A sinus infection in most cases is almost harmless, although you do become uncomfortable and sometimes experience pain. If symptoms become very severe, antibiotics generally eliminate further problems. In rare cases, however, sinusitis can be very serious and can occur with complications.

The most common complication of sinusitis is chronic sinusitis. This can develop from severe cases of acute sinusitis. The symptoms of this complication are almost the same as to those of the acute condition, but they last longer and can keep coming back within a long period of time.

If you have chronic sinus problems, your doctor may refer you to an ENT specialist who will carry out some tests to determine the underlying cause. Depending on the outcome, you may be given a steroid spray or nasal drops to reduce the inflammation or a longer course of antibiotics in order to prevent infection from recurring. If these treatments for chronic sinusitis do not work, surgery to improve the drainage of the affected sinus may be recommended.

In extreme cases, other complications of sinusitis include the following;

-Asthma flare-ups. Acute sinusitis can trigger an asthma attack.
-Osteomyelitis. One important complication is infection of the bones (osteomyelitis) of the forehead. Adolescent males with acute frontal sinusitis are at particular risk for severe problems. In such cases, the patient usually experiences headache, fever, and a soft swelling over the bone known as Pott’s puffy tumor.
-Infection of the eye socket. Infection of the eye socket, or orbital infection, which causes swelling and subsequent drooping of the eyelid, is a rare but serious complication of ethmoid sinusitis. In these cases, the patient loses movement in the eye, and pressure on the optic nerve can lead to vision loss, which is sometimes permanent. Fever and severe illness are usually present.
-Aneurysms or blood clots. Infection can cause problems in the veins surrounding the sinuses, interfering with blood supply to your brain and putting you at risk of a stroke.
-Vision problems. If infection spreads to your eye socket, it can cause reduced vision or even blindness. This is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment to prevent potentially permanent damage.
-Ear infection. Acute sinusitis may occur along with an ear infection.
-Ischemic Stroke. One small and preliminary study found a link between ischemic stroke and sinusitis. More research is needed to determine if this possibility is valid.
-Meningitis. This is an infection that causes inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding your brain and spinal cord.
-Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a change in the heart rate that corresponds to the frequency of respiration. Heart rate increases during inspiration and decreases during expiration. A respiratory infection is one of the causes of RSA.
-Widespread Infection. The most dangerous complication of sinusitis, particularly frontal and sphenoid sinusitis, is the spread of infection by anaerobic bacteria to the brain, either through the bones or blood vessels. Abscesses and other life-threatening conditions may result. In such cases, the patient may experience mild personality changes, headache, altered consciousness, respiratory problems, sinus bradycardia and, finally, seizures, coma, and death

A new report is out revealing that the risk of having chronic rhino sinusitis (sinusitis) and therefore sinus infections is much greater for those who are exposed to second hand smoke, whether in the home or in the workplace, or any other public place. It’s long been accepted that second hand smoke is not good for the sinuses but it wasn’t known to what extent.

Now it appears that even moderate levels of exposure to secondhand smoke or cigarette smoke can carry a lot of risk. Of course what the study means is that the more secondhand smoke you’re exposed to the more damage will be done to the sinuses. This exposure can cause a chronic condition called chronic rhino sinusitis.

Secondhand smoke is not harmless. It contains more than 4000 substances or chemicals that are harmful to our health. About 50 of them can actually cause cancer.

Many non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke– as much as 60% in the U.S. alone. And of course smokers are exposed to firsthand smoke. So it goes without saying that most people are exposed to smoke in one way or the other.

This chronic exposure not only causes serious sinus problems, including sinusitis, acute and chronic sinus infections and sinus cancer, but acute respiratory infections, middle ear problems, asthma coronary heart disease and lung cancer.

Most people haven’t heard about sinus cancer but it’s certainly one of the dreaded cancers to get and preventable too.

The non-smokers in the study, who were exposed to secondhand smoke in more than one place, were much more susceptible to sinusitis and other sinus problems.

The way it works it’s thought is that the secondhand smoke may inhibit immune responses and increase the susceptibility to respiratory infections including sinus infections or worsen respiratory or sinus infections. The cells that line the respiratory tract may have increased permeability thus be more fragile and susceptible to infection.

Although the report says that more evidence is needed the preliminary studies should be a good reason to avoid secondhand smoke at all costs to prevent chronic and acute sinus infections and sinus problems and to stop smoking if you smoke to protect yourself and others around you at home and in your workplace.

If you suffer from chronic sinus infections or sinus problems now. Avoid secondhand smoke at all costs and use natural home sinus treatment to stop or cure your sinus infections once and for all. There is much you can do to prevent them from taking hold and curing them fast if they do, without medications.

Although onion has already become the ordinary fare on our table, it is a “foreign immigrant” indeed. Since the ancient Egypt, onion has regarded as an important component of food and medicine. Its unique pesticide effect also make it as drug during the World War Two. So far, the research of onion’s nutrition and medicinal value has never stopped. In many western countries, onion was known as “Vegetable Queen”.

The nutrients in onion is rich, it not only contains potassium, vitamin C, folic acid, zinc and selenium, but also has two special nutrient substances-quercetin and prostaglandin A. Those two substances make the onion has an irreplaceable health effect.

First of all, it has the function of anti-cancer. A research specific on female shows that women who eat more onion will has a lower chance to get breast cancer. The reason is because onion is rich in selenium and quercetin. Selenium is an antioxidant which can stimulate the immune response, and thereby restrain the division and growth of cancer cells. Meanwhile, quercetin could restrain the activity of the cancer cells and prevent them growing.

Then onion can stimulate appetite and help digestion. It contains allicin which produces full-bodied fragrance. This special fragrance can stimulate gastric acid secretion and heighten appetite. So onion has an obvious effect on atrophic gastritis, stomach underpowered and poor digestion. Well, if you are on a diet, onion does not suit you.

Besides, onion also has the function of sterilization and anti-cold. It contains phytoncide such as allicin which has a strong sterilization ability. This phytoncide can stimulate the secretion of respiratory tract and urinary tract.

To sum up, onion is really a healthy food, we should care more about healthy vegetables which could bring us health. Learn to be a health nut is a happy thing.

The proper medical term for a sinus infection is sinusitis. Because a sinus infection has many symptoms that are similar to those of a cold or the flu, to proper diagnose sinus infection by yourself is quite difficult. A sinus infection can also be in many cases, the result of a infection in your upper respiratory system. However, there are some signs of a sinus infection that are specific to this ilness. Here are some tips in how to make the difference between a sinus infection of the flu, or just a cold.

A sinus infection can be caused by bacteria or viruses. In many sinus infection cases, both a bacteria and viruses are the ones to blame. For example, when you catch a cold, your sinuses may also get inflammated, thus you can develop a viral sinus infection. However, because of the inflammation, bacteria could also get caught up in your sinuses and you could develop a bacterial sinus infection. This particular illness, sinus infection can also be acute or chronic. Chronic sinus infection is much worse than acute sinus infection and it is harder to treat. When you have more than three episodes of sinus infection a year and the period of the illness is much longer than two months, then you are probably suffering from chronic sinus infection. There are just some fact sheets that you need to know about sinus infection. Now, you must learn to make the difference between sinus infection, allergies and the flu, or the cold. If you do not have any fever, you feel no pain in your body but you are sniffing a lot, there is nothing to worry about. You do not have a sinus infection, but allergies. This is not contagious. However, if you have a fever, your body aches, you feel tired all the time and are sniffing, then you should take care of yourself. These are not signs of a sinus infection, but a cold or probably the flu. You are contagious in the first few days, so you should avoid any contact with people. Coughing, chills and sweat can also indicate the flu, not a sinus infection.

On the other hand, if you feel pain around your eyes, cheekbones or in the top of your forehead, then it is a sinus infection you are having. Pain at the top of the teeth can also indicate a sinus infection. However, there is a small chance that you are suffering from something else than a sinus infection. So the best way to deal is to visit your doctor.

Complementary and alternative asthma cure varies from breathing activities to herbal treatments. Researchers are still checking out whether these types of asthma remedies truly work and are risk-free. In numerous cases, the verdict’s still out. The following is what the data states.

Acupuncture
Acupuncture requires the insertion of very tiny needles into your skin at special points on your body. Acupuncture came from China thousands of years ago, and its reputation has grown considerably in other parts of the world. A few research recommend that asthma symptoms may improve by using acupuncture, but there is still not enough obvious facts to be certain. If you choose to test acupuncture, work with an knowledgeable, licensed acupuncturist or a medical doctor who practices acupuncture. When given by qualified practitioners, acupuncture is comparatively low risk.

Breathing exercises
Breathing methods for asthma have been around for many years, but numerous health providers continue to be suspicious about them. They don’t seem to enhance the actual allergic reaction that causes asthma symptoms. However, in a number of research, people who did breathing workouts revealed improved symptoms.

Breathing techniques vary, however usually involve learning to:

Take breaths less often
Take slower breaths
Breathe via your nostril instead than your mouth
Use your abdominal muscles to acquire deep “belly breaths” (diaphragmatic breathing)

A couple of respiration techniques employed for asthma consist of the Buteyko breathing method and yoga breathing (pranayama). Some techniques additionally offer guidance about stress reduction, medication use, nutrition and general health. Fresh programs are becoming tried to see exactly what works best. Some clinics and scientists offer breathing technique coaching as part of asthma treatment, either face to face or via movie or World Wide Web.

Herbal remedies
Herbal remedies have already been utilized for thousands of years to deal with lungs disorders and are still regarded as a main asthma treatment in numerous countries. Some have shown hope in research, but much more studies are still required to find out for certain exactly what works and what is safe. Herbs which have shown at least some promise in dealing with asthma symptoms include:

Butterbur
Dried ivy
Ginkgo extract
Tylophora indica
French maritime pine bark extract (pycnogenol)
Indian frankincense (Boswellia serrata)
Choline

Blends of various types of herbal treatments are commonly utilised in conventional Chinese, Indian and Japanese medicine. Selected mixtures of herbs may be more successful than taking one herbal remedy on its own.

Use extreme care with herbal treatments and always discuss the use of any brand new herb or dietary supplement with your physician. Consider these issues prior to consuming any herbal remedy:

Quality and dosage.

Until recently, the quality of natural and dietary supplements sold in the United States was often suspect. Things have improved with the introduction of guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration. The rules help make sure that producers precisely indicate on the label exactly what is in the bottle. Although this is a significant move , it still pays to do your research and study different brands.

Side effects. Side effects caused by natural supplements can vary from minor to severe, and depend upon the herb and the dose you take. Be particularly careful of herbal asthma remedies that include ephedra or ephedra-like substances, which may cause high blood pressure and have been connected to heart attack and stroke. Some examples consist of ma-huang (prohibited in the United States) and bitter orange.

Drug interactions. Particular herbal treatments can work together with other medications.

These concerns don’t always mean trying an herbal remedy is a bad idea – you simply need to be careful. Speak to your physician prior to taking an organic remedy to make certain it’s risk-free for you.

Homeopathy
Homeopathy is designed to increase the body’s self-healing reaction using very little doses of substances that cause symptoms. In the case of asthma, homeopathic treatments are made from ingredients that usually trigger an asthmatic reaction, such as pollen or weeds. There’s limited proof that homeopathy helps treat asthma. The ingredients that trigger symptoms are used in such small quantities that they’re unlikely to cause an asthma attack. Even so, most asthma attack specialists discourage attempting homeopathic treatment.

Aspiratory muscle training

This method helps strengthen lung muscles with a sequence of breathing workouts. It’s occasionally utilized for other lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and after particular types of surgery. These workouts certainly strengthen the muscle tissues of your lungs, but there is not sufficient proof to say whether they help with asthma.

Massage and chiropractic treatment
Although some claim that these remedies help, there is no proof that physical manipulation of the backbone or muscle tissue reduces asthma symptoms.

Rest therapy
Relaxation therapy methods include meditation, biofeedback, hypnosis and progressive muscle relaxation. It’s not clear whether any of these techniques directly assist with asthma, but they do appear to decrease tension and promote a sense of well-being.

Vitamins and supplements

More research is required to determine whether vitamins or other nutrition may help ease asthma symptoms in people who have a deficiency.

Anti-oxidants. People with severe asthma appear to have reduced levels of these protective nutrition found in fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin A and magnesium may have some impact on asthma by improving the immune system.

Omega-3 fatty acids. Found in various types of fish, healthy oils containing omega-3s may reduce the swelling that leads to asthma symptoms, but the verdict’s still out. They also seem to possess a number of other health advantages. It isn’t obvious whether or not omega-3s from vegetable sources have the same advantageous effects as omega-3s found in fish.

Vitamin D. Some individuals with severe asthma have a vitamin D deficiency. Researchers are discovering whether vitamin D may reduce asthma symptoms in some people.

A multivitamin pill or supplement pill may help you get nutrients, but the best way to make sure you’re obtaining adequate nutrition is to eat a diverse diet rich in fresh, unprocessed meals.