Can Acupuncture help Sinusitis
Each year thousands of people suffer from the misery of this condition, for many it can make working and leisure
activities difficult or impossible to complete. Most people with acute sinusitis will recover within 12 days but
for others the condition to can develop in to a long-term chronic condition.
Acupuncture can be very effective in helping to relieve the symptoms of a sinus infection and to boost the immune
system so that your body can become better at fighting these infections.
What is Sinusitis
You have four pairs of sinuses in your head:
Frontal Sinuses - behind your forehead,
Ethmoid Sinuses - Side of the nose,
Sphenoid Sinuses - behind your eyes,
Maxillary Sinuses - behind your cheekbones.
The sinuses are small, air-filled cavities behind your forhead and cheekbones. They open up into the
cavity of your nose and help control the water content and temperature of the air reaching your lungs.
Your sinuses produce mucus which drains into your nose. If the channels become blocked your sinuses can
become blocked and inflamed.
Acute Sinusitis, this develops quickly usually after a cold or flu and clears up within 12 week.
Chronic Sinusitis occurs when the symptoms last more than 12 weeks, this is less common and can last for several
months.
What are the Symptoms of Sinsusitis
Symptoms of sinusis can include the following...
Pressure behnd your eyes and cheeks
Stuffy, runny nose.
Frontal headache
Fever
Cough
Bad Breath
PaiFin or around the sinuses.
Fatigue
Yellow or green nasal discharge from the front and back of the nose (post nasal drip)
Sometimes more serious complications can develop such as swelling of the eyes, double or reduced vision,
severe frontal headache.
What causes Sinusitis
The most common cause of sinusitis is a from a viral infection such as a cold or flu spreading to the upper
airways. Sometimes this can lead to a bacterial infection developing leading to further swelling inside the sinuses.
Other factors that can lead to sinus infections include...
Dental infections.
Irritants such as air pollution, smoke, chemicals.
Allergies such as allergic rhinitis, asthma
Nasal Polyp
Deviation of the nasal septum
Cystic fibrosis
With these conditions mucus can build up behind the narrowed areas, making the sinuses more prone to infections.