Sinusitis causes the lining of the sinuses to swell up. Boil a pint of water, then leave it to cool. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda into the water. Wash your hands. Stand over a sink, cup the palm of 1 hand and pour a small amount of the solution into it. Sniff the water into 1 nostril at a time. Breathe through your mouth and allow the water to pour back into the sink. The symptoms of sinusitis often clear up within a few weeks acute sinusitis , although occasionally they can last three months or more chronic sinusitis.
If your symptoms are mild and getting better, you don't usually need to see your GP and can look after yourself at home. Your GP will usually be able to diagnose sinusitis from your symptoms and by examining the inside of your nose. If you have severe or recurrent sinusitis, they may refer you to an ear, nose and throat ENT specialist for further assessment. Most people with sinusitis will feel better within two or three weeks and can look after themselves at home. If your symptoms aren't improving or are getting worse, your GP may prescribe antibiotics or corticosteroid spray or drops to see if they help.
If your symptoms don't get better after trying these treatments, you may be referred to an ENT specialist for surgery to improve the drainage of your sinuses. Read more about treating sinusitis. Sinusitis is usually the result of a cold or flu virus spreading to the sinuses from the upper airways. Only a few cases are caused by bacteria infecting the sinuses.
An infected tooth or fungal infection can also occasionally cause the sinuses to become inflamed. It's not clear exactly what causes sinusitis to become chronic long-lasting , but it has been associated with:. Making sure underlying conditions such as allergies and asthma are well controlled may improve the symptoms of chronic sinusitis. Most people with sinusitis don't need to see their GP. The condition is normally caused by a viral infection that clears up on its own.
Your symptoms will usually pass within two or three weeks acute sinusitis and you can look after yourself at home. If the condition is severe, gets worse, or doesn't improve chronic sinusitis , you may need additional treatment from your GP or a hospital specialist.
This can be difficult to treat and it may be several months before you're feeling better. If your symptoms are mild and have lasted less than a week or so, you can usually take care of yourself without seeing your GP. You can clean the inside of your nose using either a home-made salt water solution or a solution made with sachets of ingredients bought from a pharmacy. To make the solution at home, mix a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda into a pint of boiled water that has been left to cool.
To rinse your nose:. Repeat these steps until your nose feels more comfortable you may not need to use all of the solution. You should make a fresh solution each day. Don't re-use a solution made the day before. Special devices you can use instead of your hand are also available for pharmacies.
It affects people of all ages, but the symptoms in children can be different than those in adults. When you are in pain and fatigued, finding foods that are both nourishing and easy to prepare is particularly essential. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Headache vs. Sinus headache vs. Symptom comparison. When to talk with a doctor. The bottom line. Read this next. Sinus Headaches. Medically reviewed by Daniel Murrell, M. Medically reviewed by University of Illinois.
Medically reviewed by Shilpa Amin, M. Medically reviewed by Deena Kuruvilla, MD. Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph. Medically reviewed by Tiffany Taft, PsyD. Does Physical Therapy Treat Migraine? Overview of Migraine in Children. Medically reviewed by Mia Armstrong, MD. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. Dietz de Loos DD, et al. Prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis in the general population based on sinus radiology and symptomatology.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Sinus infection sinusitis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed March 11, Goldman L, et al. Allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis. In: Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Hamilos DL, et al. Chronic rhinosinusitis: Management.
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