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Inflammation of the sinuses is not only a runny nose and a headache. Normal runny nose passes after a few days. If it lasts longer, keeps coming back, or you get a headache, it's likely the problem is with your sinuses. If you treat it quickly, you can protect yourself from chronic, recurrent sinusitis. What causes sinusitis?

Sinusitisoften occurs after a banal cold.The first symptoms of sinusitis may not draw your attention, because you only have a runny nose after your illness.But then your head starts to ache, especially around the forehead and the base of the nose. It is also typical for the discomfort to worsen in the morning or when bending down.

Treatment of sinusitis is difficult, although it does not always require the help of a specialist . But on condition that you start acting immediately. It is worth doing this, because untreated sinusitis is a much more serious problem.

Symptoms of sinusitis

There are several paranasal sinuses.Inflammation most commonly affects the frontal, maxillary and ethmoid sinuses . And on where it develops, ailments depend.

Pain in the forehead area indicates inflammation of the frontal sinuses.

Infection of the maxillary sinuses often causes pain in the upper jaw, teeth and sore cheeks.

Swelling of the eyelids and around the eyes is a sign that ethmoid sinuses are ill. Their inflammation can also cause nasal blockage, soreness of the sides of the nose and loss of smell.

  • sinus pains worsen in the morning and in the morning and with tilting the head
  • a very common symptom of sinusitis is nasal discharge - watery and transparent if the cause of the inflammation is caused by viruses, or thick and purulent when the infection is caused by bacteria

Sometimes there are also general ailments, e.g.

  • fever
  • feeling unwell
  • feeling broken
  • lack of appetite

Sinus discharge running down the back of the throat can cause chronic coughing and grunting.

Sinusitis: causes

Sinusitis is most often caused by viral, sometimes bacterial, rarely fungal infections. It is favored by recurrent and untreated upper respiratory tract infections and … cariesteeth. Sinus problems are much more common for allergy sufferers and those suffering from asthma or allergic rhinitis, people with some anatomical abnormalities, e.g. a curvature of the nasal septum, hypertrophy of the palatine tonsils or the pharyngeal tonsil.

Doctors estimate that every third Pole has had acute sinusitis at least once, and every fifth person suffers from a chronic infection, i.e. the one with symptoms lasting more than 3 months.

The paranasal sinuses are air cavities within the skull, connected by natural openings to the nasal cavity so that air and mucus can move around.They perform important functions: they are a type of shock absorber that protects delicate structures of the brain against injuries, modulate the voice, moisturize the air inhaled through the nose.

If inflammation begins in the lining of the sinuses, discharge forms that clog the sinuses. The air cannot get out and presses against the walls of the sinuses. It is for this reason that we feel pain in various parts of the face or head.

Sinusitis treatment

If the disease has just started, you can try to heal it with home treatments. Make sure your sinuses can cleanse. Inhalations and warming compresses will help.

You can also reach for OTC (over-the-counter) mucolytic and anti-inflammatory drugs, but remember to use them in accordance with the leaflet, and if their use does not bring the expected results, consult a doctor who will decide on the further treatment.

In typical cases, the doctor starts the appropriate treatment only on the basis of examination and conversation with the patient. Additional tests are usually required in the event of recurring or persistent symptoms.

If the antibiotics are ineffective, the doctor may order microbiological tests(culture), which is the culture of bacteria in the secretions collected from the nose or sinuses during their puncture (puncture). On this basis, a drug that destroys these microorganisms is selected.

Sinuses must be healed because if left untreated, inflammation can lead to complications such as meningitis and a brain abscess.

See what the bays look like

In difficult-to-diagnose cases, endoscopy of the nose and sinuses is performed more and more often. The doctor inserts a thin speculum deep into the nose, which allows the assessment of places that are not accessible during normal ENT examination, e.g. sinus openings, deeper part of the nasal septum or the mouths of the tear ducts.

Nowadays, an X-ray of the sinuses is performed less and less, because it does not show it very accuratelyabnormalities. Computed tomography is much more perfect.The test should be performed in the so-called he alth, i.e. at least 6 weeks after the end of an acute infection.

The tomography of the sinuses detects inflammatory changes in the mucosa and the bone structure of the sinuses, allows you to assess whether the inflammation does not extend to the areas adjacent to the sinuses (skull base, eye sockets, brain).

If an allergic background of sinusitis is suspected, it is advisable to perform allergy confirmation tests, e.g. skin tests.

See the gallery of 5 photosYou must do it
  • Limit contact with pollutants(dust, tobacco smoke, chemicals) that damage the nasal mucosa.
  • Avoid allergens , keep filters in air conditioners and air purifiers clean. They contain bacteria that spread rapidly with the air being blown out.
  • Drink a lot , especially when the air is dry. The nasal mucosa, moist from the inside, is a good barrier to pathogenic microorganisms. Maintain proper air humidity in the apartment. Air humidifiers are very helpful during the heating season.

Sinusitis treatment: operation

Sometimes the only way to free yourself from chronic and recurrent sinusitis is to undergo surgery. Here are the most frequently performed:

  • Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FEOZ) . This is the most modern and effective sinus surgery today. Thanks to the use of an endoscope and very precise microsurgical instruments, it is possible to thoroughly remove lesions and widen the natural sinus openings.
  • Septoplasty, or correction of the septum of the nose . The operation is performed when the doctor detects a curvature of the septum of the nose (congenital or as a result of an injury). Slight curvature usually does not obstruct nasal or sinus patency, but when the nasal mucosa is swollen due to infection or an allergic process, it can obstruct nasal breathing and block the paranasal sinuses. Then septoplasty is recommended.
  • Polypectomy.The procedure involves the removal of nasal polyps and sinuses. Polyps are pathological growths of the mucosa. They fill the nasal cavities and sinuses, blocking their opening and patency. Surgery is most often performed through the nostrils, but sometimes the skin above the sinus may need to be punctured or cut.

Home remedies for sinusitis

  • S alt or mustard in bags- for bags made of densely woven linen, pour table s alt. Heat it upthem (e.g. in a frying pan or oven) and put them on your cheeks and forehead. The s alt must not be too hot so that it does not burn the skin. You can also fill the bags with mustard seeds. Its pleasant smell accelerates the opening of the respiratory tract. Depending on your needs, repeat compresses even several times a day. When the mucus starts to drain, gently clean your nose - keep blowing to close one nostril.
  • Inhalations -Inhalations of steam with a little s alt and possibly herbs, e.g. chamomile, bring great results. You can also add a few drops of camphor essential oil. Bend over the bowl (cover your head with a thin towel or cloth) and inhale the vapors. After 5 minutes of inhalation, remove the towel from your head and try to gently blow your nose. If it doesn't go smoothly, put your head under the towel again. Inhalations should be used 3 times a day for about 10 minutes. It is also advisable to take a warm bath or stay in the sauna.

Read:At home sinus rinse - how to rinse your sinuses at home?

Endoscopic sinus irrigation and Hydrodebrider

Endoscopic sinus irrigation has long been used as an adjunctive therapy, but only new technologies (e.g. Hydrodebrider) allow for very thorough sinus cleaning during surgery.

The American research to date shows that this method can reduce the occurrence of bacterial biofilms in the sinuses by 99%, and at the same time is safe for the patient.

This device has two types of tips - one for maxillary, ethmoidal and wedge-shaped sinuses (enables 270-degree rotary rinsing) and the other for frontal sinuses (80-degree rotation).

Rinsing is done with a physiological saline solution, which is ejected as a spray at a pressure of 5 ml per second and at the same time sucked out. This design allows the Hydrodebrider to remove inflammatory changes from all sinus recesses, even as difficult to access as the medial wall and the bottom of the maxillary sinuses.

Read:Potta's tumor is caused by bacterial sinusitis

Expert advice

  • Sinusitis from a tooth?

Some time ago, the top three hurt me. The pain subsided, but I began to feel a small ball around the tooth root that hurt and radiated when pressed. After a while, it almost disappeared, but the pain when pressed remained.

A month ago, my doctor diagnosed me with sinusitis. The mucus runs down the back of my throat only from the side of the previously aching upper three, irritating them. No drugs are helping. Now I'm finishing my antibiotic treatment,which also hardly helped at all.

I would also like to add that I do not have any other symptoms associated with sinusitis, such as: headache when bending down, lack of smell, stuffy nose or fever. Could it be that this is an inflammation of the paranasal sinus caused by this tooth? Because I have root canal treatment 1 and 2 a year ago and nothing happened, and these three are alive, but you can't see any change on the surface.

Answer prof. dr hab. med. Antoni Krzeski

Professor dr hab. med. Antoni Krzeski is the head of the Otorhinolaryngology Clinic of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry of the Medical University of Warsaw, which is located in the Czerniakowski Hospital.

Ania nice, everything is possible in medicine, and the teeth are directly adjacent to the sinuses. So there is a possibility that the inflammation in the teeth has spread to the sinuses. But whether this is so, it will be possible to say only after examining the patient and viewing the sinus tomography. Please trust your dentist or look for one you can trust. Regards, Prof. A. Chairs

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