Natural Health and Herbal Remedies Blog

CHILDREN’S ALLERGIC DISEASES: PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF SINUSITIS

The air in a house may be excessively heated in winter. It becomes dry and acts as a sponge, soaking up the moisture of the skin and the lining of the nose, throat, sinuses, and lungs. As a consequence, mucus in the respiratory tract becomes thick and infected.

The amount of moisture in the air as compared to the amount it can hold is called its relative humidity. The ideal relative humidity of a heated house whose indoor temperature is between 60° and 70°F is 50 percent; however, most American homes have a relative humidity in winter of about 14 percent, which is supplemented with vapor from large humidifiers that have an automatic control (cold water vapor provides better results than hot water vapor). Pans of boiling water in different rooms of the house cannot serve the purpose of constant and controlled humidification.

In summer, the situation may be reversed; excessive humidity can be controlled by installing a dehumidifier. There are many excellent units on the market suitable for a private home, an apartment, or both.

The treatment of sinusitis depends on its cause, which may be allergy, infection, or both.

Allergic sinusitis is characterized by sneezing, a watery flow from the nostrils, clogging of the nose, a history of allergy, polyp formation, and a nasal smear that contains eosinophiles. Its treatment is specific through testing and desensitization and nonspecific with decongestants.

Infective sinusitis is characterized by a foul odor in the nose, temperature elevation, pain in the sinus region, a discharge of pus from the sinus opening, and response to antibiotics. Measures to ensure sinus drainage after the passing of the acute infection imply control of the allergy, removal of large adenoids that may hamper sinus drainage, and the avoidance of exposure to further respiratory infections.

Chronic sinusitis may cause anatomical changes in the nose and sinus linings that can make drainage of the sinuses impossible. Surgical procedures (to be done preferably in winter, and, if possible when snow is on the ground) are used to establish new drainage pathways. Puberty may improve chronic sinusitis because obstructing adenoids may become smaller with age.

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