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What to do When Your Sinus Allergies Lead to a Sinus Infection |
 There are lots of ways to develop problems with your sinuses. A cold or some other kind of respiratory illness can have a huge impact on the health of your sinuses. But probably the most commonly mentioned reasons for sinus pain are allergy problems like hay fever. The problem of allergy sinus problems is so prevalent that if you see someone sneezing, blowing their nose or looking puffy and unhappy because of sinus problems, you pretty much assume the cause of the problem is allergies.
By the same token, not all sinus allergy symptoms proceed to a full blown sinus infection. Most people have learned how to cope with a routine allergy episode using over the counter drugs or other home treatment methods that have proved to be successful for them over time. But when your allergy problem does progress to a sinus infection, that can become a serious situation.
It is important to keep it clear that a sinus infection is a separate medical problem than the routine allergy sinus problems that you may experience all the time. This is not to diminish how miserable allergy sinus symptoms can be. The runny nose, the sneezing, the congestion in the face, head, ears and throat that are part of a sinus allergy episode can virtually shut down your ability to enjoy your day or function in work or family activities.
But it is possible to cope with allergy sinus problems and never see your symptoms progress to a sinus infection. But when the mucus buildup in your sinuses that are a result of allergy symptoms becomes infected, that is whey you are facing a sinus infection that will require medical attention to get control over. A sinus infection, or sinusitis, can bring with it a high fever, nausea, fatigue, bad headaches, a sore throat and nasal congestion with thick yellow mucus that is a result of the infection.
When a sinus infection sets in during a routine episode of allergy sinus symptoms, a fungus or bacteria infects the already inflamed sinuses and your health deteriorates. If you recognize that the symptoms that you or a family member are having are consistent with a sinus infection, it is always appropriate to seek medical attention. It is unlikely you will be able to clear up a sinus infection using over the counter drugs and home remedies. Your doctor can examine you and determine if the infection is the result of a bacteria or fungal infection and prescribe antibiotics to get the infection under control.
After you have returned home from seeing the doctor, begin taking the medications that were prescribed for you to start reducing the impact of the sinus infection. It is also wise to get some rest, drinks lost of water or orange juice and consume soups for your meals for a day or so to keep your body hydrated. Keeping your fluid level high will help the sinuses flush out as the medication gets the infection under control. Generally the antibiotics that your doctor will prescribe do not conflict with over the counter allergy medications or medicine to relieve your pain and discomfort. But check with your doctor as well to make sure you can throw everything you have at defeating that sinus infection before it gets any worse.
Of course, the best way to eliminate the impact of sinus infections on your health is to stay on top of your allergy sinus problems before things get that bad. Do all you can to learn what is causing your sinus problem because your sinus symptoms are the result of an interaction between your immune system and some specific allergen like pollen, cat hair or mold spores. Once you know what you are allergic to, you can develop a plan to avoid contact with those allergens.
If avoidance is not completely effective, there are allergy desensitization steps you can take that involve allergy testing and allergy shots. Work with your doctor and your allergist to determine the best defense plan for you so you can reduce how often allergy sinus problems make you miserable and eliminate the incidence of sinus infections entirely.
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