Sinus infection may seem harmless, but when its symptoms develop into a full-blown chronic condition, it becomes a totally different story. Postnasal drip, decongested nasal passages, excessive fatigue, and recurrent headaches are everyday symptoms that eventually become severe enough to inhibit normal life activities. Because of this, it is very important to know the causes of chronic sinus infection as well as the ways to get around its symptoms.

What Causes Chronic Sinus Infection?

Chronic sinus infection can develop from any blockage that disrupts normal drainage of the fluid produced by the lining of the nasal passages. Infections caused by bacteria, fungi, and common mold are often seen as the main culprits of chronic sinus infection. But anything as simple as unchecked thickening of the mucous or complications of conditions like cystic fibrosis could also result to nasal blockage. Other known causes include deviated nasal septum or the displacement of the bridge of the nose, trauma to areas in the face where sinuses are situated, formation of tumors or nasal polyps, allergies, asthma and other medical conditions that affect the respiratory tract.

All these causes could, in one way or another, lead to inflammation of the tissues of the upper respiratory tract (the sinuses, nose and throat) which further exposes the nasal passages to worse symptoms of chronic sinus infection.

Treating Chronic Sinus Infection

Treatment for chronic sinus infection may be medical, alternative, or surgical, with treatment methods typically comprising of administering antibiotics, decongestants, painkillers, expectorants, or in the case of allergic symptoms, antihistamines. The choice of treatment is often determined by the cause of the chronic sinus infection. If bacterial infection is present, for example, antibiotics may be recommended by your physician. If allergy or asthma is present, treatments for these conditions may also be used in conjunction with standard treatments for sinus infection. It is often a case of mixed causes so be sure to ask your doctor for other available treatments.

Alternative therapies and home care remedies are also emerging as popular choices for treating chronic sinus infection. These alleviate the symptoms through a variety of means that are usually considered non-medical, if not holistic. Common home remedies include opening the airways using steam and aromatherapy oils, irrigating the nasal passages using saline-water solution, and by applying warm compresses to reduce the pain. The worst-case scenarios are the ones that call for extreme measures like surgery. If there is trauma to the face, if there are damaged facial structures, if there are tumor formations, or if the physical condition of the nasal passages inhibits proper draining of mucous, surgery might be the best recourse. Chronic sinus infection that has a history of not responding to medical treatment may also necessitate surgical intervention.