Relieve nasal blockage associated with sinusitis with Otrivin.

Your sinuses are small, air-filled cavities behind your cheekbones and forehead. The mucus produced by your sinuses usually drains into your nose through small channels. When these channels become blocked, your sinus linings become inflamed (swollen), causing sinusitis symptoms.

In most cases this inflammation is caused by a viral infection, such as the common cold, and clears up without need for treatment within two to three weeks.2

Sinusitis symptoms to look out for:

Sinusitis, also called rhinosinusitis, affects roughly 1 in 8 adults every year. It usually occurs when viruses or bacteria infect the sinuses (such as during a bout of the common cold) and begin to multiply.

Part of the body’s reaction to this infection causes the sinus lining to swell, blocking the channels that drain the sinuses. This causes mucus and pus to fill up the nose and sinus cavities.1 So, what are the symptoms of sinusitis?

Sinusitis symptoms can include:1,3

  • Blocked nose
  • Runny nose
  • Pain, swelling and tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead
  • Headache
  • Reduction or loss of sense of smell
  • High temperature
  • Toothache
  • Bad breath

How long do sinusitis symptoms last?

You might have symptoms of sinusitis for relatively short periods of time – this is called acute sinusitis. When the symptoms last longer, however, there might be a secondary infection at play, or you may have chronic sinusitis.

See the differences in the table below.2

   Length of time with 
   symptoms

   Type of sinusitis

   7 to 10 days

  This is acute sinusitis and
  most cases start with a virus

   Longer than 10 days

  Occasionally (less than 2% of
  the time), a bacterial infection
  develops, which may require
  treatment with an antibiotic

   Over months or even    years

  This is chronic sinusitis and
  can feel like a cold that does
  not go away for months or
  even years

What treatment can I take to relieve my sinus pain and pressure?

There are some simple things you can do at home to ease your symptoms. Painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen can be used to relieve a headache, facial pain or tenderness, while a decongestant such as Otrivin Oxy Fast Relief Nasal Spray / Otrivin Paediatric Nasal Drops will help unblock your nose, allowing you to breathe more easily.1–4


Other things that can help are:3

  • Getting plenty of rest
  • Drinking plenty of fluids
  • Avoiding allergic triggers and not smoking
  • Cleaning your nose with a nasal saline solution to ease congestion
  • Incorporating nasal wash in daily routine to enhance nasal hygiene

How is chronic sinusitis treated?

Chronic sinusitis (when symptoms last more than three months) is a long-term condition, and its treatment generally involves a long-term strategy to control the inflammation and swelling in the nose and sinuses. This may involve corticosteroid nasal sprays, nasal saline rinses, and treatment of allergy, among many other treatment options.2

Elderly female patient buys medication at the pharmacy.

From a common cold to sinusitis

  • Since sinusitis is usually caused by a viral infection, there are basic precautions that you can take to reduce the chances of getting a cold that might lead to sinusitis:5
  • Wash your hands with warm water and soap regularly
  • Avoid sharing towels or household items (like cups) with someone who has a cold
  • Avoid touching your eyes or nose in case you have come into contact with the cold virus – it can infect the body this way
  • Stay fit and healthy – including eating a nutritious, well-balanced diet, and getting enough sleep and regular exercise

Reach for Otrivin as part of your sinusitis treatment.

When you’re suffering from sinusitis, you’ll do just about anything to ease its symptoms. Luckily, Otrivin has a range of nasal decongestant sprays and drops for you to consider depending on your needs, including:

  • Otrivin Oxy Fast Relief Nasal Spray, which starts to unblock your nose in just 25 seconds and provides relief for up to 12 hours.6
  • Otrivin Paediatric Nasal Drops, which help to unblock your child’s (ages 1-11 years) congested nose and get to work in just 25 seconds and provides relief for up to 12 hours.7
  • Otrivin Moist P Nasal Drops is a decongestant for children (ages 1 – 11 years) that helps to provide relief from congestion and provide further moisturisation to the nasal passage. It starts working in 2 minutes and provides relief up to 12 hours.9

You should always ask your doctor about which Otrivin product is best suited for your condition before initiating a treatment.

Otrivin Moist group packshots

Go to products page

References:

  1. Rosenfeld RM, Piccirillo JF, Chandrasekhar SS, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline (Update): Adult Sinusitis. Otolaryngol–Head Neck Surg. 2015;152(2S):S1–S39 
  2. Goodman DM, Lynm C, Livingston EL. Adult Sinusitis. J Am Med Assoc. 2013;309(8):837 
  3. NHS. Sinusitis (sinus infection). Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sinusitis-sinus-infection/ (last accessed March 2020) 
  4. NICE. Sinusitis. Available from: https://cks.nice.org.uk/sinusitis#!topicSummary (last accessed March 2020) 
  5. NHS. Common cold. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/common-cold/ (last accessed March 2020) 
  6. Otrivin Oxy Fast Relief Product Information Leaflet
  7. Otrivin Paediatric Nasal Drops Product Information Leaflet
  8. Otrivin Moisturising Adult Nasal Drops Product Information Leaflet
  9. Otrivin Moisturising Paediatric Nasal Drops Product Information Leaflet

Show all references

Close references

Learn more.

Middle-aged woman with allergy blowing her nose

The science behind a cold

Woman sneezing due to hay fever allergy, which might be produced by pollen inhalation.

Allergic rhinitis - symptoms & treatment

Woman blows her nose which can be a symptom of a cold, flu or allergies such as hay fever.

Cold - symptoms & treatment

Baby with The blue shirt and a toy in the hand

Baby cold remedies & sleeping tips