Sinusitis symptoms can vary from individual to individual depending on the underlying causes and symptoms. Sinusitis symptoms are similar to those of a common cold except that sinusitis symptoms can last longer than 3 weeks and the condition will not respond to common cold medication.
In the morning you may feel weak or tired with head pains/headaches and a low fever of between 99°F / 37.2°C and 100°F / 37.7°C. At night you will feel drained and miserable.
Usually there will be pressure pains or discomfort on the affected sinus area (maxillary, ethmoid, frontal and sphenoid sinus cavities). When we are adults it is easy for us to identify and treat the pain or congestion being experienced. With infants the situation is a lot more complicated and requires careful, delicate treatment. A toddler’s situation is also a lot easier to diagnose than an infant’s or baby situation. The communication gap is a major setback along with treating the underlying causes of the condition and not just the symptoms. Sinusitis in infants is on a one of the main conditions every parent wishes their child does not suffer with through life.
Sinusitis Infants and treatment
An infant’s immune system is very weak, as it is still in its developing stages and still growing. As youngsters and infants love playing in the sand and other interesting places that are havens for germs and virus’s, they become prone to colds, flu’s and allergies.
These foreign particles come into contact with the infant and infect the infant/youngster resulting in the infant having allergies or a cold/flu which usually manifests itself into an upper respiratory infection. When this occurs, the immune system that is developing comes into focus and complications arise. The infant is still young and conventional medication could do more harm then good.
The best remedy to treat a situation like this would be an all safe natural remedy that has no side effects. The immune system and body needs a treatment that will aid the infants body in getting rid of the virus, whilst also treating the underlying causes without harming the body. Most medications have a lot of side effects and can not be used on infants. Babies are also infected when parents hand them to different individuals, who have foreign bacteria and cold like symptoms. This causes the virus or bacteria to spread to the toddler, baby or infant. As he/ she immune deficiency is still low, they are easily susceptible to the virus and if left untreated, can result in sinusitis (should a cold persist for longer than 2 weeks, it can often indicate a sinus infection may be present).
Allergies also play a big role in adding discomfort and pain to a toddler, baby or youngsters life. If the toddler inherits one of the parents genes and he or she suffers from allergies, it is more than likely that the toddler will suffer from allergies too. This is known as atopy or a hereditary trait.
Should an infant have a sinus infection currently, he or she may be irritable, sneezing, itching/rashes and moody. Moms and Dads will have to bear with this, and ensure their loved one receives adequate liquids.
Preventing Sinusitis
Preventing sinusitis and sinus infections might be hard to achieve especially in infants and toddlers, as it is hard to make them to understand the dangers and preventions of the condition whilst allowing them to live the carefree lifestyle they so love.
There are however ways to reduce the frequency and severity of sinusitis attacks and possibly prevent it from becoming a chronic sinus infection. Since there is no practical way of eliminating sinusitis, it is always beneficial to treat the causes of sinusitis rather than trying to recover from a severe attack. Not only is it advantageous to prevent sinusitis but it is also better than trying to recover from its severe and painful attack. The following are certain measures you can take to prevent an and infant/toddler from developing a sinus attack:
- Get early treatment for colds and allergies and nose inflammation caused by colds/flu.
- Keep the air in your house moist. Use an air-conditioned unit to filter air.
- Avoid environmental pollution's. Smoke, toxins etc
- Stop smoking, especially around infants and toddlers.
- Ensure that medicines and cough syrups are alcohol free.
- Feed your child a balanced diet.
- Sanitize your Child's play pen or area frequently.
- Teach your child good sanitation habits.
- Drink lots of water.
- Avoid all allergens were possible.
- Ensure your child has his/her vaccinations regularly
When the sinus lining become inflamed, irritated or swell, the cilia can not function properly and mucus can not be moved or drained correctly. This causes inflammation and results in your mucous membranes producing more mucus which may result in runny nose or post nasal drip. In infants this condition can cause chocking, coughing, nausea and vomiting as well as diarrhea. This occurs in young and old, infant or toddlers. This procedure will also occur if an individual’s body is hypertensive and encounters an allergen. Sinusitis can be treated in infants and toddlers effectively if caught in the early stages. It is however important to remember that the correct treatment is used and the instructions are followed out to the fullest when dealing with infant and toddler sinusitis.
Diagnosis
A Pediatrician, Doctor or ENT should be able to identify if your baby/toddler has developed sinusitis.
If the Pediatrician, Doctor or ENT is still unsure as to the diagnosis, he/she can perform a sinus radiography (this procedure is rarely done on infants).
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