Reasons Troublesome Sinus Mucus Occurs And How To Treat It

Sinus mucus isn't a problem most of the time. In fact, if you didn't have it, you would have a problem. The function of the sticky stuff in normal, healthy people is to wash out debris and bacteria that might otherwise settle in and start to grow. But sometimes, the system fails and something manages to get a foothold and begin to proliferate. This can cause thick, sticky and discolored mucus that creates the nasty symptoms we all know and hate.


Healthy sinus mucus is usually clear or white and relatively thin. When an infection takes hold, the mucus often turns thicker and yellow or green colored. Green mucus is more common in bacterial infections, while yellow mucus is more common in viral infections, but both occur in either type of disease.


Thick, colored mucus produced by infection can clog up your sinuses and make it hard to breathe. This problem is referred to as sinusitis, or an inflammation of the sinuses, and is most often caused by infection. There are some medical and non-medical remedies to help you deal with this, of varying efficacy.


Things that your mother told you to do when you were sick as a kid are sometimes effective. Steaming up a room, putting your head under a towel over a pot of hot water, and taking a hot shower can all help thin the mucus in your sinuses and make it easier to expel. Drinking hot liquids has a similar effect.


Irrigation of the sinuses can provide relief for sinus congestion, as well. Though the process may seem somewhat unnerving to people who have never tried it, it can help them obtain considerable relief from sinus problems. The process uses salt water flushed in through one nostril until it either runs down the throat or comes out the other nostril. This can help flush stubborn or thick mucus from the sinuses, and alleviate symptoms such as congestion and sinus pressure.


Over the counter decongestants are popular, in part because the more serious drugs are usually reserved by doctors for people with long-lasting or severe symptoms. The use of these drugstore decongestants can provide some relief of the worst symptoms of sinusitis, but they should be used carefully. Overuse can create a problem where the body makes more mucus that causes congestion when the drug is stopped.


Antibiotics are the primary prescription drugs used in combating sinusitis. If a sinus infection is bacterial, the antibiotics will kill the infection and the thick discharge will resolve. However, sinus infections can also be caused by viruses, and on rare occasions, fungi. These fungal infections can be treated quite effectively by anti-fungal drugs.


Unfortunately, there is no effective medical treatment for viral sinusitis. In this kind of sinusitis, treatment aims to combat the symptoms, and the person's immune system clears the infection on its own, given time.


For those prone to sinus infections, consideration of their risk factors and working to alleviate those problems is key. Allergy sufferers should control their allergies are best as possible, since inflamed sinuses caused by allergies are easier for bugs to take up residence in. Those with congenital nasal or sinus deformities that cause repeated infections should consider surgery to repair the problems and enable the sinuses to function more normally.