Many factors can increase your risk of developing a sinus infection, including a rise in humidity.
What Is a Sinus Infection?
A sinus infection or sinusitis is an inflammation that occurs when fluids build up in the sinuses. This fluid can become infected, often by viruses, but sometimes by bacteria or fungi as well. If you have a sinus infection, you will likely experience some or all of the following symptoms:
- Persistent nasal congestion lasting ten days or longer
- Pain or tenderness around the sinuses (cheeks and forehead)
- Thick yellow or green nasal discharge
- Tooth pain
- Cough
- Headache
- Fever
- Postnasal drip
- Loss of smell
While many of these symptoms can also occur with colds or other viruses, pain in the sinuses and other lingering symptoms should be evaluated by your primary care provider to see if you have an infection.
How Humidity Affects Your Sinus Infection Risk
You might think that high humidity would be good for your sinuses because of the moisture. However, extreme humidity, the kind that causes the air to become sticky, prevents your respiratory system’s defense mechanisms from working as well as usual.
In particular, high humidity affects the tiny hairs in your nose called cilia. These help to move protective mucus around to where it’s needed. Cilia also works to filter out pathogens, allergens and other irritants from your nose. However, when the air becomes too humid, they stop working as well, leading to more sinus infections.
Research has also shown that humidity can affect feelings of nasal congestion. One study had participants breathe air from three boxes: one containing room air at normal humidity, another containing dry air at room temperature and the third containing cold air, then rate their symptoms of nasal congestion.
From the study, they found that “Reduced nasal congestion after breathing from both the cold air box and the dry air box as compared with the room air box, with the cold air box decreasing reports of congestion most effectively. Calculations revealed that humidity also was an important factor, with lower humidity associated with decreased feelings of congestion.”
Preventing Humidity-related Sinusitis
It’s important to note that your sinuses need some degree of humidity to function properly. However, once the dew point gets into the 70s, you should take preventative measures to reduce your risk of developing a sinus infection.
- Avoid allergens when humidity is high. Allergy symptoms can lead to sinus infections, so avoid your triggers when humidity is high. This may mean keeping your windows and doors closed and avoiding higher pollen areas like Howard’s Knob Park.
- Using nasal spray. Nasal sprays can help your cilia stay healthy and continue working properly. Nasal sprays can provide and maintain the right amount of moisture.
If you develop sinus symptoms or find yourself dealing with reoccurring infections, schedule an appointment with the experts at Blue Ridge ENT today.