Sinus infections - where do they come from and what are they?

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Your sinuses are cavities in the skull that communicate with your nasopharynx and are lined with mucous membranes. An allergic response produces changes in the tissues that leave them more susceptible to invasion by bacteria and viruses that produce infection.
So you not only deal with the symptoms brought on by the allergy, but also the infections that develop secondary to the allergic response. If you have chronic post-nasal drainage, whereby exudate is constantly draining at the back of your throat, you may have a chronic sinusitis, or sinus infection. Whether or not a sinus infection can be passed to others depends on the virus or bacterium that is causing it.

When you blow your nose forcibly, it can open the eustachian tubes. They connect your middle ear cavity to the back of your throat in the nasopharynx. The exudate in your sinuses can be forced through the eustachian tubes into your middle ear when you blow your nose, producing middle ear effusion or infection. Since the middle ear cavity is bordered by the eardrum to separate it from the external ear canal, your doctor can't evaluate a bulging eardrum from middle ear infection if he/she can't see the eardrum when your ear is examined. So, getting the wax removed effectively is important. The eardrum protects the middle ear, so you don't need the wax for that. But if you get too much fluid or pus within the middle ear, the eardrum may rupture.
There are procedures to assist with draining sinuses in cases of chronic sinusitis, and you need to investigate further with your doctor, or ENT specialists, to get some help.
If you have a problem with excessive earwax, an ear specialist can do the wax removal for you. Or, you can try using one of the kits available for lavaging the ear to remove wax. The Q-tip is not a good idea, since you may be forcing wax further into the canal, and up against the eardrum....Show more

I had 4 last year! I took Mucinex (sp?) and some little yellow pill...haha, that help? I can't remember the name of it. Anyway, my ENT told me that the infection just kinda hangs out in your sinuses, so, you should use saline nose spray 2 -3 times a day to help clear it out. Isn't that nasty. I've put Vicks VapoSteam in a pot on the stove and held my head over it. I also turned the shower on with nothing but hot water running, closed the bathroom door and sat in there breathing in the steam. Hope you feel better!...Show more

I wrote an article on sinus infections that may answer your questions: http://www.examiner.com/x-7707-Infectious-Disease-Examiner~y2009m8d21-What-are-sinuses-and-how-do-they-get-infected...Show more