“Freak weather”, as the Dutch call it, really hit us this time. It’s insanely cold, and it gets even colder everyday. In this kind of weather, flu and colds are common.

I had been having headaches and colds since last week so I consulted with a doctor. A friend of mine who gives auto insurance quotes referred me to this specialist. It turns out that my sinuses are infected. I was a bit surprised to know that I have sinusitis because no one in the family has it – I thought it was hereditary at first ^_^.

Sinuses are cavities behind the nose and forehead region. When infected, the sinus walls excrete large amounts of mucous which can trigger headaches, difficulty in breathing, and in some cases, asthma attacks. This is a bacterial infection usually triggered by stress, allergens, or cold weather.

I was asked about the color of the mucous excreted from my nose. Clear means allergic reaction, yellow to green means infection. The doctor gave me some antibiotics to fight the infection. I was also advised to do steam therapy (breathing in steam to clear the nasal passages) and take the week off.

Because sinusitis can be easily mistaken as flu or colds, many will just take over the counter drugs. It is advisable that you don’t self medicate for it can only worsen your condition.