Published: July 23, 2019
A sinus infection is one of the most common, undiagnosed medical conditions found in people who suffer from some other type of chronic disease. Diseases such as asthma, macular degeneration, stroke, multiple sclerosis, ALS, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes and arthritis can all be made worse if you have a chronic sinus infection. Often times, these sinus infections will exhibit no perceivable symptoms in the patient.
When you do notice symptoms; headaches, dark circles under your eyes, coughing, runny nose and intense sinus pressure are all common signs of a sinus infection, or sinusitis. If you are experiencing one or any combination of these symptoms, you might be one of the over 30 million Americans who experience sinusitis each and every year. Sinus infections can be incredibly painful, so it is important for you to do what you can to feel better, as quickly as possible. If left untreated, a sinus infection can cause a myriad of other personal health problems.
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The Sinuses
The pressure in your sinuses may be more than just allergies or the common cold.
The sinuses are an often-ignored part of the human body, that is until you start feeling pain or discomfort from sinus pressure. This discomfort could be caused by the common cold, or allergy symptoms, or even a sinus infection itself. The sinuses consist of hollow spaces or air pockets behind your nose, cheeks, and lower forehead. They produce mucus, which is a clear coating for your nose, mouth, throat, lungs, and lower gastrointestinal tract.
The mucus that is produced in the sinuses keeps the sensitive tissues in these areas protected and safe from drying out. Mucus also helps to trap small particles in the air we breathe and prevents them from going throughout your entire body. The mucus membranes produce antibodies, enzymes, and proteins that recognize particulate invaders, like bacteria, dust and pollen, and help to prevent them from doing your body any further harm.
Sinus Infections Can Impact Your Body’s Natural Healing Response
This can undermine the benefits of stem cell therapy.
Chronic sinus infections can produce vasomotor rhinitis, where the blood vessels expand and lose their potential to constrict, much like varicose veins. When a sinus infection goes untreated, blood vessels of the brain, spinal cord, eyes, and other tissues can drastically change. This prevents stem cells from attaching to the walls of the blood vessels or tissues that need stem cells’ help to repair. This means that if you are going to spend your money on the hope that stem cell therapy will fix your medical problem(s), it is important not to have any infections anywhere in your body. That is if you want to maximize the beneficial effects of those health-restoring stem cells.
What Is Sinusitis or a Sinus Infection and How Can You Tell if You Have One?
When you have a sinus infection, the mucus membrane, or the thin tissue that lines the surface area of the sinuses becomes inflamed. This inflammation creates an increase in mucus production, which builds-up over time and causes the runny, stuffy nose which puts pressure on the surrounding areas. The buildup of mucus pushes out in your sinus cavities and creates the telltale signs of a sinus headache.
Sinusitis can be diagnosed as acute, subacute or chronic. Acute sinusitis is the most common of the three and can typically last for around 4 weeks. If you experience these symptoms for more than 12 weeks, the diagnosis can be chronic, while anything in between 4-12 weeks would be considered a subacute sinus infection. Only around 1 to 2 percent of sinus infections are bacterial and can be treated with antibiotics.
According to UCSF Health affiliate, Golden Gate Urgent Care: over 90 percent of sinus infections are caused by viruses. Yet, if a viral sinus infection goes untreated, or the mucus builds-up in the sinus cavity for longer than 10 to 14 days, a secondary bacterial infection can take place. This is usually the result of respiratory pathogens colonizing in the sinuses for a long period of time. Sadly, this happens very often, because many people will think they are starting to get a common cold until they realize that it won’t go away. This is why many urgent care clinics report that most visits are from someone who has developed a sinus infection.
How To Successfully Treat a Sinus Infection.
There are many different treatments for most forms and various degrees of a sinus infection. Using an over the counter nasal spray could help with your symptoms greatly. A saline-based nasal spray can help clear your sinuses of built-up mucus and clear it out from your nasal passages. Some steroid nasal sprays, like Flonase can help reduce inflammation, but you should follow directions and speak with your health care provider with any questions or concerns you may have about the use of a steroid nasal spray.
Using a decongestant spray may provide only temporary relief. These decongestant nasal sprays, like Afrin, are only supposed to be used for a maximum of a few days and they may cause rebound symptoms after use.
Sinus rinses, like the neti pot are generally safe as they use sterile saline solutions to flush your sinuses of built up mucus. Many people who regularly experience sinusitis swear by the use of nasal irrigation systems, as they help keep your nose and sinuses free from mucus build up.
Healthy breathing can greatly benefit your whole body health.
Many over the counter medicines could also help with your sinus infection to varying degrees. Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin can help ease pain symptoms while decongestants can help relieve sinus pressure. These are likely to help the overall symptoms of sinusitis. Speak with a medical professional about the use of OTC drugs, as they are generally safe, but some may cause adverse reactions to other medications your are taking or can hinder another underlying condition you might be experiencing.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, you should seek professional medical care if your body temperature reaches 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, if the symptoms persist for longer than 10 days, if you have had multiple sinus infections over the past year, or if your symptoms are not relieved with over the counter medications.
Help for your sinus infection at Dr. David A. Steenblock’s Personalized Regenerative Medicine Clinic, in San Clemente, California.
Doctor Steenblock has been practicing medicine for over 40 years, helping to research and innovate new techniques, procedures, treatments and therapies, including the very early beginnings of human stem cell research. His approach to medicine and personal care is quite unique because he actually takes time to learn about each and every patient who comes through the doors of his Personalized Regenerative Medicine clinic, located in beautiful Southern California.
Dr. Steenblock’s “understand the person” approach to medical practice allows him to formulate a unique, personalized treatment plan for each and every one of his patients. He would only recommend the therapies and treatment combinations that are the most likely to promote healing and restoration. Thanks to this approach, Dr. Steenblock and his staff at Personalized Regenerative Medicine are able to achieve positive outcomes in cases that had previously eluded other medical practitioners.
Dr. Steenblock has produced a couple of videos on YouTube that explain simple, step-by-step home treatments for sinusitis that you can perform from the comfort of your own home. If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Steenblock and how he can help you or your loved one heal faster and live the best possible life, please give us a call today:
949-367-8870
