Sinusitis is the condition when the tissues lining the sinuses swell or get inflamed. Sinuses are air filled cavities in the areas surrounding our nose. These are lined with mucus and when a person suffers from sinusitis, the mucus production increases and blocks the hollow areas. In such cases bacteria, fungi or virus can grow in the fluid and cause infection.
Sinusitis can be of various types. First, there is acute sinusitis where the condition stays for about four weeks. When it lasts for more than 4 weeks but does not go beyond 8 weeks it is termed subacute sinusitis. When the condition continues for more than 8 weeks it is then termed chronic sinusitis. Sometimes people may get affected for short periods several times over a year. Such a condition is called recurrent sinusitis.
When discussing the causes of sinusitis it is better to discuss causes of acute sinusitis separately because it almost always results from infection of a single or more kind. The causes of chronic sinusitis can be varied ranging from infection to physical deformities.
Most often the cases of acute sinusitis start with cold which is a viral infection. Such attacks inflame the sinuses and cause fluid build up. Nasal blockage or rhinitis is caused in the process. So even if the viral infection dies out, there is a chance of the fluid deposition and nasal congestion laying the foundation for various other forms of infection. In most of the cases it is bacteria that cause trouble. Such cases of sinusitis are called rhinosinusitis.
Interestingly, this is also the cause of chronic sinusitis. This happens when the infections are not removed completely or are left untreated. Such conditions actually destroy the mucus membrane and create a condition where the person suffers from chronic sinusitis.
Chronic sinusitis results from chronic inflammatory condition of the sinuses. Most often, when the cause is not infection, it is allergy. Most of the symptoms of such conditions resemble that of allergic rhinitis and that is why it has been concluded that this form of sinusitis results from continuous allergic reaction to outside stimuli.
Often blockage of the nasal passage as well as the sinuses is caused by abnormalities of the nasal passage. Such blockages may allow continuous fluid build up in the sinuses and lead to sinusitis. Such abnormalities have various forms.
The septum is the soft bony structure running along the central part of the nose and it is responsible for separating the nostrils as well as structural support to the nose. Sometimes the septum gets deviated to any one side of the nose making the size of air passage unequal on the two sides. Such abnormality can lead to uneven air flow or blockage and lead to sinus problems.
Polyps are small non-cancerous growths in the nasal passage that can block or hamper normal fluid and mucus drainage from the nose. Similarly tumors growing in the nasal passage can also cause the same problems in a similar way.
At the back end of the pharynx lie masses of lymphatic tissues called adenoids which attract the pathogens and destroy them before they can enter the air tube. Sometimes these enlarge and causes blockage of the passage.
This is the condition when the upper portion of the mouth suffers from a congenital deformity and thereby blocks the nasal passage.
This is one of the rarest causes of sinusitis but reportedly the number of incidents is increasing. It is believed that the problem is caused more by allergic response to the fungi than the fungi directly causing infection.
A person is generally diagnosed with acute sinusitis when he or she shows two or more of these symptoms.
1. Nasal Discharge – this is a common sign of sinusitis. The nasal discharge will generally be of a thick type with yellowish or yellowish-green coloration.
2. Facial Pain and pressure – the person may feel pain in the facial regions and a sense of pressure build up in the areas around the nose and forehead. Sometimes the pain may spread to the dental region as well.
3. Loss of Smell and Taste – blockage of the nasal passage also blocks the nerve endings and that causes loss of sense of smell and taste.
5. Other symptoms may include cough and cold, fever, fatigue and bad breath due to bacterial infection of the mucus membranes.
In case of chronic sinusitis, the person may suffer from some or all of the above mentioned symptoms for a period of over eight weeks. Apart from these he or she may also develop pus in the infected sinuses.
Treatments generally aim at reducing the inflammation and swelling, keeping the nasal passage clear and removing any underlying cause of sinusitis.
This is simply saline solution which is sprayed directly into the nostril several times a day for cleansing the nasal passage.
These medicines are used for decongestion of nasal passages. But these should be used for short periods and overuse of these may make them ineffective.
These are used to relieve the pain in the facial areas that accompanies sinusitis. However, they do not take part in actually curing the condition.
Corticosteroids are delivered in the form of nasal sprays in mild attacks and they aim to treat the inflammation. When the condition is of a severe nature, these steroids may be administered orally or through injections.
These are used for treatment of the underlying causes such as bacterial infections. So these are actually used mostly in acute cases and sometimes in chronic cases of sinusitis when caused by infections.
If allergy is the cause behind chronic sinusitis then the patient may be recommended immunotherapy for reducing the reaction to allergens.
This is the final step that may be needed for treatment of severe cases of chronic sinusitis or for removal of polyps and tumors that block nasals passage.
The people who are at a risk of getting sinusitis easily generally show any of the following.
5. Immunity system disorder like HIV and AIDS or those who are undergoing treatment through immunosuppressive therapy.