Is My Dizziness From Sinusitis?

Sinusitis is not bad enough by itself, with the stuffy head and pain and pressure, it also brings along a host of other problems, such as post nasal drip, sore throat, loss of hearing and even sinusitis dizziness.

It helps to understand a little about the sinuses in order to understand some of these problems. Our skull has little air pockets surrounding the nose and forehead. These air pockets are called sinus cavities. Often, because of a virus, allergies or bacteria introduced into these passages, the naturally formed mucus gets trapped because it cannot drain. This in turn can cause an infection, called a sinus infection.

Our sense of balance is maintained by a delicate, elaborate interaction between a number of systems in our body. Throw off one of those systems, and you throw off your balance and can cause dizziness. Dizziness is a feeling of being unsteady or light headed. When the systems all work in coordination, your brain is able to direct the body's movement easily and fluidly. But once something goes wrong, dizziness may occur, throwing off your equilibrium.

The inner ear monitors the direction of the body: what is forward, what is backwards, up, down, right, left, right side up and upside down. The eyes are in charge of placing your body in relation to the environment surrounding it. The skin also plays a role in this delicate balance, by telling the brain if you are bumping into something, touching the ground or floating in midair. It is the brain and the spinal cord that has to take all of this information and direct the body accordingly. When one of the systems is not working properly, and sending improper signals to the brain and the spinal column, this can cause the systems to be disoriented, causing dizziness. This is how sinusitis dizziness occurs. When you have a sinus infection, the inner ear is affected because of the pressure on the sinuses, and sends a wrong signal to the brain, making maintaining your balance a difficult task.

When your sinus problems have reached the point where you are experience sinusitis dizziness, you should consult a doctor. But it is better to take some precautions to make sure that your sinusitis never reaches this point of seriousness. You can prevent sinusitis from occurring, or at least, minimize the effects. Since one of the primary causes of sinusitis is bacteria, eating well, taking vitamins and in general caring for your body properly will help you immune system so that you can fight bacteria. This reduces your changes of sinusitis, sinus infection and therefore, sinusitis dizziness. When you have a weak immune system, the sinus system, which is one of the most sensitive in the body, is the first to feel the effects.

You can also prevent sinus infections by taking precautions about the air you breathe. Using a vaporizer at night to keep the air moist and the sinuses lubricated will help. You can keep dust and dander down in your home by using an air purifier and a hypoallergenic vacuum. Depending on whether your home is too moist or too dry (too much moisture encourages the growth of fungus and spore, too little is irritating to the delicate tissue of the sinus cavities), you can install a humidifier or a de-humidifier. Air conditioning also reduces the presence of allergens in the air, which can be a major source of sinus irritation and infection.

If you are one of the lucky ones and have never had sinusitis dizziness, count your blessings. Those who suffer from it know how dangerous it can be. The best way to deal with it is to make sure you do not allow your sinusitis to become chronic in the first place, by addressing each incident of sinusitis and sinus infection right away. You should not ignore such a problem, thinking that it will go away. Sinusitis itself is not usually dangerous or life threatening, but the repercussions, such as dizziness that can prevent you from living your life normally, can be.

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