After the summer season slowly drifts away, fall makes an appearance and is then followed by the cold winter season. With that cold of winter, it also could mean changes in your body and especially your sinuses. As we close up our home to help keep it warm, we also prevent proper ventilation with the cold damp air. This can become that perfect storm for your sinuses in which to develop problems. ENT Specialists will cover some sinus problems that occur during those cold winter days and what to expect.
It seems it doesn’t matter how often we get our flu shot, as the winter days creep in so do those dreaded flu and cold viruses. When you endure such an illness, they cause your nose and sinuses to swell. As the sinuses swell, they can’t drain properly. This will cause the mucus to build up inside your nose. As the mucus builds up, bacteria will grow, causing a sinus infection. A sinus infection will now lead to sinus pressure headaches, runny nose, and congestion, all of which will make you feel miserable. In some areas, the cold can even dry up your sinuses. Your mucus membranes dry out. In turn, this can cause eradiation and later infection. Colds and flu aren’t always the start of some sinus problems. If your sinuses begin to feel dry and eradiated, you will want to get a good nasal spray to moisturize your mucus membranes.
Another winter complaint that causes problems for sinuses is winter allergens. Winter time is holiday time. When we bring out our holiday decorations from our storage closets, you might notice some allergic reactions. A lot of times our decorations will develop molds while in storage. As they are not harmful, and mostly go unnoticed, the small mold spores can wreak havoc on your sinuses. A lot of the Christmas trees also have mold growing on them. Many of our Christmas trees are grown on tree farms and shipped in to local tree selling sites. When this happens, they bring in foreign molds into your home. As you breathe in the molds, they get stuck to your mucus membranes. This will cause you to sneeze and get stuffy. Here are some suggestions to help you avoid bringing in those allergens from your holiday decorations. Store them in dry places and make sure the containers are sealed. You will want to avoid all moisture from getting into your decorations. This will greatly reduce the mold growth. It also helps to open your decorations outside to let them air out. If any mold is present, the mold will at least partially become air born outside, and not inside your home.
This coming holiday season is a time to enjoy friends and family and to grow closer together. The last thing we want is to be home alone, sick with a sinus infection. Do your best to stay healthy and avoid colds, flu, and allergies. If you suffer from sensitive mucus membranes, ask ENT Specialists for advice on how to keep your sinuses healthily. We are happy to help you!
