Sinusitis (sinus infection)

Ear Nose | Otorhinolaryngology | Sinusitis (sinus infection) (Disease)


Description

Sinusitis is infection of the mucous membrane that lines the inside of the nasal passages and sinuses. Sinuses are hollow spaces or cavities located around the eyes, cheeks and nose. When the mucous membrane becomes inflamed, swells, blocking the drainage of fluid from the sinus to the nose and throat, causing pain and pressure in the sinuses. Bacteria and fungi grow in the sinuses most likely unable to drain properly.

Symptoms attributed to sinusitis lasts longer and gets worse after 7 days. There are two types of sinusitis: acute (sudden onset) and chronic (long term). If chronic sinusitis symptoms do not disappear completely, always keeping the mild symptoms. Pain and pressure in the face with feeling stuffy or filled with secretions, are the most common symptoms. One can notice the appearance of yellow or green nasal discharge.

Causes and Risk factors

Sinuses become blocked during viral infection like a cold, producing inflammation and infection of the sinuses as a result. The difference between colds and sinusitis, is that the symptoms that accompany colds, including runny nose, begin to improve after 5-7 days.

Bending or movement of the head often can enlarge facial pain and pressure. The location of pain or the sensitivity depends on the affected sinus: Pain in the cheeks and the incisors is often caused by maxillary sinus inflammation;Pain in the forehead above the eyebrows, can be caused by inflammation of frontal sinus; pain behind the eyes, in the head or at both temples may be caused by inflammation of the sphenoidal sinus; periorbital pain is caused by inflammation retroocular ethmoid sinus. Acute sinusitis (sudden onset) is usually caused by a viral infection and often develops rapidly.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Usually it lasts four weeks or less, and symptoms tend to disappear in a week without treatment. Acute sinusitis caused by bacterial infection is less likely to heal by itself and can lead to chronic sinusitis or complications of the infection is spreading away from the sinuses.

Medicines may be used to treat sinusitis, especially when it is caused by a bacterial infection. There are varying lengths of treatment with medicines-treatment may be as short as three days or last as long as several weeks or more. ...