Sinusitis (sinus infection)

Sinusitis is common after a cold or flu . The main symptoms of sinusitis include: pain, swelling and tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead a blocked or runny nose a reduced sense of smell green or yellow mucus from your nose a high temperature Other symptoms include: a headache toothache bad breath a cough a feeling of pressure in the ears You may also snore at night and sound nasal when you speak. Young children may also be irritable, have difficulty feeding and breathe through their mouth.

You can usually treat mild sinusitis yourself by: getting plenty of rest drinking plenty of fluids taking painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen (do not give aspirin to children under 16) avoiding things that trigger your allergies not smoking cleaning your nose with a salt water solution How to clean your nose with a homemade salt water solution Boil around 570ml (1 pint) of water, then leave it to cool. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda into the water. Wash your hands. Stand over a sink, cup the palm of 1 hand and pour a small amount of the solution into it. Sniff the water into 1 nostril at a time. Breathe through your mouth and allow the water to pour back into the sink. Try not to let the water go down the back of your throat. Repeat the first 5 steps up to 3 times a day (making a new solution each time) until your nose feels more comfortable. If you have a high temperature or you do not feel well enough to do your normal activities, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until you feel better.

If your sinusitis needs treatment, a pharmacist or GP may prescribe medicines such as: steroid nasal sprays or drops to reduce the swelling in your sinuses – you might need to take these for a few months antihistamines if an allergy is causing your symptoms Rarely, you may need antibiotics. This is not common as sinusitis is usually caused by a virus, not bacteria. A GP may refer you to see an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist if you: still have sinusitis after 3 months of treatment keep getting sinusitis only have symptoms on 1 side of your face An ENT specialist may recommend surgery for some people. Surgery for sinusitis Surgery to treat chronic sinusitis is called functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). FESS is carried out under general anaesthetic (where you're asleep). The surgeon can widen your sinuses by either: removing some of the blocked tissue inflating a tiny balloon in the blocked sinuses, then removing it