I developed significant sinusitis when I was younger, and it was not unusual for me to have multiple attacks during the course of a year. I was typically given antibiotics by the doctor, but after several years of this I tended to try and avoid using antibiotics if it were at all possible because if too many of those are taken then bacteria can become resistant to them.
I was desperate for some relief to my constant sinus issues, and I eventually had two sinus surgeries. I had the second operation because the first was not very effective despite all the pain it entailed. If you are looking to get your sinus problems "fixed", an operation might be helpful, but it might also be ineffective. The problem is that there are a lot of different reasons for people to come down with sinusitis, and treatments that work for one person might not be effective at all for another.
Unfortunately I started having sinus infections after my second surgery, just as occurred after the first one. So my problem was not solved. I kept reading books and came across pulsating nasal irrigation, and this was very helpful for me. Basically you buy a little machine that sends jets or pulses of water into one nostril, and the liquid runs out the other into your sink. It is all natural as well, since the liquid is just a saline solution in water. Just cleaning out my nose each day worked wonders, and I have eliminated most of my sinus infections. I do take some medications as well, such as a spray each night before bed. If I feel an infection coming on I'll also take a little prednisone to keep my passages open and maintain good drainage. I try to keep this to a minimum, however, because prednisone can have side effects.
This past year has been a little different than normal. I started to come down with post nasal drip and I could tell an infection was coming on. In fact I did have a slight infection, because I was blowing my nose a lot and the mucus was rather thick and was a cloudy white sort of color. It was not bad, however, and I didn't have normal sinus headaches and could function normally. After a week or so of my normal self-treatment I felt like I was over the problem.
I was fine for about a month but then I had another attack, although this time it was a bit worse. I had more post nasal drip and tickle in my throat, and I was coughing a lot. I treated myself again and got over the problem about a week later. Then several weeks after that the same thing happened for a third time. This was highly unusual and I gave up and went to the doctor's office. He agreed with what I had been doing, but he also told me to take an antibiotic.
In short order the antibiotic started working. I felt better in about a day or two. I had to finish all the medication, however, because if you don't some bacteria in your body can become resistant to antibiotics, which was why I was trying to avoid them in the first place. It was obvious now that I had not gotten rid of my problem completely at the onset, and I should have seen the doctor and taken an antibiotic the first time I got sick. I thought my body's healing capacity would rid me of the problem after I got over feeling sick, but that was not the case this time. This time I needed an antibiotic, so the lesson is that they should be avoided when that is possible, but sometimes they are indispensible.
Check out Sinupulse and understand pulsating nasal irrigation to treat sinusitis. Also sign up for instant access to the free 45 page "Bad Breath Bible". Learn more about when To Use or To Avoid Antibiotics.
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