Treatment of sinusitis at home in adults: antibiotics and folk remedies

Runny nose - a condition familiar to everyone. Sometimes the inflammatory process in the maxillary sinuses joins it. In this case, it is necessary to treat sinusitis at home in adults or children.

Sinusitis: symptoms and signs of various forms of the disease

Of all sinusitis, namely the so-called inflammation of the various sinuses, sinusitis occurs most often. Almost always, it occurs against the background of an existing runny nose or a cold that has not been treated as it should.

There are other causes of this disease:

• abnormal structure or pathological condition of the nasopharynx, namely: adenoid growths, curvature of the nasal septum, changes in the lower nasal concha;
• improper antibiotic treatment, to which pathogens have been resistant;
• Too dry or polluted indoor air;
• damage by fungi against the background of a decrease in immunity;
• allergy, manifested by allergic rhinitis or bronchial asthma;
• a chronic course of infectious diseases of the nasopharynx, manifested in the form of chronic tonsillitis or adenoiditis;
• untreated caries.

The following pathogens can cause sinusitis:

• bacteria, among which the first place is given to streptococci, staphylococci, pneumococci, diplococci;
• viruses, the action of which in a few days is already joined by a bacterial infection;
• fungal infection is rare, but it is difficult and poorly treated.

Sinusitis can have a different course: acute, subacute and chronic.

As a rule, catarrhal sinusitis joins viral rhinitis. Propagating in the nasal cavity, viruses penetrate into the paranasal sinuses, causing inflammation in them.

It manifests itself with the following symptoms:

• a feeling of heaviness and fullness in the paranasal sinuses is added to the common cold and the accompanying sneezing;
• sometimes the skin above them turns red;
• mucous secretions become thicker and change color to greenish or yellowish;
• temperature rises slightly, not exceeding 38 degrees;
• due to irritation of the back wall of the pharynx and esophagus, flowing down mucus, cough receptors are irritated, and a dry, obsessive cough appears, most annoying in the morning.

At this stage, the diagnosis of sinusitis is difficult due to the fact that the manifestations of SARS are superimposed on its symptoms. Most often, catarrhal sinusitis caused by a viral infection is cured spontaneously. But if a bacterial infection joins the viruses, the course of the disease is complicated.

Symptoms also change:

• the discharge becomes thicker, and their color is brighter;
• nasal congestion is not eliminated by vasoconstrictive drops, the sense of smell is broken or completely lost, but an odorous fetid odor appears;
• pain joins the feeling of heaviness in the maxillary sinuses;
• it can give to the eyeballs or eyebrows;
• redness captures not only the skin over the maxillary sinuses, but also the cheeks and nose;
• the cough persists, but becomes less pronounced;
• when the patient bends, the pain in the paranasal sinuses intensifies.

Bacterial sinusitis is not prone to self-healing. Moreover, due to swelling of the mucous membranes, the anastomosis, through which mucus is evacuated from the sinuses, is blocked. Mucous secretions accumulate, and they are an excellent environment in which bacteria multiply intensively.

Therefore, if acute sinusitis caused by bacteria is not treated on time, it will necessarily take a purulent form, which is characterized by a worsening of symptoms and a risk of complications.

How is purulent sinusitis manifested in acute form?

There are all the symptoms of a purulent process:

• acute intoxication;
• temperature can reach 40 degrees;
• weakness;
• headache;
• nausea and even vomiting.

This condition requires immediate comprehensive treatment with the mandatory use of antibiotics.

Read also:antibiotics for tonsillitis tablets

Allergic sinusitis manifests itself in a slightly different way. As a rule, it has a chronic undulating course with periodic exacerbations associated with a seasonal increase in the concentration of allergens in the air.

Its symptoms are:

• abundant nasal discharge, accompanied by itching in the nasal cavity;
• nasal breathing is difficult;
• headaches are not uncommon;
• during exacerbation, pressure and heaviness are felt in the area of ​​the nose and cheeks.

Even a well-treated purulent sinusitis of bacterial etiology can return again. The reason for this phenomenon is the incorrect anatomical structure of the nose or the presence of cysts and polyps in it. Sometimes it has a odontogenic nature.

Odontogenic sinusitis is accompanied by toothache. This course of the disease is called chronic. His symptoms are erased and do not bother the patient too much. They are periodic in nature, and are completely absent in remission. What should alert you?

• nasal congestion;
• periodic discharge of the mucous, and sometimes purulent character.

As a rule, these symptoms do not alarm the patient, especially since they are well tolerated. But a sluggish inflammatory process changes the functional ability of both the mucous membrane and the ciliary epithelium, eventually causing their complete atrophy.

Most inflammations capture both paranasal sinuses and are bilateral sinusitis. Only odontogenic sinusitis affects the sinus located on the side of the diseased tooth, which is located on the upper jaw.

Treatment of acute and chronic sinusitis: the most effective drugs

Any deterioration in the state of health with a cold should be the reason for re-visiting a doctor. And if the diagnosis of sinusitis has already been made, treatment should be started immediately. It should be carried out comprehensively.

Read also:drops in the nose with sinusitis

Antibiotics for the treatment of sinusitis are the first thing that a doctor usually prescribes, since conservative treatment can result in serious complications:

• meningitis;
• irreversible loss of smell;
• eye infections
• bronchitis.

Antibiotics for the treatment of sinusitis

To prescribe an antibiotic, you need to know what pathogen caused the disease. Allergic, viral and fungal sinusitis are not treated with antibiotics, in these cases they are ineffective.

While the causative agent of the infection is detected, the doctor prescribes broad-spectrum antibiotics:

• Macropen. Effective in the fight against pneumococcus and hemophilic bacillus. Diseases of the liver and kidneys are a contraindication to its use.
• "Augmentin." Semi-synthetic third-generation antibiotic and a wide range of applications. It has a negative effect on the intestines and liver, you can not drink for a long time.
• Ceftriaxone. It is an antibiotic of the 3rd generation of the penicillin series.
• "Sumamed." An effective drug of the macrolide class, has a very wide spectrum of action and a short course of treatment. Contraindications: renal, liver failure.
• Amoxiclav. Amoxicillin-based antibiotic is highly effective.

In severe cases of the disease, tablet forms of antibiotics may not be enough. In this case, injections are prescribed. Most often it is Ceftriaxone, an antibiotic based on penicillin. Injections are given subcutaneously only once a day.

In very advanced cases, Cefazolin injections are prescribed. As a rule, this strong antibiotic is used in a hospital setting; it is also administered once daily.

All antibiotics in tablet form inhibit the beneficial intestinal microflora, which can provoke dysbiosis. To prevent this from happening, you will need to take prebiotics at the same time.

Nasal drops

Popular drugs like Naftizin and Galazolin do not treat sinusitis. Their function is to relieve nasal congestion. But with this disease, drugs should have a complex effect and not only narrow vessels, but also suppress the activity of infectious agents, reducing inflammation.

The most common effective drugs:

• Sinuforte. An expensive, but effective drug, relief comes after the first use.
• "Polydex". It has anti-inflammatory, decongestant and vasoconstrictive effects, contains neomycin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic that fights against pathogens. "Polydex", in addition, strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
• "Rinofluimucil." The drug also has a triple effect, is available in the form of an aerosol, which is very convenient to use.

Lavage of the sinuses with an antiseptic solution

This procedure for sinusitis is necessary - it facilitates the evacuation of mucus accumulated in the sinuses. The most convenient way is to use aerosols.

The most commonly used drugs are:

• boiled or sterile water, which has a temperature of 37 to 40 degrees;
• saline solution;
• antiseptic drugs - solutions containing furatsilin, miramistin, dioxidine and chlorhexidine;
• infusions prepared from plants with an antiseptic effect - chamomile, calendula, sage;
• funds created from sea water - “Aqualor”, “Aqua Maris”.

To wash it effectively, you need to clear the nose of mucus. The procedure is carried out by means of a syringe (of course, without a needle) or a special teapot. To carry out washing, the head is slightly tilted on its side above the sink and the solution is poured into the nostril that was higher.

Effective ointments

An effective and comprehensive treatment of sinusitis is impossible without the use of special ointments with an antiseptic effect. The ointment is applied to turundas made of cotton wool, which are placed in the nasal passages after washing. The treatment time is from 10 minutes to half an hour. Apply ointment for about 3 weeks.

The most common of them:

• Vishnevsky ointment. An old and proven preparation based on birch tar, castor oil and xeroform. It can be improved by diluting in half aloe juice or juice squeezed from cyclamen tuber.
• Fleming's ointment. It is made on the basis of calendula, chestnut, menthol, petroleum jelly and zinc oxide.
• Ointment Simanovsky. It contains diphenhydramine, zinc oxide, adrenaline hydrotartrate, lanolin, menthol and petroleum jelly. You can’t buy a finished drug in a pharmacy, you can only make it to order according to a prescription issued by a doctor.

Treatment of acute and chronic sinusitis folk remedies

People have been using antibiotics not so long ago, and they always had sinusitis, so the range of folk remedies used to combat this dangerous disease is quite wide. These are herbs, juices, beekeeping products. They act softer, do not have such side effects as antibiotics, but the treatment of sinusitis with folk remedies is longer.

Traditional medicine recipes

Ointments help restore the mucous membrane and have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.

• Melt in a water bath about 5 tablespoons of honey. Add to it a tablespoon of vegetable oil and a teaspoon of onion or garlic juice.
• To 1 part of grated laundry soap we add the same amount of propolis for alcohol, honey and onion juice. Warm up in a water bath and mix.

Drops for the treatment of sinusitis - an effective remedy. They are prepared on the basis of juice and roots of medicinal plants.

• Squeeze the juice from grated tuber cyclamen and dilute it in boiled water at the rate of: a teaspoon in a glass of water. 2 drops are dripped into each nostril. It is enough to do this once a day. Care must be taken, since allergies are possible to the plant.
• Aloe juice also has a healing effect in sinusitis. It is enough to drip only 2 drops of freshly squeezed juice into each nostril. You need to do this three times a day.
• You can mix aloe juice and Kalanchoe Degremon, taking them in equal parts. Add a teaspoon of honey and a pinch of salt. 3 drops are dripped into each nostril in the morning and evening.
• A teaspoon of onion juice is mixed with three tablespoons of sea buckthorn oil. Drip 2-3 times a day for a few drops.
• A mixture of beetroot and carrot juice in equal parts to instill several times a day, 2-3 drops in each nasal passage. This recipe is also suitable for children.

For washing, use chamomile broth (half a spoon of flowers per 200 ml of water). You can dilute 1/2 teaspoon of salt in half a liter of water and from 20 to 25 drops of propolis tincture in alcohol.

Inhalation and warming up

Steam inhalation is the fastest way to bring drugs to the maxillary sinuses.

They can be done over:

• hot potatoes;
• a decoction of calendula with the addition of eucalyptus oil (only 1 drop);
• hot mixture from a liter of water, in which essential oils are added: eucalyptus - 4 drops, tea tree - 4 drops, ginger - 2 drops, the same amount of black cumin oil.

It must be remembered that thermal procedures in the acute period of sinusitis can lead to the spread of infection to neighboring organs, that is, to the occurrence of complications.

How to do acupressure for sinusitis?

The impact on the biologically active points of the face in the nose will help trigger the healing mechanism, activating the body's own forces.

Points at which massage is performed:

1. Massaging movements of the wings of the nose. It is carried out on both sides using the pads of the index fingers.
2. Between the upper lip and the wings of the nose, massage is done with pressing movements.
3. The tip of the nose is gently stroked and nipped.
4. Stroking points at the outer corner of the eyes.
5. At the end of the massage, a slight pressure is applied to a point located slightly above the nose bridge between the eyebrows.

During the massage, the movements should be smooth, the pressure intensity increases gradually, while the finger does not come off the biological point. Each point is given from 3 to 4 minutes. Massage should be 3 to 5 times during the day.

With caution, massage is carried out in the following cases:

• purulent sinusitis and its complications;
• acute infections with high fever;
• oncological diseases;
• pregnancy;
• damage and inflammation of the skin of the face, as well as moles in places of massage.

When a puncture is needed

A puncture, which is more correctly called a puncture of the maxillary sinus, is not always done. If the doctor is convinced that conservative treatment is enough, he will not perform the operation.

When is a nasal septum puncture indicated? In the presence of a large amount of purulent mucus in the sinus and difficulty in its outflow. If the operation is carried out on time and properly treated with antibiotics, and then physiotherapy is connected, this dangerous disease can be cured completely and quickly.

A puncture of the nasal septum is done only after high-quality anesthesia, so pain is excluded. Unpleasant sensations, of course, will be. But a puncture will allow washing the maxillary sinus with an antiseptic and injecting an antibiotic directly into the focus of inflammation. Therefore, if the doctor offers surgery, it is not recommended to engage in self-treatment of sinusitis without a puncture.

Disease prevention

Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. For this, prevention is intended. What to do so that sinusitis does not bother even with a runny nose? Of course, it is better not to catch a cold at all, but if the virus is taken by surprise, it is necessary to effectively and competently treat all manifestations of the common cold, including a runny nose.

What to do in order not to get sinusitis?

• strengthen immunity;
• Do not overcool, wear clothing according to season and weather;
• humidify indoor air;
• brush your teeth regularly and visit the dentist in time for treatment;
• treat pathological processes in the nasopharynx;
• enough to relax and eat right;
• temper and exercise.

Sinusitis is an extremely unpleasant condition that cannot be ignored even at the initial stage. Proper treatment will help to solve the problem quickly and for a long time.