Sinus Infection Prevention

You don't always have to wait for sinus infection to strike before you take action. In fact, there are steps you can take to prevent this from happening and here are a few.

1. Moisten the air in your home. You can do this by buying a humidifier or an air conditioning unit as this regulates the temperature during hot and cold weather.

2. Aside from humidifiers or air conditioning equipment, you can also install electrostatic filters which are designed to remove allergens in the air.

3. If you live in an area that is polluted, move somewhere else. You have to remember that sinus infections area also caused by strong fumes and chemicals that may irritate your sinus linings.

4. Drinking too much alcohol may also trigger a sinus infection because it swells the nasal and sinus membranes which leave them exposed to irritation. This simply means that you should drink moderately.

5. Smoking also causes sinus infections because it irritates the sinus lining which causes bad drainage of the mucus and the sinus to congest. So, you should quit smoking and stay away from people who smoke.

6. If you travel often, you should cut down the number of times you have to fly from one destination to the next. This is because a bubble of air within the body expands as the air pressure in the plane reduces. When this happens, this could result in the blockage of the Eustachian tubes causing your nose to clog during the plane's ascent or descent. If you have to fly, be sure to bring with you a decongestant nose drop or inhaler and use this before the flight.

7. When you have a sinus infection, the best way to fight it is to stay hydrated. The same thing goes to prevent it by drinking lots of water, juice or any other liquid to replenish what was lost from the body.

8. You should also practice good hygiene since most sinus infections are caused by bacterial and viral infections. This means taking a shower twice a day and washing your hands with soap and water each time you go to the bathroom. You should also do this every time you sneeze because when you cover your mouth, the germs go to your hands.

9. For years, we have said that consuming dairy products will keep our bones strong. But studies have shown that too much can thicken your mucus and cause nasal passages to narrow down which results to headache and pain.

10. You should also get a flu shot every year.

11. Drinking liquids should also be followed with eating good food especially fruits and vegetables. After all, these are rich in antioxidants that will boost your immune system and help your body resist infection.

12. Lastly, stress makes us prone to sinusitis and many other infections. So we should get sufficient rest like 8 hours at least every night.

13. You should also take some multivitamins and supplements to add to your daily supplement.

You can prevent sinus infections from happening so that you don't have to call in sick and miss a day at work or school. It takes a little effort to take these safety measures which happen to be much cheaper than going to your doctor and buying over the counter medication.