5 Reasons The Sinusitis Won’t Go Away

Do you get sinusitis often? Does it feel like the moment you clear up a sinus infection, it tends to come back with a vengeance?

You are not alone. According to Medscape, “Sinusitis affects 1 out of every 7 adults in the United States, with more than 30 million individuals diagnosed each year.”

Including me. Click here to read about how I came to find out a very strange reason why it happened to me. Hope that keeps you forewarned so you can beat that cause.

Did you know that nasopharyngeal cancer (a type of cancer of the head and neck) can cause persistent sinusitis?

In this post, we attempt to decode some uncanny causes for sinusitis, so we may know what to do about it. Are you ready?

Here we go:

1. Allergies: Duh? If I just caught you saying that, I am not surprised. This is the commonest reason (the-reason-from-the-season 😉 ) , so wanted to list it first. It is mostly seasonal, peaking in spring and fall, when the allergens are the highest in the air we breath.

Allergies cause congestion in our sinuses, causing the sinus lining to become inflamed, and causing more gunk to build up in our sinuses.

What happens when a fish tank is not cleaned? Slime starts to build in it. Ewww! Similarly bacterial infections set in easily in a congested sinus. Same with viral infections (colds) that lead to sinus congestion : they often end in bacterial sinusitis.

2. Structural changes in the nose: The sinuses are located in the cheek bones, the forehead in and around the root of the nose. They all drain into the nostril on their respective side.

Any deviated nasal septum (the middle wall between each nostril) or enlarged turbinates (shelves of sift tissue hanging right over the sinus drainage holes in the nose) or nasal polyps (mushroom like tissue outgrowths inside the sinuses) may block sinus drainage. Then the secretions get trapped in the sinuses, prolonging the infection or leading to a quick recurrence.

If your nose whistles when you breath, you have a high chance of having enlarged turbinates (is your nose whispering about its health? 😉 ).

When I suspected turbinate enlargement, I tried these nasal strips that stick to the skin outside the nose and keep the nose edges pulled outwards and open to help with the airflow. It helps me to this day. Interestingly, it may come in handy as an accessory treatment aid in sleep apnea.

Another handy trick to curb turbinate enlargement (best effect in its early to middle stages) is by using a sinus rinse.

3. Air quality: Believe it or not, Atlanta seems to be the allergy capital of the US. No wonder my toughest spells of sinusitis started after moving to Atlanta. Whenever we travel to the Northeast to visit family, my nose clears up too. I know we have crossed the Georgia border on the way back when my nose gets congested all of a sudden. It is almost akin to seeing the ‘Welcome to Georgia’ road sign lol

To read about what you may be breathing in daily from the air around you, please click here. There is a link in it where you can search by your zip-code.

Allergens (tree and grass pollen), automobile exhaust, even cigarette smoke and its by-products, other kinds of smoke, extreme levels of humidity (low as well as high) pose a higher risk of stubborn sinus attacks.

Interestingly some house plants (I kid you not) may help clear some of these from your indoor air.

4. Smoking: No-brainer, wouldn’t you say? Smoking and its by-products tend to cause not only lung disease but also sinus issues. It may increase the inflammatory changes in the sinuses and the nasal passage (that also house the turbinates), leading to stubborn sinus infections.

Nasopharyngeal cancer is a rare but associated risk from smoking which can also structurally block sinus drainage and cause persistent sinusitis.

When you see an ENT doctor for sinus concerns, they would usually order a CT scan of the sinuses, which may be able to pick up any structural changes, including local cancer.

5. Low vitamin D: Who knew the sunshine vitamin was so vital to our health? Low vitamin D can not only increase the risk of reactive airways (asthma like picture) but also sinusitis. So if you get frequent or severe sinus attacks, you may want to check your Vitamin D level. It may also be a good idea to supplement it appropriately.

My yoga teacher used to say the slower and better you breath, the longer you live. And healthy nose and sinuses are key to getting a good breath in and out.

So let’s take a deep breath and thank our sniffers for their invaluable role in our life. Namaste!