everyone, and may even keep you up.
- Ibuprofen - Ibuprofen works well any time you need to reduce swelling and pain. This helps calm down irritated sinuses, and also keeps your sore throat at bay. If you use a decongestant other than the aforementioned Sudafed 24 Hour, make sure it doesn’t already provide ibuprofen as many do.
- Lots of hot tea - Keeping hydrated is important to make sure the mucus stays thin and doesn’t keep building-up in your sinuses. Hot liquids are supposed to be the best thing for this purpose, and I’ve read that you should avoid cold things (ice cream, chilled beverages, etc). It will also make your sinus infection worse if you don’t keep hydrated, so if you don’t like hot tea, be sure to drink plenty of water or other liquid, and consume liquid-rich food items like soup which are low in sodium and don’t contain MSG.
As always, your mileage may vary, but I thought I’d post what seems to work well for me. Keep in mind this will only help with symptoms– you need to manage a sinus infection with your doctor with antibiotics and other similar treatments to actually end the infection.
Do you have any other suggestions on how to keep the symptoms from a sinus infection at bay?