What Is Thicker, Rubbery Nasal Mucus?
Thick, rubbery nasal mucus is a common symptom of sinuses infection. It may cause coughing or sneezing fits and it may even lead to pneumonia. When there are no symptoms present, thick mucus may just appear out of nowhere. If the thick mucus appears suddenly, then it could be due to some other condition such as allergies or asthma attacks. However, if the thick mucus is present for a long period of time, then it could indicate something else.
The thick mucus in your nose usually comes from your sinuses. There are two types of sinuses: nasal cavities and tonsils. Both kinds have their own unique characteristics which make them different from each other. For example, tonsil can grow up to 1 cm (0.4 inches) in diameter.
These tiny tonsils are very sensitive to allergens and irritants. They produce mucus when they breathe in these substances. If you inhale a strong enough odor, the tonsil will start producing mucus. This type of mucus is called “dry” or “dry mucus.” Dry mucus can be quite irritating and causes a burning sensation inside your nose.
If you do not clean your nose on a regular basis, the dry mucus may start to solidify. Some people experience difficulty in breathing as the dry mucus builds up within their nose. In some cases the dry mucus may become warm and wet. These are the cases where it is a good idea to use saline solution or sterile water to flush out your nose.
More information about this can be found in the section below.
How to Unclog Sinuses?
The typical way that doctors unclog sinuses is by using a suction machine. This machine is connected to a long, thin plastic tube. The tube is then inserted into the patient’s nose. After that, the doctor can easily draw out the thick mucus in your nose. In some cases, it is possible that bacteria and viruses may be present in the mucus. If this happens, the mucus can cause an infection inside your lungs when the doctor draws it out.
It is a good idea to avoid this by drinking more water. Doing so will help loosen up the mucus in your nose and make it easier to blow out the thick stuff. You can also use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the swelling inside your sinuses. By using these drugs, you can clear out the mucus and allow yourself to breathe more easily.
How to Get Rid of Sinus Infection?
The best way to get rid of a sinus infection is by using antibiotics. These drugs can eliminate the infection and reduce swelling quickly. However, some people do not like taking antibiotics because these drugs also kill off the “good” bacteria in your body. Without the “good” bacteria, your body is more susceptible to infectious diseases. Another option is to use over-the-counter decongestants and antihistamines. These drugs can help you get rid of your stuffy nose quickly.
If your condition gets worse, make sure to see a doctor as soon as possible. In some cases, it is possible to lose one’s sense of smell if the infection is left untreated for too long. Also, you could suffer from permanent brain damage if the infection spreads to your brain.
Where Do Sinuses Go?
After you die, your brain slowly deteriorates. With the brain gone, it is only a matter of time before the rest of your body is eaten up by bacteria and other microscopic organisms. During this process of bodily decomposition, it is common for the soft tissues in your nose to collapse inwards. As a result, your bones will be left exposed and they will bend together to form a new shape.
What do you think this new shape resembles?
If you said a tadpole, then you are exactly right! As you can see, your sinuses have evolved millions of years beyond what a lowly tadpole once was. Perhaps you should be proud of this fact.
What Do Sinuses Look Like?
In the inner corners of your eyes are two small holes. If you look inside these holes, you can see a small structure. This structure is your optic nerve (also called the “optic nerve cup”). Under a microscope, it looks like a steep mountain range. The nerve that goes to your right eye is wider than the one that goes to your left eye. The reason for this difference is not known.
On each side of your nose are two small holes. These are your Eustachian tubes (also called the auditory tubes or the internal ear tubes). They link your inner ear to the middle part of your nose. Air pressure changes, like when you go up a mountain or dive in the ocean, are balanced by these tubes.
If they do not work properly, you can get a painful condition called “ear block”. If you have ever experienced an ear block, you might have felt like your ear was full of water. This is because the Eustachian tubes drain liquid into your middle ear when they are blocked.
Do You Have Sinus Pain?
If you have sinus pain, there is something you can do about it! You might have to try a few different treatments before you find one that is effective. But there are many treatment options available.
When you get sinus pain, there are two possible reasons why this is happening. Either the nerves inside your nose are damaged (this is called a “neuralgia”), or there is something pressing on the bone of your nose (this is called “benign sinusitis”). Neuralgias are much more common than the latter of these two conditions.
In some cases, your pain might be caused by a foreign object or a growth inside your nose. If you think this may be the case, make an appointment with an ear, nose, and throat doctor as soon as possible. For now, we will discuss the most common reasons for sinus pain: neuralgia and benign sinusitis.
Get Rid of Your Sinus Pain!
If your pain is caused by a neuralgia, you might need to have surgery. This is especially true if you have had this problem for a long time (weeks or months). You may be able to treat the pain, or shorten its duration, by taking pain pills and other medicines. For example, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a good way to reduce swelling, while acetaminophen can help you with the pain.
If your pain is caused by benign sinusitis, you can usually treat it with antibiotics for a week or two. During this treatment period, you may want to take over-the-counter pain medicines for any discomfort. If the pain continues after your treatment is finished, you should make an appointment to see an ear, nose, and throat doctor.
One way or another, you need to get rid of your sinus pain. Before you do anything else, you should find a treatment that works for you.
Do You Suffer From Sinus Pain?
It is possible for you to have pain anywhere in your nose (except in the middle). If your pain is bad enough, there are several things you can do to help yourself right now.
First of all, if your pain is severe, you should take over-the-counter pain medicine. This might include acetaminophen, such as Tylenol, or an NSAID, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, such as Advil.
Next, you might take decongestants. For these to be most effective, you should wait until you have a stuffy nose (which is most of the time when you have sinusitis).
After that, it helps to flush out any infected mucus that may be in your nose. You can do this by inhaling a warm saltwater solution.
Finally, if you have any allergies or asthma, you should take your medicine. This is because when you have sinus pain, it is very easy for other conditions to appear, such as these.
If you start to feel better after trying these treatments, continue to use them until your pain is gone. If you do not get better after a few days, you should make an appointment to see an ear, nose, and throat doctor.
Manage Your Sinus Pain
In some cases, your pain may be more than just a bad sinus headache. You may have a fever or you may be feeling very tired and sick. If this is the case with you, you probably have a sinus infection. When this is the problem, you need to treat it right away!
Wait, you may be thinking.
Doesn’t the doctor have to treat it?
Usually, a sinus infection can be treated with antibiotics taken by mouth. Before you can take these medicines, however, you need to see a doctor. He or she will give you a physical examination and ask you some questions about your medical history. This is to rule out other problems (such as a more serious infection in your ear or lungs), and to make sure that you really do have a sinus infection.
If you do have a sinus infection, the doctor will most likely give you an antibiotic called Amoxicillin. You may be allergic to this medicine, so tell your doctor if you have had any bad reactions to medicines in the past. While you are taking this medicine, watch for any side effects. Report any that you notice to your doctor right away.
You may be wondering, what if I don’t have health insurance?
Don’t worry! Many people get antibiotics from the pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription. If you need to do this in order to get better, you absolutely should! Your health is much more important than money.
While you are taking your medicine, you should try to rest as much as possible. Also, drink plenty of water. This will help your body get rid of the infection.
Hang in there! You should start to feel better in a few days.
In the meantime, you can do something to help with your pain and your stuffy nose. Take a warm shower or bath every day. This will open up your sinuses so that you don’t feel as bad. You can also use a cool mist vapor machine.
You may also want to take some non-prescription medicines to help with pain and discomfort. For example, you could try taking some acetaminophen, such as Tylenol. You could also try taking a non-drowsy antihistamine, such as Chlor-Trimeton. These medicines can be bought at your local drugstore.
Be careful not to take too much acetaminophen (unless you are certain that you won’t have any negative side effects), because it can be very bad for your health. The same goes for other medicines as well.
If you don’t feel better in a few days, return to your doctor. You may need stronger medicines.
What Else Could It Be?
If you don’t suffer from allergies or illness, and you don’t get sinus headaches, you might have something else wrong. This is especially true if your pain gets worse. In this case, you need to see a doctor right away. Other things that may be the problem include growths or fragments in or around your nose or eyes, a broken bone or cyst, or even some brain problems.
How to Deal
If you don’t have any of these problems and your headaches are not caused by allergies or a sinus infection, then you just have to wait them out. This is called pain of a “vascular” nature. In other words, there is something going on with your blood vessels that causes the pain. While this type of pain can be quite dangerous if it doesn’t get treated right away, it often gets better on its own after a week or so.
So, the main thing you can do to deal with this type of pain is to distract yourself as much as possible. Go out with friends, play a sport or just try to keep your mind off of it. You can also take non-prescription medicines like acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen (such as Advil). Be careful not to take too much of these, though.
If the pain really gets bad, go to the hospital right away, because it can be a sign of something more serious going on such as a tumor or an aneurysm.
Whatever you do, don’t let it stop you from living your life!
See your doctor as soon as possible
Return to your doctor immediately
Try over-the-counter painkillers
Take a hot shower or bath to open your sinuses
Distract yourself as much as possible
This content was modified from a previous version published by the CDC Foundation.
Sources & references used in this article:
Sinusitis: viral, bacterial, or fungal and what is the role of Staph? by RG Slavin – Allergy and asthma proceedings, 2006 – ingentaconnect.com
Diagnosis of allergic fungal sinusitis by JP Bent III, FA Kuhn – Otolaryngology—Head and Neck …, 1994 – journals.sagepub.com
Fungal sinusitis: an update by JF Morpeth, JP Bent III, FA Kuhn, NT Rupp… – Annals of Allergy, Asthma …, 1996 – Elsevier
Nasal endoscopic visualization and management of the leading causes of probing failure by OM Hakim, W Mandour, E Elbaz – Journal of pediatric …, 2010 – search.proquest.com
