Figuring out what’s causing your runny nose can be confusing. Colds, flu, allergies, and sinusitis all have similar symptoms — stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, sore throat, facial pressure and fatigue occur in all the above. Only a doctor can say for sure which condition you have and if you have a sinus infection, you feel stuffed-up and tired, your face is tender and swollen and headache pain and pressure increase when you bend over with accumulation of yellow-green mucus . With a simple cold, the mucus is generally clear.
Researches indicate that breathing smoke or fumes can trigger a bout with sinusitis even if your sinuses are healthy. But if your membranes are already weakened by pollution, you are even more likely to get infections. This chronic irritation to nasal passages might lead to nasal allergies, a major cause of sinusitis. Fungi is another prime cause of sinus problem but it is also caused by taking a lot of antibiotics that can destroy the good bacteria, making the way clear for an overgrowth of fungi. The body reacts to this imbalance by sending white blood cells to the nose and sinuses to combat the problem and these results in inflammation, increased swelling of the mucous membrane and sinusitis.
Nutrition and Dietary Supplements for Sinus
This supplement possesses antioxidant effects along with mucolytic properties. Mucolytics are simple compounds that are found naturally which help in thinning out the accumulated mucus in the sinuses. Hence, patients with sinusitis can take this supplement to bring back the normal levels of mucus and respiratory system for faster healing.
In addition to this, this dietary amino acid enhances lung functioning as well as liver functioning. However, people suffering from asthma along with sinusitis should properly discuss the probable side effects that can occur after taking this supplement.
Use healing herbs.
A variety of herbs and supplements can ease congestion, combat allergies, fight respiratory infections, and help you breathe easier. Butterbur, a shrub that grows in Europe and North America, has been used for hundreds of years in traditional medicine to treat cough, asthma, and breathing difficulties, and it’s been shown in studies to ease allergic rhinitis and other respiratory issues. Look for tinctures and capsules standardized for petasin and isopetasin, and choose a formula certified and labeled “PA-free,” meaning it doesn’t contain liver-harming pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs).
Additionally, medicinal mushrooms, can help promote healthy respiratory and lung function. And eucalyptus contains myrtol and cineole, compounds that have been shown to treat sinusitis and bronchitis; look for it in combination formulas with other respiratory herbs such as grindelia, dong quai, skullcap, mullein, ginger, peppermint, and wild cherry bark. Or make your own breathe-easy beverage: combine fenugreek, hyssop, juniper, and licorice, and sip as a soothing tea.
What is sinusitis?
Under normal conditions, the sinus cavities are sterile, while the nasal passages are teeming with bacteria. However, if the sinuses become infected due to allergies, environmental factors such as pollutants, or certain medical conditions, sinusitis can set in. 1–2 Acute sinusitis occurs when the sinuses have been infected for four weeks without improvement in symptoms. Frequent bouts of sinusitis or one attack that lasts three months or longer is considered to be chronic sinusitis.
Common symptoms of a bacterial sinus infection include:
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is essential to proper function of the immune system which protects your body from getting infections and helps your body to fight infections. As an antioxidant, vitamin C helps guard our cells from free radicals found in things that commonly contribute to sinus infections like air pollution and cigarette smoke. If taken as a supplement, make sure to avoid drinking caffeine around the same time because the caffeine interferes with the absorption of vitamin C.
Garlic is well known for being a natural antibiotic. Since colds often lead to a sinus infection, garlic is an awesome way to naturally treat a sinus infection and even prevent it in the first place. For general health promotion for adults, the World Health Organization recommends a daily dose of two to five grams (about one clove) of fresh garlic, 0.4 to 1.2 grams of dried garlic powder, two to five milligrams of garlic oil, 300 to 1,000 milligrams of garlic extract, or other formulations that are equal to two to five milligrams of allicin.