Nipping sinus problems in the bud essential for good heath

By Tomi Johnson and Sinus Pharmacy

It’s allergy season again, and along with growing pollution and unbreathable air, severe sinus problems can develop. If not treated properly, sinusitis can affect a professional’s quality of life, ability to work, and in some extreme cases may cause brain damage.

Researchers have concluded that African American and Mexican American children are substantially more likely than white children to be sensitized to allergens that affect asthma. Differences in indoor allergen sensitivity are consistent with racial differences in asthma morbidity. Along with other data, these findings suggest that racial disparities in housing, community, or both play a role in determining national patterns of asthma morbidity.

Have you ever had a cold that lasts for weeks, if not months? It may be that your cold has developed into a bothersome, if not dangerous, bacterial sinus infection known as sinusitis. Left untreated, it can cause asthma, a troublesome cough and even play havoc with a your sense of smell and taste.

Experts believe up to 35 million Americans suffer the symptoms of sinusitis each year, accounting for a large percentage of primary care physician office visits. Sinusitis is usually preceded by a cold and develops when the sinuses - hollow air spaces -- are inflamed and cannot drain. The bacteria in your respiratory system then multiply, causing an infection.

The resulting swollen passages trap air and nasal discharge, or create a vacuum within one of your four sinus cavities -- causing a variety of pain and pressure within your head and neck region.

So, how do you know when your cold is more than a cold?

· When your symptoms of congestion and discharge persist or worsen after 7 to 10 days and don't respond to over-the-counter cold and sinus medicine.

· When you feel facial pressure and pain.

· You may have a toothache, headache or swelling around your eyes.

· You may even experience earaches, neck pain or a deep aching at the tip of the head.

If not treated, your acute sinusitis may become chronic.

"Chronic sinusitis is an infection of the sinuses that the experts have defined as lasting for more than three months," explains Terrell. "And, there are different types of chronic sinusitis. Some people have symptoms that are present all the time, others will have intermittent flare-ups."

Terrell continues, "When chronic sinusitis goes untreated, patients can develop a number of annoying, if not serious medical conditions. They may lose their sense of smell and taste because of the proximity of the sinuses to their nerves that help with sense of smell. They may develop asthma, or a worsening cough."

A CAT scan of the sinuses may be needed to determine the location of the blockage and infection. Doctors can even use endoscopic sinus surgery to open the natural drainage tracks allowing the sinuses to aerate and drain and the infection to clear.

There's even a risk of the infection spreading, Terrell adds. "It's rare to get infections that spread from the sinuses to the eye or to the brain, but that occasionally happens possibly resulting in serious eye or brain complications."

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