I never remember a year in my life wherein I’m free of colds and asthma attacks – whenever these occur, I get very short-tempered, I gasp for breath, even eating and lying down is terribly tiresome, my nose is full of mucus…ugh! Luckily, though I’m always having colds and allergic of certain allergens, I never suffered worse sinus infections.
My mom is different. She is a terrible allergic – very sensitive to almost all types of allergens. Whenever she has cold, it lasts too long and she frequently complains of tender cheekbones that are painful to touch and sinus headaches, too. This infection or inflammation of the sinuses affects about 31 million Americans each year.
Sinuses are hollow spaces within the bones around our nose. They are connected to the nasal cavities by small openings. Our sinuses drain mucus into our noses. Did you know that a person’s nose and sinuses are supposed to produce up to a quart of mucus and secretions every day? Amazing, huh? This travels through the nose clearing out bacteria and pollutants, then it goes backward and down the throat. Our bodies does do wonders without us realizing some things going on… However, problem starts when an excessive amount of mucus is produced.
Common colds and allergies are the usual causes of sinus infections. The infection can be bacterial, viral or fungal. Now I know that when my mother has a cold or allergy, nasal membranes swell and can actually close off the opening of her sinuses. This blockage prevents the mucus from draining and creates the perfect environment within the sinuses for any trapped bacteria or virus to grow.
Mom’s sinus headaches? It is said that this is a sharp pain that often comes with sinus infections. Or caused either by the inflammation of the sinus linings or the pressure created by trapped air and the buildup of mucus in the sinuses. Sinus headache is a severe pain that encompasses more than just the cheekbones. However, there are many who claim that sinus headaches are not just caused by sinus infection. While some say that sinus headaches occur when the sinus infection is already chronic.
If you are one of the many suffering sinus infections and sinus headache, I’d advice to stop supporting your local pharmacy by purchasing decongestants and other pain relievers. My mom have tried them, was relieved for a while but the problem is that it sets her up for rebound headaches.
We were afraid that her attacks of sinus headaches may become chronic already so we did the next best thing on cases like this – we had a doctor listen and assess her condition. A headache specialist would also be guaranteed to take this problem seriously. They can be found by asking your doctor, the American Medical Association, a hospital or other reputable referral service. When you go for a check-up, be prepared with a headache diary.
The truth regarding your sinus headache and its cause can be truly known only after a medical assessment of an expert. You will also know what steps to take to stop the pain altogether and prevent it from coming back. In having diagnosis and treatment on this approach … I’d say you did the most intelligent thing, like we did for Mother
