Your sinus swelling can be a side effect of many medical conditions. They include acute, sub acute, and chronic symptoms, which depend on how long you’ve been suffering.

There are a vast number of diseases and medical disorders that can include sinusitis and sinus swelling among noted symptoms. Most of them are related to:

• Viral infection

• Bacterial infection

• Fungal invasion

• Mold allergy

• Environmental or airborne allergies

• Anatomical variations in facial structure

• Autoimmune diseases

• Dental health issues

• Asthma

The most common cause of sinus swelling is sinusitis or a sinus infection. Sinusitis is a swelling of the inner lining of the sinuses. The sinuses are the spaces between the bones in the face where air passes and where a fluid called mucus drains into the nose. With sinusitis, the swelling blocks the openings in the sinuses through which mucus drains into the nose. When mucus cannot drain properly, the pressure of the blocked fluid inside the sinuses can be painful.

Ways to Relieve Sinus Swelling

• Standing in the shower with the water pounding on your face can provide temporary relief.

• You can use a neti pot on a daily basis to irrigate your sinuses.

• Use a humidifier in the room where you sleep.

• Gargling a solution of about a teaspoon of salt dissolved in warm water can relieve sore throat pain and the thick, clogged feeling you get when your sinuses are draining down the back of your throat.

• Saline nasal sprays can also thin out the mucus so that it drains successfully. However, be careful not to use these in excess, and it’s best to avoid medicated decongestants or antihistamine types altogether. You may build up immunity to them and experience what doctors call rebound rhinitis.

Rhinosinusitis

Rhinitis results in a basic runny nose, sometimes accompanied by facial pain and a headache. It is caused by a swelling of the mucous membrane of the nose only, rather than the mucous membrane of the sinuses.

Rhinitis is much more common than sinusitis and is more frequently caused by allergies than by a bacteria or virus. Many people, especially children, experience rhinitis during the winter months as a reaction to the cold air.

Most cases of sinusitis are actually a combination of rhinitis and sinusitis, meaning that the mucous membranes of both the nose and sinuses are swollen. This condition is sometimes called rhinosinusitis.

Medical treatment are available both over the counter and by prescription. Although, you must know that some medications like antihistamines dry out your tissues and mucus, and other medications work by constricting the tiny veins in the nose. When you use nasal sprays, you may feel as if the swelling has gone down, but as soon as it wears off, the symptoms return, sometimes worse than ever. People have even experienced increased heart rate and hypertensive episodes from these products. In the end, they don’t resolve the problem; you will end up with chronic, day-in and day-out rhinosinusitis. In their own way, these products are quite addictive, and if you’re using them regularly, you will experience difficulty stopping.