Treatment of sinusitis at home

Maxillary sinusitis is a serious and unpleasant disease that causes many inconveniences. In addition to unpleasant symptoms and the danger of complications, he breaks all plans of a person, forcing him to go to the hospital for help. Often, a person does not spend a lot of time in medical institutions, so it is important to know how to treat sinusitis at home quickly and effectively.

Varieties of sinusitis, symptoms and causes of its appearance

To organize high-quality treatment of sinusitis at home without a puncture, it is necessary to identify it at an early stage. It is possible to recognize sinusitis by having information about its characteristic symptoms, among which are the following:

abundant liquid discharge from the nose, on the 2nd-3rd day, acquire a greenish or yellowish tint and become thicker;
nasal congestion on one side (can be alternating) or bilateral, nasal breathing is very difficult;
soreness and oppressive feeling in the area of the affected sinus, headache that increases with head tilts and sudden movements;
weakness, chills, weakness, temperature rise above 38 degrees;
swelling of the cheeks over the diseased accessory cavity;
nasal voice.

If such signs appear, then you need to urgently contact an otolaryngologist who will establish an accurate diagnosis and advise how to cure sinusitis at home and what needs to be done first.

Viruses and bacteria are the most common causes of maxillary sinusitis, but there are other factors as well. Depending on them, the following types of diseases are distinguished:

Viral. It develops from ARVI and is a mild form that can be treated at home with antiviral agents and vasoconstrictor drops. With an early start of therapy, complications occur in 1-2% of cases.
Bacterial. The reason is pathogenic bacteria that have penetrated from the outside or reside permanently in the body. They provoke purulent processes and severe tissue inflammation.
Allergic. It is the result of swelling of the mucous membranes as a result of exposure to an allergen. Often occurs during the flowering season, when pollen begins to fly through the streets.
Fungal. The reproduction of certain types of mushrooms in the sinuses leads to the development of a difficult-to-treat form of the disease. With a fungal pathogen, it is most likely that it will not be possible to cure sinusitis at home without a puncture.
Traumatic. Due to damage to the facial bones and the walls of the accessory pockets, blood can accumulate in them, to which infections join over time.
Odontogenic. The reason is bad teeth of the upper jaw or their unsuccessful filling. It is necessary to get rid of it not only at the otolaryngologist, but also at the dentist.

With sinusitis, treatment at home can be carried out in various ways: with medicines, rinsing, folk methods. However, their effectiveness and safety in each specific case must be determined by the attending physician.

Drug therapy

In the hospital, sinusitis is treated only in the most advanced and severe cases, as well as when a radical operation is needed. In more than 90% of cases, sinusitis is treated at home. The doctor prescribes the necessary medications and tells how and what to do. The patient follows the instructions, and from time to time comes to the department for examination.

The most important point is the correct selection of antibiotics, which, in the case of a bacterial and purulent form of the disease, are the main element of therapy. Depending on the identified pathogen, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics for a wide range of effects on microorganisms or aimed at their specific species, determined using bacterial analysis.

Treatment of sinusitis in adults at home is carried out using several types of antibiotics:

Penicillins (Flemoxin solutab, Amoxicillin, Amoxiclav). They are widely used and are active against microbes, but their uncontrolled use gradually leads to an increase in bacteria resistance to them.
Macrolides (Clarithromycin, Macropen, Azithromycin) are an effective remedy for the chronic form of the disease. They can be taken in small doses for several months without serious consequences for the body.
Cephalosporins (Ceftriaxone, Cefalexim, Cefixime) have proven themselves well in otolaryngology. They are often given by injection.
Fluoroquinolones (Ciprofloxacin, Ofloxacin) have a strong therapeutic effect against resistant pathogens and their combinations.

However, home treatment with antibiotics does not mean self-activity. The regimen prescribed by the doctor should be maintained for at least 7-10 days. This guarantees the destruction of pathogens, prevents the development of their resistance and makes it possible to treat sinusitis at home without a puncture.

In addition to taking antibiotics, it is necessary to reduce the swelling of the tissues in the nose and connective canals in order to ensure aero exchange and drainage of the accessory pockets. Medicines of two types come to the rescue here:

Antihistamines systemic drugs that will help both relieve swelling and suppress allergens that affect the body. The dosage for an adult is 1 tablet per day. The child is prescribed syrup depending on his age or body weight. It is best to use antihistamines of the latest generations with a minimum number of side effects (Zyrtec, Claritin, Laura Hexal). Older drugs (Suprastin, Tavegil, Diazolin) have a sedative effect and cause lethargy.
Vasoconstrictors in the form of drops and sprays. By reducing the diameter of the capillaries, they temporarily reduce the volume of tissues and allow breathing through the nose. However, such treatment cannot last too long, a maximum of 10 days. Otherwise, the formation of addiction to the active substance, as well as nosebleeds, is possible.

The pain with sinusitis, like the inflammatory process, is relieved by analgesic pills or suspensions. Paracetamol, Aspirin or Ibuprofen are suitable for these purposes. All of them have certain warnings for use (children, pregnancy, etc.), the doctor will tell you how to use them correctly.

You can thin mucus with herbal drops and tablets such as Sinupret or Cinnabsin. ACC or Bromhexidine will also be helpful. Drinking plenty of warm vitamin fluids will help improve nasal secretion.

Folk recipes for dealing with sinusitis

Thinking about how to cure sinusitis at home quickly and permanently, one cannot discount the methods of treatment of alternative medicine. In combination with pharmacological drugs, they help to quickly eliminate unpleasant symptoms and speed up recovery. You can cure sinusitis by applying a variety of compresses, ointments, rinsing, nose drops, inhalation, massage.

Steam inhalation helps to reduce inflammation, warm up the sinuses, and thin the mucous deposits. This method is very simple and accessible to everyone. Here are the most famous recipes:

Propolis. In a saucepan, the water is heated to a boil. After that, 10% alcoholic tincture of bee glue is added to it at the rate of 1 teaspoon per 0.5 l of liquid. You need to bend over the container, cover your head with a thin towel and breathe deeply for about 10 minutes. Repeat every day for a week. Treatment of sinusitis with propolis at home is generally a universal method, in addition to inhalations, drops, ointments, and applications are also made.
Bay leaf.20-30 leaves are boiled in boiling water for several minutes and infused for an hour under the lid. Inhale as usual.
Medicinal herbs. Their choice is very rich. You can brew separately sage, celandine, chamomile, oak bark, calendula, St. John's wort, mint. If you wish, you can make a collection of them. Dry herb or a mixture of herbs in the amount of 2 tablespoons is poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water and cooked for several minutes.
Potato. Several tubers with unpeeled peels are cooked until tender. Then the water is poured out and the potatoes are kneaded a little for better steam release.

Steam inhalation is dangerous to do with sinusitis in a purulent form, since heating will lead to an increase in the volume of mucus in the sinus. At the same time, nebulizers are becoming more and more popular - special devices that mechanically or ultrasound create a thin suspension of various drugs and deliver it to the infected organ. A nebulizer can treat various types of disease.

The warming effect in the early stages of the disease can prevent bacteria from adhering and the appearance of pus. A simple rule is that so that you do not have to take a lot of medications, it is enough to warm up the sinuses with dry heat as soon as possible at the first appearance of snot:

An egg. A chicken egg is hard-boiled, then wrapped in a thin cotton or linen napkin and applied to the cheek on the side of the nose. For best results, it is recommended to use two eggs at the same time.
Salt. 100 g of coarse rock salt is heated in a dry frying pan, then poured into a bag or old sock and placed on top of the sinuses until it cools.
With a blue lamp. The use of Minin's reflector leads to tissue heating, which improves blood microcirculation in the accessory chambers, enhances the body's immune response.

It is also possible to influence the mucous membranes using gauze turundas or cotton swabs soaked in medicinal substances inserted into the nostrils (Levomekol, Vishnevsky's ointment, Chlorophyllipt oil solution). There is a known recipe for getting rid of sinusitis: 1 ampoule of Hydrocortisone, 2-3 ml of Naphthyzin, 10 ml of Ektericide are mixed. A cotton swab moistened with the mixture is inserted into the nasal passage for 15 minutes.

When deciding how to treat sinusitis at home, it is worth using proven recipes for homemade ointments and lotions. They can be prepared on a different basis:

Laundry soap. In a water bath, 20 g of 72% natural laundry soap without fragrances and dyes is melted, the same amount of freshly squeezed black radish and onion juices is poured into the same. Gauze flagella soaked in emulsion are inserted into the nostrils for half an hour. You need to be careful with radish, as too much of it can irritate the epithelium.
With soda. Sea buckthorn oil and sodium bicarbonate are brought together (1 teaspoon each). Turundas are injected deep into the nasal passages for an hour, but you can shorten the procedure with strong pinching. This method promotes strong mucus secretion.
With propolis. First, vegetable and sea buckthorn oil are mixed in a 1: 1 ratio and heated to 38-40 degrees, after which a piece of propolis the size of a large pea is added and stirred until it is completely dissolved. After cooling down, an application is made on a cotton swab for 10-12 minutes.
With honey. Mix slightly warmed honey with red beet juice in a 1: 3 ratio. Turundas are placed in both nostrils at once, the patient should be in the supine position.

If you treat sinusitis at home on your own, then you need to remember that some people may experience allergic reactions or individual intolerance to bee products and medicinal herbs.

Washing the nose at home

Many experts argue that the answer to the question of how to quickly cure sinusitis lies in the regular and timely cleansing of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity from infected mucus. Moreover, if you start doing this at the start of the disease, then you can completely recover without a puncture.

The washing procedure is simple and effective. Thanks to it, you can soften the crusts that have dried up in the passages and remove them without damaging the epithelial cells, as well as liquefy and evacuate thick mucous accumulations. At home, flow-through rinsing is mainly carried out, in which fluid is pumped into one nostril and naturally flows out of the other. To do this, you first need to drip your nose with a vasoconstrictor and blow your nose. Irrigation is done with a syringe, a jala-neti teapot, a small medical bulb or various irrigation devices sold with solutions (such as Aqua Maris or Dolphin).

As a rinse liquid, there can be:

Saline solution. It is a 0.9% saline solution, similar in composition to human blood. It is sold in drugstore chains or is prepared at home from a glass of water and half a teaspoon of rock salt. Iodine (2-3 drops) or potassium permanganate (a couple of crystals) can be added to the finished solution for antimicrobial effect.
Furacilin. To prepare a solution, it is enough to dissolve a furacilin tablet in 0.2 liters of boiled water. Irrigate 4 times daily throughout the week.
Decoctions of medicinal herbs. The most effective are celandine and chamomile, which are natural antiseptics and have anti-inflammatory effects.

It is possible to quickly cure sinusitis at home, provided that you immediately consult a doctor at the first symptoms of the disease and the timely start of complex treatment.