When Your Cold is More Than Just a Cold

Sometimes you may think that you only have a simple cold. But oftentimes symptoms of your cold begin to worsen and persist for weeks and pain is felt in the sinus region. If the cold is left untreated, excessive mucus may drip down to the back of the throat or in the sinus cavities that can result to a sinus infection. People often confuse cold with acute sinusitis as their symptoms are too similar. You often think that you only have a cold until the symptoms worsen and that’s when you decide to seek medical advice.

Your cold is sinus related if your condition is characterized by runny nose, cough, nasal congestion, mild headaches, post nasal drip, fever, swelling around the nose, eyes and cheeks, fatigue and sore throat. Sinus attack also includes pain and swelling in the throat, itchiness in the nose and pain and swelling on one or both sides of the nose. Sinus headaches are usually felt in the forehead and in the face just below the eyes. If you are greeted with headaches in the morning, it could be a typical symptom of sinusitis. Do you feel pain when your forehead over the frontal sinuses is touched? This could indicate that your frontal sinuses are inflamed.

Note that symptoms of sinusitis in children are less explicit. They may experience common cold for more than ten days. And this could give them a sick appearance with high fever and discolored discharge from the nose.

There are several home remedies for sinusitis that you can use to avoid the sinus infection from getting serious. You can use spicy foods such as garlic and onion. Small mild doses would be taken at first and increasing them gradually. Carrot juice has also been found beneficial in treating sinusitis. This juice can be taken separately or in combination with beet juice, cucumber juice or spinach juice. But nothing can be more effective than a diet rich in vitamin A. Vitamin A helps build healthy mucous membranes in the nose and throat. Valuable sources of vitamin A include mangoes, papaya, egg yolk, carrots, leafy vegetables and tomatoes among others. Vitamin C has also proven to be effective in treating sinus infection.

Avoiding stressful activities could also prevent sinusitis. Likewise, avoid smoking and exposure to environmental pollutants to prevent sinus infection. Additionally, treat allergies promptly and drink plenty of fluids to increase moisture within your body. If your allergies inflame your nasal passages, you are more likely to have a strong reaction to all irritants. So if you suspect that your sinusitis may be caused by dust, mold, pollen or any other allergen that can trigger an upper respiratory reaction you should consult your doctor. Your doctor can conduct tests to determine your allergy and prescribe the necessary medication.