Chronic Sinus Trouble

Do you wake up with a stuffy head and mucus in your throat or nose? Do you feel as if you always have a cold or that your last cold never left you? Do you have a chronic "postnasal drip"? If you answered yes, then you may be suffering from sinusitis - the most common condition in the 18 to 45 age group.

Your sinuses (Latin for "hollow") are eight spaces in the bones of your forehead, cheeks and temples. Although they help you to breathe, many people think that's the one thing they prevent because when they get inflamed they fill with mucus.

What Is Mucus?

Mucus is a sticky, elastic, unappealing gel that is nothing less then one of the greatest protections that we have against infection and poisoning. Your nose, throat and sinuses are lines with mucus to help ensure that your air is moist, warm and free from dust, dirt and pollutants; without this filtering gel your lungs and kidneys, and even your blood, could fill with toxins.

Symptoms

There can be too much of a good thing. When mucus fills the sinus linings the condition is called sinusitis (when it only involves the nose or throat it's called rhinitis and may mimic a cold). Sinusitis is not very rare; it often occurs when you have a cold and clears up when the cold ends. But if the drainage is blocked, pressure increases and can cause pain, discomfort, headache and swelling around your eyes and ears; a dull ache in the cheekbones; pain in the teeth or jaw; increased nasal secretions; chills; fever; dizziness; loss of appetite; photophobia (sensitivity to light); bad breath; a general "yucky" feeling; even depression.

Causes Of Sinusitis And Rhinitis

Anything that irritates the sensitive mucous membranes can be a contributing factor to sinusitis (or rhinitis): dust, mold or pollen; fumes; viri or bacteria; and hot or dry air in buildings.

Allergy sufferers often have sinus symptoms because many allergens first irritate the nasal passages. Less common causes of sinusitis are bony growths, nasal polyps, deviated septum, facial injuries, tumors or diseases of the upper teeth.