Your mother, your grandmother suffered from it. And you too, your colds often turn into sinusitis. Headache, fever, runny nose … sometimes sinusitis is also accompanied by signs such as toothache. The reasons ? We have bone cavities above the eyes (frontal sinuses), under the eyes (maxillary sinuses), between the eyes (ethmoid sinuses), above the nasal cavities (sphenoid). The role of these cavities is not fully understood. But one thing is certain: when the mucous membrane that lines them is inflamed (inflammatory sinusitis) or infected (purulent sinusitis), we are quickly knocked out.
How do you get sinusitis?
Poorly treated infectious or allergic rhinitis are the main cause. But there are other origins: genetic, malformative … Or accidental when a dental implant punctures a sinus. Sinusitis usually heals spontaneously within ten days. With or without antibiotics. But in some patients attacks are repeated. The disease becomes chronic, the sinus is permanently congested. A fatality ? No. The more we act upstream, the better we can prevent these crises.
We avoid catching a cold
Since the common cold is the main cause of sinusitis, preventing it is also the best way to avoid a sinus attack. For allergic rhinitis, managing the allergy considerably reduces the frequency of attacks. For infectious rhinitis, there are many food supplements that help regulate immunity including capsules based on echinacea. Dr Gilles Ayoun, ENT at the French Institute of Nose and Sinus Surgery, advises for his part a spoon of honey every morning: “It is almost an anti-infection drug”. You can also try the cures of propolis, royal jelly or vitamin A at low doses.
We wash our noses every day
But avoiding the common cold is not always possible. If the nose is caught, a good way to drain it is to wash the lining of the nose. You can buy doses of physiological serum, thermal water sprays which have anti-inflammatory properties, seawater sprays or hypertonic serum (salted at more than 9 g / l). The latter has the advantage of better fighting edema. To renew evening and morning throughout the cold season.
On the other hand, we avoid anti-cold drugs! Of course, they provide comfort: they have a vasoconstrictor effect and give the impression of breathing better. In fact, “they dry out the lining,” says Dr Ayoun. “This promotes tissue penetration of microbes, and therefore the development of secondary infections,” warns the specialist. CQFD: when you have a cold, if you consume anti-colds, you increase your risk of sinusitis!
We go for a spa treatment
Many thermal, hydrochlorinated or sulphurized waters are beneficial for the respiratory tract. A multitude of treatments are carried out in the resort to cleanse the mucous membranes, such as “pharyngeal showers”. But the must is the Proetz technique, which can be performed as a cure or in an office. Concretely, the practitioner fills the nasal cavities with a bactericidal liquid, the device creates a depression which will “suck” the liquid into the sinus. “It is incredibly effective, believes Dr. Gilles Ayoun. With this method, we can cure blocked sinusitis.” Washing Proetz also prevents the onset of chronicity.
We make aerosols
The only aerosol that has really proven its effectiveness is the “sonic aerosol”. The device vibrates and the vapors thus manage to enter the sinus cavity. Aerosols traditionally contain a fluidifying drug, a corticosteroid, to reduce edema, and often antibiotics. As for traditional inhalations, they seem to be ineffective in treating sinusitis. “Inhalations are good for relieving a cold. But when the sinusitis is installed, it does not help” says the doctor.
We try essential oils
What essential oils to use to get rid of sinusitis? The EO of radiated eucalyptus decreases the viscosity of secretions. Eucalyptol is also used in many drugs for its fluidifying properties. Peppermint EO, on the other hand, reduces inflammation. Finally, mentholated or gomenolated nasal drops improve nasal comfort. “It has no direct effect on the infection but gives the impression of breathing better,” explains Dr Ayoun.
We’re going to see an osteopath
The osteopath plays on several factors favoring sinusitis. By working along the spine, from the skull to the sacrum, it acts on the sympathetic system (autonomic nervous system) and helps the latter to balance its activity. This balancing will both boost immunity, but also allow soothing of the secretions of the sinus mucosa. The osteopath also works in the throat to free the muscles from swallowing and promote drainage of the entire ENT sphere, explains Thibault Dubois, osteopath, spokesperson for the French Syndicate of Osteopaths. Finally, it works on the bones of the skull and the sinuses to restore their mobility. Please note: these sessions must be carried out outside of an acute crisis.
Sometimes it is better to operate
Some chronic sinusitis recur regularly despite antibiotics and local or systemic corticosteroids. It is sometimes useful to perform a sinus puncture: through the nose for the maxillary sinus or at the level of the forehead (Lemoyne’s nail) for the frontal sinuses. Another alternative is surgery. Especially when malformations such as a deviated septum or polyps affect the circulation of air in the nasal cavities. “This surgery improves breathing, eliminates headaches and allows a considerable reduction in the frequency of sinusitis,” says Dr Ayoun.
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