HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 November 1941, Page 6

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

WHAT IS SINUSITIS? CPrepared and issued by the Health Department.) Clearing the nose when you have a cold in the head is a simple enough operation, but, if it is done too enthusiastically, it can cause trouble you may » never dream about. Sinusitis, for instance. There is a good deal of misunderstanding about sinusitis—by those who haven’t- had it ,of course! It is inflammation of one of the nasal sinuses. These are cells in the skull-bone itself, situated near the eyes, under the cheek bones, and at the back of the nasal passages, and they are all connected to the nasal passage. These' cells are of quite considerable size. They help to lighten the weight of the sKull-bone, and warm the air we breathe in, and they also give resonance to the voice. When you catch a cold in the head, the mucous lining of the nasal passages .becomes puffed and secretes the “runny” mucus. Often the lining becomes so swollen that the air passages become completely closed. Pressure from an effort to blow the nose hard tends to force the mucus into the sin- . uses and carry the infection into these cells, which are likewise lined with a mucous membrane. These in turn may become blocked, and that’s- when you know all about it. Pressure upon the sinus by pus that may be confined there can, and does, cause great discomfort. Fever, headaches, and a general feeling of illness are definite symptoms of a sinusitis, and, if the condition is allowed to become chronic, serious complicaticns may ensue. For example, damage may be done to the ears, and an irritating cough or hoarseness may become a permanent condition. Proper care of a head cold will prevent sinusitis. When you get a cold in the head, stay indoors, and if you show any signs of a fever, get into bed. This is the quickest way of clearing it , up, and, at the same time, keeping in- . fection away from others; Drink plenty < of fruit juices, and don’t use any nose drops or nasal irrigations without the doctor’s advice if the nasal passages are clogged.