When you get this headache that just won’t let up, you decide its time to visit the doctor. After being examined, your doctor tells you that you have sinusitis. You think to yourself, “What exactly is sinusitis and how did I end up with it?”
Sinusitis affects an estimated 37 million Americans every year. It is an infection of the sinuses that causes the sinus cavities to be inflamed. There are 4 sinus cavities:
Frontal–over the eyes and in the brow area
Maxillary –inside each cheek bone
Ethmoid –behind the bridge of the nose and between the eyes
Sphenoid –in the upper region of the nose and behind the eyes
Each of these sinus cavities has an opening into the nose, for free exchange of air and mucus. When these openings become blocked with mucus and other secretions, pressure on the sinus wall can occur. This results in the facial pain and pressure that people with sinusitis feel. Other symptoms of sinusitis include:
-Headaches and/or neck pain
-Swollen eyelids and tissues around the eyes
-Ear and tooth aches
-Stuffy and/or tender nose; loss of smell
-Thick nasal secretions that are yellow, green, or blood-tinged
-Fatigue, fever, and severe cough
-Sore throat
There are two types of sinus infections: acute and chronic sinusitis. Acute sinusitis usually starts with a cold or just after a cold, and lasts for 4 weeks or less. People with colds tend to sniff and blow their noses, causing pressure changes in the nose and sinus area. These pressure changes can cause the sinuses to stop draining properly, causing bacteria to get trapped and start growing in the sinuses. This can lead to sinusitis.
People with seasonal allergies that affect the nose are also at risk for sinusitis. Here again, the nose blowing can lead to pressure changes and/or the sinus cavities becoming blocked.
Chronic sinusitis can last more than 12 weeks. It mainly occurs in people that have year round allergies to things such as pets, mold, or dust mites, and to those who suffer from asthma. These people generally have constant nose and sinus swelling, which leads to the sinusitis. The causes of chronic sinusitis is unknown, but people with immune deficiency diseases, such as HIV, or those with a mucus production problem, such as cystic fibrosis, are more prone to having chronic sinusitis.
People often confuse sinusitis with having a cold, which is understandable since they have similar symptoms. However, a cold lasts about 7-14 days, and goes away without treatment. Sinusitis often lasts for a longer period of time, and the symptoms are generally more severe than those of a cold. In addition to taking the symptoms into account, the doctor may also complete a physical examination of the inside of the nose and perform blood tests to confirm sinusitis. Treatment usually includes antibiotics, although the use of antibiotics are not always necessary. Pain-relievers and decongestants to reduce the nose/sinus congestion are often used to treat sinusitis. There are several over-the-counter products that contain both pain-relievers and decongestants. The doctor may recommend using one of those products to gain relief from sinusitis symptoms.
There are no proven ways to prevent sinusitis altogether, but the tips below can help.
-Keep your nose as moist as possible. Remember that swelling in the nose can affect your sinuses, so you want to make sure your nose is kept moist to prevent the swelling from happening. Saline sprays can help keep the nose moist.
-Avoid anything that you are allergic to. People with allergies are prone to getting sinusitis, so stay away from those irritants (mold, dust, etc) that cause allergy problems.
-Avoid exposure to cigarette or cigar smoke. Smoke can irritant the inside of your nose, leading to swelling of the nose and sinuses.
-Avoid long periods of swimming in pools treated with chlorine. Just like smoke, chlorine can irritate the nose and sinus cavities.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other ways to minimize your chances of getting sinusitis.
Natasha L. Edmondson
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Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
