The inflammation of the paranasal sinuses is an unpleasant ailment. It can have both viral and bacterial origin. Due to the duration of the disease, we divide it into an acute form, lasting up to 12 weeks and chronic, when the discomfort lasts longer. The disease is of a recurrent nature, therefore it is important to introduce some prophylactic measures in patients with this tendency.
One of the prophylactic options is regular cleaning of the nose and sinuses, so that the residual discharge is not accumulated in excess. For this purpose, a sea salt solution can be used in an atomiser or a spray. There are two concentration options - isotonic and hypertonic. The first one will check for everyday use, because its concentration is neutral for mucous membranes. The second option is recommended when the patient is experiencing a feeling of swelling and a blocked nose. However, the volume of fluid and the pressure of such solutions are too small to reach the sinuses. Thus, the only nasal cavities are cleansing.
Set for sinus irrigation
Another option of prevention, but also supporting the treatment of already diagnosed sinusitis are irrigations. The rinsing kit can be purchased at any pharmacy. It consists of an irrigator and a set of NaCl sachets. You can prepare both an isotonic and hypertonic version of the solution yourself, which will be applied directly to the nose and sinuses. The implementation instructions are very simple. Just use boiled hot water (but not hot) and dissolve a certain amount of sachets in it. One serving, about 240ml of the prepared liquid is enough for both mouths and nose swabs. Some studies indicate that effective mechanical cleaning takes place only when we use 600 ml of solution for this purpose.
Rinsing step by step
The procedure should be performed in accordance with the instructions. After tilting and tilting one's head, one applies an irrigator with a ready solution to the nostril and by pressing on the bottle, the liquid that flows out of the other nostril is released. Then the pages should be changed. During the procedure the patient breathes through the mouth. The whole is relatively short. Nasal and sinus irrigations are a safe option and can also be carried out on children, pregnant women and breastfeeding women.
Precautions
Irritation of the nose and sinuses can not be carried out when complete blockage of the nose is found, so that the introduced solution could not escape. It should also be withheld if the patient has an ear infection or feeling blocked. In postoperative conditions, you should always consult a physician with the possibility of using such methods of cleaning the nose and sinuses. Additionally, after rinsing, you should not go outside or use it an hour before bedtime. It is also worth mentioning to avoid so-called home-based salt for rinsing the sinuses that some patients prefer. The sachets from the kit contain a chemically pure form of sodium chloride and weighed to obtain an isotonic solution, which can not be said of table salt, which often contains, in addition to iodine enrichment, anti-caking agents.
