Top 5 Causes Of A Sinus Infection

Hello everyone. For this article, I decided to talk a bit about sinus infections and the top 5 causes of them. Sinus infections are fairly common, and many people wonder how to go about getting rid of them. However, the best defense is to know the causes so you can prevent them from happening in the first place. With this list, here is my top 5 causes of a sinus infection.

1. A Viral Infection

Have you had a viral infection recently? This can be a cause of a sinus infection. Viral infections can inflame your sinus lining. This halts your body from completely removing bacteria that gets into your nasal packages. If the bacteria isn't removed, it starts to multiply, and you now have a sinus infection! Getting rid of your viral infections as soon as possible is important in preventing an infection of the sinuses.

2. Allergies

Another major cause of an infection can be allergies. This goes back to the viral infections. Allergies cause you nasal passages to become inflamed, which leads to a buildup in bacteria. If you aren't taking any medicine for your allergies, then you should really be doing so! Talk to a doctor about this!

3. Swimming

This is surprising to some people, but a large amount of time spent in swimming pools can lead to infections. This is because there is chlorine in pools, and chlorine can irritate your sinuses. In fact, a search on the web finds many swimmers who have dealt with frequent infections.

4. Frequent Flying

Are you a frequent flyer? Flying can really mess up your head. The air pressure changes with takeoffs and landings. This can lead to increased pressure build up in your head which can block your sinuses. I actually had this happen to me just last year. Needless to say, I'm not excited to get on another flight.

5. Smoking

If you are a smoker, you may also be more at risk for an infection. This is because the smoke can irritate your sinuses. In addition, smoke can clog your nasal passages, which certainly doesn't help things. It's another reason to quit smoking!

I hope you found this list helpful. Like I said before, knowing the causes of a sinus infection is a great way to fight them. Now that you know the causes of them, you can be well on your way to preventing them. Good luck!

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Some Easy Home Remedies For Sinus Infection Relief

Signs of an infection are if you constantly blow your nose and you just cannot get rid of the blockage. These home remedies for sinus infection may help you. Give them a try to provide relief from the infection, possibly even cure it.

Viral infections and bacterial infections are the two different types. An average cold, or allergies, are a viral type. The mucus being discharged is clear and runny. If the color of the discharge is a green hue or a light yellow, and is very hard to blow out of your nose, it is a bacterial type.

Smelling a chopped onion or chopped garlic may help. Onions produce a pungent and piercing smell that cause your nose to run and your eyes to water. This will help loosen up the mucus and help you blow it all out. After clearing out the discharge, try smelling some garlic.

Garlic is a natural antibiotic. By smelling it, you will be delivering its antibiotic vapors directly to the infection. It also may aid you in getting some of the blockage out. Do one, or both, of these things.

This method tastes pretty terrible and is a little more extreme. Take a hot shower and let the steam loosen up the mucus. Immediately after your shower, dry yourself off and blow your nose. Get all the mucus out that you can. Get one cup of water and stir a tablespoon of salt into it. Snort a little of the salt water into each nostril by holding a spoon full of salt water under your nose. If you are unable to snort it, try tilting your head back and pouring the salt water into each nostril. Keep your head tilted back for a moment and let the salt water do its job. It may take a minute for the salt to penetrate through the blockage.

Salt is an effective bacteria killer, but it does taste pretty gross when poured through your nose and mixed with water. You may want to snort, or pour, the salt water into your nostrils a few times to ensure it is working. Do not worry if it burns a little inside your nose, that is just the salt doing its job. Feeling the burning sensation also means the salt has penetrated through to your mucus membranes, this is good. If you do not like the idea of creating and snorting your own remedy, head over to a drug store. A drug store will have a saline solution that you can do the same exact thing with. The saline solution is the same thing as the salt water.

These simple home remedies for sinus infection may provide you with relief. If you are experiencing pain and pressure from the blockage you may need to see your doctor. If these methods do not work for you, your doctor can prescribe you antibiotics to help your battle with your infection.

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