Sinusitis

SINUSITIS

Sinusitis is an inflammation or swelling of the tissue lining the sinuses. Healthy sinuses are filled with air. But when they become blocked and filled with fluid, germs can grow and cause an infection.

Conditions that can cause sinus blockage include:

  • The common cold
  • Allergic rhinitis, which is swelling of the lining of the nose
  • Small growths in the lining of the nose called nasal polyps
  • A deviated septum, which is a shift in the nasal cavity

Types

  • Acute sinusitis usually starts with coldlike symptoms such as a runny, stuffy nose and facial pain. It may start suddenly and last 2-4 weeks.
  • Subacute sinus inflammation usually lasts 4 to 12 weeks.
  • Chronic inflammation symptoms last 12 weeks or longer.
  • Recurrent sinusitis happens several times a year.

Causes

  • Swelling inside the nose like from a common cold
  • Blocked drainage ducts
  • Structural differences that narrow those ducts
  • Nasal polyps
  • Immune system deficiencies or medications that suppress the immune system

Risk factors

For children, things that can cause sinusitis include:

  • Allergies
  • Illnesses from other kids at day care or school
  • Pacifiers
  • Bottle drinking while lying on the back
  • Smoke in the environment

for adults

  • Infections and smoking.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Acute Sinusitis Symptoms

The main signs include:

  • Facial pain or pressure
  • “Stuffed-up” nose
  • Runny nose
  • Loss of smell
  • Cough or congestion

You may also have:

  • Fever
  • Bad breath
  • Fatigue
  • Dental pain

It may be acute sinusitis if you have two or more symptoms, or thick, green, or yellow nasal discharge.

Chronic Sinusitis Symptoms

You may have these symptoms for 12 weeks or more:

  • A feeling of congestion or fullness in your face
  • A nasal obstruction or nasal blockage
  • Pus in the nasal cavity
  • Fever
  • Runny nose or discolored postnasal drainage

Diagnosis

Doctor will feel for tenderness in your nose and face and look inside your nose.

Other methods for diagnosing chronic sinusitis include:

  • Nasal endoscopy.A thin, flexible tube (endoscope) with a fiber-optic light inserted through your nose allows your doctor to see the inside of your sinuses. This also is known as rhinoscopy.
  • Imaging studies.Images taken using a CT scan or MRI can show details of your sinuses and nasal area. These might pinpoint a deep inflammation or physical obstruction that’s difficult to detect using an endoscope.
  • Nasal and sinus cultures.Cultures are generally unnecessary for diagnosing chronic sinusitis. However, when the condition fails to respond to treatment or is worsening, tissue cultures might help determine the cause, such as bacteria or fungi.
  • An allergy test.If your doctor suspects that the condition might be triggered by allergies, he or she might recommend an allergy skin test. A skin test is safe and quick and can help pinpoint the allergen that’s responsible for your nasal flare-ups.

HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINES

Arsenicum: These children feel throbbing and burning pains in the sinuses. They may feel relief by lying quietly in a dark room with the head raised on pillows and exposed to cool air. Their teeth may feel long and painful. They may feel nausea and experience vomiting concurrent with their sinusitis.

KALI BIC: have a thick, stringy nasal discharge. They have extreme pain at the root of the nose that is better by applying pressure there. The bones and scalp feel sore. Dizziness and nausea when rising from sitting and the severe pain may lead to dimmed vision. The pains are worse by cold, light, noise, walking. They prefer to lie down in a darkened room.

Mercurius: feel as though their head was in a vise.The pains are also aggravated by extremes of hot and cold temperature. The scalp and the nose become very sensitive to the touch. Their teeth feel long and painful, and they may salivate excessively. The nasal discharge is usually green and too thick to run. It is offensive smelling and acrid.

PULSATILLA: The head pain is worse when lying down and in a warm room and is better in cool air for children who need this medicine. The sinusitis may begin after being overheated. Stooping, sitting, rising from lying down. They get some relief from slow walking in the open air or by wrapping the head tightly in a bandage. The nasal discharge is often thick and yellow or green.

Silicea: These children usually have a chronically stuffed nose. They have a sense as though their head would burst. The head pain tends to be worse in one eye, usually the right. It is aggravated by mental exertion.

Spigella: Children who develop sinusitis with a sharp pain that is worse on the left side may need this medicine. They tend to get sinusitis after exposure to cold or cold, wet weather. They feel pain from warmth or when they stoop or bend the head forward, got relief from cold applications.