Normally your sinuses are empty except for a thin layer of mucus. Sometimes a respiratory tract infection can affect your sinuses and cause the mucus membranes mucosa inside your sinus cavities and nasal passageways to become inflamed.
Your sinuses start to produce more mucus that is extra sticky. This extra mucus along with swelling blocks the passageways and causes buildup. This blockage leads to sinus pressure and pain.
The underlying cause of nasal congestion is anything that inflames or irritates your nasal tissue. This, in turn, puts sinus pressure on the underlying tissues in your face, causing that painful sinus pressure you know all-too-well. Other causes of nasal congestion, among others, are allergies and environmental triggers including tobacco smoke and dry air.
There are things you can do to help relieve your sinus pressure before you reach for any medicine. Bacterial infections typically cause more severe symptoms, such as a fever of or higher, facial pain for at least a few days and green, thick nasal discharge. Sinusitis can also be chronic. In these cases, symptoms might be milder, less sudden and last for 12 weeks or longer. They may also occur numerous times throughout the year.
Depending on the type of sinus infection you have, antibiotics, antihistamines or decongestants can help. If you have bacterial sinusitis, your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics, which you would take for a few days or weeks, depending on the type of antibiotic and the severity of your symptoms. Over-the-counter and prescription antihistamines help by blocking inflammation associated with or worsened by allergies.
Decongestants and expectorants help to reduce the mucus in your sinuses. Keep in mind that medications can cause side effects and interact with other drugs. This helps you breathe better. It also makes it easier for you to get rid of germs that may be trapped in the mucus that you cough up.
Mucinex DM contains an additional drug called dextromethorphan. This drug helps control your cough. It works by affecting signals in your brain that trigger your cough reflex. This lessens your coughing.
Both Mucinex and Mucinex DM are available as tablets you take by mouth. You can take one or two tablets of either drug every 12 hours. For either drug, you should not take more than four tablets in 24 hours.
The tablets should not be used in people younger than 12 years. Shop for Mucinex. Mucinex and Mucinex DM tablets also both come in maximum-strength versions. These medicines contain double the amount of active ingredients. You should take no more than one maximum-strength tablet every 12 hours.
Do not take more than two tablets in 24 hours. Shop for Mucinex DM. The packaging for the regular-strength and maximum-strength products is similar. There is also a liquid version of Mucinex DM available, but only in the maximum-strength form.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to decide which form is right for you. Mucinex DM liquid is only for people 12 years or older. Shop for liquid Mucinex DM. There are Mucinex liquid products that are made especially for children 4 to 11 years of age. Most people tolerate these medications very well. However, at higher dosages, the likelihood of side effects from the drugs in Mucinex and Mucinex DM increases.
The chart below lists examples of possible side effects of Mucinex and Mucinex DM.
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