Sinusitis is one of the most common health conditions in the U.S. Studies show that that it affects approximately 37 million people per year. Since many people never actually see a doctor for a proper diagnosis because they think it’s merely just a cold or allergies, that number may actually be significantly higher.

Acute bacterial sinusitis is an infection of the sinus cavities caused by bacteria where the mucous membranes that line the inside of the nose and sinuses become inflamed. It is usually accompanied with a cold, allergy attack, or irritation by environmental pollutants.

When your sinuses become inflamed, they are unable to drain mucus through your nasal passages. This can lead to congestion and infection, which causes pressure and pain in the sinuses. Aside from that, when sinuses are unable to drain properly, bacteria and fungus are more likely to grow inside of them.

There are two types of sinusitis: acute (sudden) and chronic (long-term). When it comes to chronic sinusitis, you're never really free from symptoms and always have a low level of sinusitis symptoms.

As I stated earlier, many people are unaware that they even have sinusitis because symptoms are very similar to that of a cold or allergies. One way to distinguish the difference between the two is monitoring how long your symptoms last. A cold usually clears up after 5-7 days. Sinusitis symptoms last much longer. To truly determine if you have sinusitis, you should see a physician to get a proper diagnosis. Once you get that information from the doctor, he or she will probably want to prescribe an anti-biotic. At that point you should tell the doctor “thanks but no thanks”, pay your bill and make your way to the door. After that, head over to your natural health store and grab some supplements.

The first weapon of choice for fighting a cold is good old vitamin C. In his book Natural Alternatives to Drugs,. Michael T. Murray maintains "While the vitamin C studies have consistently demonstrated results superior to over-the-counter cold medications, manufacturers of vitamin C products are prevented from making any claims for their product, while the makers of OTC common-cold medications spend hundreds of millions of dollars brainwashing the American public into believing these products are the answer to the common cold." I couldn’t have said it better myself. I recommend taking 500 mg every 2 hours until the infection is cured.

Recent studies have shown N-acetylcysteine, which is a natural supplement to be effective in reducing the incidence of chronic sinusitis. N-acetylcysteine is derived from an amino acid and has been shown to help sinuses drain by keeping mucus fluid. Adults should take in doses of 200 mg. three times a day and children can 200 mg two times a day.

Zinc is also a great choice if you’re feel like you’re coming down with a cold. "Zinc is not only seen to be an important regulator of immunity, but has also been found clinically to be an excellent mineral to take in the event of viral illness, such as the common cold," writes the Life Extension Foundation.

Aside from strengthening the immune system, vitamin A thins the mucus and promotes the growth of healthy mucus-promoting cells so that’s also a great choice.

There are also a number of homeopathic medicine treatments you can consider such as eyebright, monkshood, wild hops and belladonna. Some of my personal favorite effective alternatives for fighting a cold are Echinacea, cinnamon, elderflower, ginger and licorice simply because they help improve your immune system instead of just band aiding the problem. Either choice is till always better than making the chemical, I mean drug companies rich.

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