What is sinusitis: causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

What is sinusitis worries many who have suffered from this disease at least once in their lives. So called acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the maxillary or maxillary sinus. Over time, it can become chronic. It is sinusitis - one of the most frequent reasons for seeking help from an otolaryngologist. All over the world, in the structure of the incidence of sinusitis, it is sinusitis that is in the leading positions. Usually, this disease passes into the chronic stage in adults, serious complications often develop in children.

Causes of occurrence

About what sinusitis is and how to deal with it, you will learn from this article. This disease develops as follows. It all starts in the so-called maxillary sinuses. This is the name of the paired symmetrical cavities located in the upper jaw of a person. They are located between the upper alveolar processes and the bottom of the orbit. The shape is reminiscent oftetrahedral pyramid. These sinuses communicate with the nasal passages through holes that are in the inner wall. They are also called fistula. It is this fistula that provides air exchange, as well as the outflow of secretions from the sinus.

The main causes of sinusitis are the ingestion of some infectious agent into the sinus. As a rule, this happens through the anastomosis. At the same time, in minors, sinusitis often occurs when bacteria enter through an infectious and inflammatory focus.

Development of sinusitis

The disease is dangerous due to its rapid development. Various conditions contribute to the deterioration of sinusitis in adults. For example, violation of natural ventilation and drainage of the maxillary sinus.

This can lead to nasal polyps. In the future, this condition can lead to chronic adenoiditis, pollinosis and allergic rhinitis, chronic hyperplastic rhinitis. The development of sinusitis often leads to a curvature of the nasal septum, the consequences of injuries of the facial skeleton, the abuse of "Nazivin", as well as other local vasoconstrictor drugs. All this is reflected in the maintenance of chronic mucosal edema.

Another reason why a person can find out what sinusitis is is a violation of the integrity of the lower wall of the maxillary sinus, which is also called alveolar. This occurs when the growth of the teeth of the upper jaw is disturbed, as well as during non-professional dental procedures, deliberate liftingbottom.

Sinusitis, which develops for these reasons, is called odontogenic. Sometimes this leads to the spread of inflammation from adjacent anatomical structures. This is possible, for example, in osteomyelitis of various origins.

How sinusitis develops

Usually, before the development of sinusitis, the patient suffers from a runny nose for a long time. Because of this, swelling of the nasal mucosa occurs, which leads to a maximum narrowing of the anastomosis. All this leads to the fact that ventilation in general worsens, the level of gas exchange in the cells decreases. The acidity and composition of the mucous secretion completely changes, because it stagnates.

Because of these processes, the ciliated epithelium of the walls of the maxillary sinus is damaged, and after the inflammation already covers the lamina of the mucous membrane itself. The consequences of this are very sad. Swelling in the fistula leads to aggravation of the symptoms of sinusitis.

Anaerobic conditions are created in which favorable flora arises for the active reproduction of the pathogen. At the next stage, the resulting mucus suppurates under the influence of bacteria. So sinusitis passes from the catarrhal to the purulent stage, which is fraught with unpleasant consequences. The infection can spread deep into the walls of the sinus, and is transferred to neighboring tissues.

If the treatment of sinusitis in an adult is not started on time, then it can become chronic. This often occurs with self-medication, prolonged use of antibiotics, as well as the deliberate refusal of surgicalinterventions and medications in favor of folk methods.

Varieties of sinusitis

There are several varieties of sinusitis in the world. Depending on what type of disease you suffer from specifically, the methods of treatment will differ.

According to the main features that establish what sinusitis is, it is divided into bacterial, aseptic, fungal, viral, odontogenic and allergic.

You can classify this disease and the methods that the doctor plans to take for treatment. Thus, sinusitis can be chronic, acute, with or without complications.

There are several types of chronic sinusitis - purulent, catarrhal, polyposis, hyperplastic, cystic and fibrous.

Symptoms of disease

The very first signs, after which it is worth seriously suspecting that you have sinusitis, are a violation of the ventilation of the maxillary sinus. Because of this, there is a feeling of heaviness and pressure. Usually they are localized in one place. For example, on the side of the wing of the nose. As a result of severe swelling of the nasal mucosa, free breathing can be seriously impaired, the timbre of the voice can change.

When a child suffers from sinusitis, he gets a feeling of congestion, which occurs due to swelling of the tissues at the mouth of the auditory tube.

This is how sinusitis begins. Symptoms and treatment of sinusitis in adults are easily diagnosed by doctors. Antibiotics come to the rescuesurgical intervention. Due to the development of inflammation, a pain syndrome soon occurs. It may be a headache, the patient begins to feel uncomfortable, it can even hurt in the eye area. All this is accompanied by swelling in the cheek area, the area under the eyes and the nasolabial fold.

If the nerves near the sinus are affected, neuralgia develops, the clinical picture worsens.

Pain when tilting the head is the surest sign of sinusitis. Symptoms and treatment of sinusitis in this case should be determined by the doctor. Pain in the head appears due to the increasing pressure of the fluid on the thin anterior wall of the maxillary sinus. In addition, all this is accompanied by secretions from the nose of viscous greenish mucus. When a person is lying on his back, the secret begins to flow to the back of the throat and provoke coughing fits. In the morning, the discharge becomes so abundant that even yellow-green purulent clots can form.

With the development of chronic sinusitis, the patient's sense of smell worsens, the ability to recognize tastes decreases. During a prolonged violation of nasal breathing, the lips dry up, pharyngitis and tonsillitis are possible.

It is likely that with sinusitis there will be symptoms of general intoxication. It can be a constant headache, fever, weakness throughout the body. These symptoms are especially pronounced in the acute form of the disease, as well as the development of purulent inflammation. But it happens that they are also noted during an exacerbation of a chronic process.

It is worth noting that there is a direct relationship betweenthe degree of emptying of the maxillary sinus and body temperature. If washing is carried out correctly and regularly, as well as other effective methods are used to eliminate pus, then this will soon lead to an improvement in the general condition of a person, the temperature can drop significantly, at least for a short time.

Complications of sinusitis

One of the main dangers that lies in the development of sinusitis is the possible complications. The disease can progress with inadequate, ineffective or untimely treatment. For example, if a child has a disease, then in the maxillary sinus he may develop meningitis, pansinusitis, or paraorbital phlegmon.

Serious complications can also occur in adult patients. These are otitis media, involvement of other paranasal sinuses in inflammatory processes, neurological complications, damage to the tissues of the orbit, on which catarrhal or purulent inflammation develops, intracranial complications. The latter include meningitis, which adults should be afraid of as well as children, brain abscesses, sinus thrombosis, infectious-toxic cerebral edema.

If sinusitis occurs periodically or the disease is very long, it can lead to the development of bronchopulmonary diseases. Sinusitis in children is a background of broncho-obstructive conditions.

Diagnostic Methods

With any disease, it is extremely important to make a diagnosis on time and correctly. Your doctor can determine this disease with the help ofgeneral history, examination by an otolaryngologist, as well as special instrumental techniques. As a rule, no additional tests are required.

Painful condition is detected by tapping and palpation of the area around the nose, as well as due to swelling of the lower eyelid and cheek, the so-called adenoid type of face occurs. An obligatory stage of diagnosis is the examination of the nasal cavity. In the case of the disease, edema and redness of the mucous membrane develops, these symptoms cause the most pronounced form in the middle nasal passage. Another sure sign of the disease is purulent discharge that appears from the mouth of the affected sinus.

Instrumental diagnostic methods include radiography, MRI, endoscopy with examination of the nasal passages, and possibly the cavity of the maxillary sinus, transillumination of the sinuses, which is called diaphanoscopy.

The result of an adequate and professional diagnosis can be not only the confirmation of sinusitis, but also the determination of a specific type of disease and its stage. As a result, it is possible to establish concomitant factors, as well as signs that can lead to complications. This will allow your he althcare provider to formulate an adequate treatment plan.

Acute sinusitis

Types and causes of acute sinusitis are also described in detail in this article. This is an extremely serious disease that can lead to negative consequences and unpleasant complications.

There are purulent and catarrhal forms. With purulent sinusitis, due to the constant contact of pus with the mucous membrane, the latterreborn, which leads to the development of the chronic stage of the disease. The pain of sinusitis can be quite severe.

Catarrhal acute sinusitis occurs in a milder form. But in this case, the mucosa swells, becomes inflamed and increases in size. It is very important to start treatment on time and prevent the catarrhal form from turning into a purulent one.

Among the causes of acute sinusitis are colds, allergic reactions, all kinds of viral infections, injuries and injuries of the nose, untreated roots of the teeth and the teeth themselves, inflammation of the gums.

Treatment methods

Nowadays, there are many ways to treat sinusitis quickly and painlessly. As you can see, there are a large number of factors and causes that can lead to this disease. Therefore, the methods and methods of treatment can be completely different.

But in most cases, the first task of any doctor is to uncork the fistulas of the maxillary sinuses, which are clogged with severe edema. Only in this case provides an outflow of pus and mucus.

Sinusitis without a puncture today can be cured effectively and painlessly. For this, there is a so-called mild antibacterial and probiotic therapy. It includes antibiotics of medium strength. Linex, Normoflorin, Bion-3, and some other drugs are considered an effective cure for sinusitis. They help to relieve swelling as soon as possible, while performing vasoconstrictive actions.

To restore the nasal mucosa, it is recommendeduse emollients. These include Pinosol and Euphorbium. If you want to restore the mucous membrane of the maxillary sinus, then use Sinupret.

Finally, to rid the body of inflamed masses and microbes, "Dolphin", "Aqualor", "Aquamaris" are well suited. Remember that all these medicines, and especially antibiotics, should only be prescribed by a doctor for sinusitis. This is influenced by many factors, including the personal tolerance of the patient. Dioxidine, octenisept, miramistin and other drugs are often used among effective antiseptics.

There is also a special means of washing the paranasal sinuses, which in professional circles is called the cuckoo. This is a procedure that is associated with the extraction of mucopurulent masses, as well as antibacterial and antiseptic treatment of both the nasopharynx and the nasal cavity.

Another remedy for sinusitis that helps get rid of the disease is physiotherapy. They resort to this method when the main pus from the maxillary sinuses has already been removed. This is a kind of restorative method that helps the patient get back on his feet as quickly as possible. For this, many effective sessions of infrared laser and vibroacoustic therapy help, as well as quartz treatment, which is performed for the mucous membrane of the nasal passages, this procedure is abbreviated as UFO.

The most important thing is not to try to cope with sinusitis at home. Otherwise, it may end up with resorting to extreme measures. If the disease is severestarted, it will not be possible to solve the problem with medical methods, you will have to resort to a surgical path. In this case, the attending physician prescribes a puncture to the patient. In official medical parlance, this procedure is called a maxillary sinus puncture. Its goal is to extract mucopurulent discharge, delivering an effective medicine to the inflamed area. As a rule, this is also an antibiotic.

Puncture of the maxillary sinus is a painful and unpleasant procedure. It is resorted to only in cases where it is difficult to determine the type of sinusitis, and also when there are reasonable doubts that it is in the maxillary sinus that the cause of the patient's illness lies.

Even today, with the most modern equipment and apparatus, situations arise when the results of studies, patient complaints or anamnesis data contradict each other. Only a puncture will help the doctor understand what is the matter, as well as prescribe the right treatment.

Many people are very afraid of the Kulikovsky needle puncture, but at the moment this is the most effective measure, and it is used much more often than non-surgical methods.

Prevention

Causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention of sinusitis are described in detail in this material. The last part of it is dedicated to prevention.

The most important thing is that it is quite possible to perform it at home. To prevent sinusitis, you need to beware of all kinds of infections. Indeed, most often it is because of them that the pathogenic microflora is in the nasal cavity. This is facilitated by the inhalation of viruses and bacteria that are in the body along withpolluted air or as a result of the most common cold. To prevent this from happening, you need to monitor the body's defenses, take care of your he alth, avoid hypothermia, and, if necessary, immediately begin medical prophylaxis of viral diseases.

You should also be wary of allergies. If your disease is associated with it, then you need to identify the potential allergen as soon as possible, in the future try to avoid the slightest contact with it.

Surprisingly, one of the most effective means to prevent sinusitis is water. If you are often in a room with low levels of air humidity, then the risk of getting sinusitis increases many times. So if this problem is present in your home, be sure to install a humidifier, especially if you have children living with you. It will purify the air in the room, prevent the mucous membrane in the nasal cavity from drying out.

It is important to maintain water balance in the body itself. This can be achieved by using mineral water, compotes, fruit drinks, natural juices. Herbal tea is recommended.

And a few more general tips that will serve as a good prevention of this disease. Make sure that your clothes always correspond to the season and the temperature outside the window. Try to avoid contact with carriers of a viral infection. Include a sufficient amount of trace elements and vitamins in your daily diet. It is very important to observe the regime of work and rest. Sleep should be given at least eight hours a day.

To resist penetrationsinus infections, try antivirals.