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We all know how it feels. We've felt the pain. The pressure builds until you think you can't handle it any more. Your head feels like it's twice its normal size and ready to burst. You know what I'm talking about: Sinus problems and sinus infections; whatever you'd like to call them. They can really make your life miserable for weeks at a time, especially during the winter months.

Sinusitis, most commonly known as sinus infection, happens when the sinuses get blocked and mucus and air cannot flow freely through them. Here's a statistic to think about: 30% of all people suffer from sinusitis at least once a year. Put that in perspective and that means about 1.8 billion people suffer from one sinus infection or another during the year. This includes those who suffer short term (acute: 1-3 weeks), long term (chronic: 3-8 weeks) and recurrent (multiple times throughout the year) sinus problems.

Sinus infection symptoms can hit you in a number of ways. They include:

' Fever
' Headache
' Runny nose or nasal congestion
' Cough
' Ear ache or ear infection
' Swelling around the eyes
' Upper jaw and tooth ache
' Tenderness around nose, ear, and cheeks
' Weakness or fatigue

Personally, sinus headaches make me want to die. I feel like I'm in slow motion. A helicopter sounds like it is just above my head with its choppers going constantly. The pressure mounts in my sinus cavities and fills every whole from my brain to my face. I can't concentrate on anything and everyday tasks become burdens. I couldn't imagine dealing with sinus headaches on a regular basis. Nobody wants to go around feeling like that. Life's hard enough without your head beating like a drum.

None of those are fun to experience; you have places to be, people to see, and things to do. You can't afford to be sick for lengthy periods of time. If you're part of that 30%, then you would probably like to know what you can do to prevent sinus infections from making your life a mess for weeks at a time. Simple activities, using a humidifier, and regularly cleansing nasal passages are a few good ways that can help decrease sinus infection symptoms. These symptoms can also be combated by using a nasal spray to clean, flush, and kill the harmful bacteria out of your nasal passages and sinus cavities.

Sinus problems can really complicate your daily routine and make life miserable. So plan ahead and don't get stuck in slow motion from sinus infections.