5 Causes of Sinus Infections and Sinus Problems – Nurse’s Guide

If you’re having sinus headaches, sinus pressure or pain or other sinus problems regularly or you have chronic sinus infections you may want to know what may be causing them. Sometimes just knowing the cause of a sinus condition will help you stop exposure or avoid them in the future. I’ll mention just five of the causes here that you may or may not know about.

1. Sinus infections. In recent studies it was found that most sinus infections are caused by a fungus. For many years it was thought they were bacterial in nature or viral but studies have shown only a small percentage of them are.

2. Exposure to dust mite droppings. Dust mites are tiny creatures that are too small for you to see. They love to hang out in bedding and load up mattresses so they actually can weigh more after a few years of use it’s claimed. Dust mite droppings are the culprit and it takes a thorough HEPA vacuuming of your carpets and hot water washing for all bedding to eliminate most of them.

To get rid of them all and prevent future problems, you’ll need allergen prevention, zipped covers for your pillows and mattresses to keep the dust mites out. Some people even remove the carpeting in their bedroom. You’d need to get a dust mite allergy test to determine if they’re the cause.

3. Cigarette smoke. Smoke you inhale either as a smoker yourself, or from second hand smoke can wreak havoc with your sinuses and cause the lining of the cavities to swell, causing sinusitis. Avoid inhaling smoke at all cost. Secondly any other kind of smoke from fire extinguishers, forest fires, neighborhood burnings, etc. can be a major source of sinus problems.

4. Dust. Digging around in old boxes of files or household items or stirring up old dust in any household area can raise dust and cause it to be airborne. Wear masks to help limit your exposure to this dust. It can get up into your sinuses and make them swell narrowing the passages or causing a blockage and start up a sinus infection.

5. Polluted air or smoggy conditions outdoors. Be aware of air quality reports on the local news if you’re plagued with sinus problems. It only takes a short walk around the neighborhood or the windows open at home for you to be exposed to polluted air. Keep your windows and car windows closed.

These are just a few of the causes of sinus infections and other sinus conditions. There are natural ways to treat your sinus problems and you can learn how to treat a sinus infection naturally at home. You don’t have to suffer ever again. Once you learn how to stop them with natural treatment you’ll know once and for all how to prevent your sinus symptoms from turning into full blown sinus infections.