What is sinusitis and how to treat ?

Sinusitis involves inflammation of the nasal mucosa and sinuses. The sinuses are cavities found in the face whose function is not yet fully determined. These cavities, like the nostril, are covered with a producer of mucus epithelium.

When a increased production of mucus and for some reason this gets stuck in the cavities or nasal passages speak of rhinosinusitis. The colloquial terms of rhinitis or sinusitis refer to what we call today jointly rhinosinusitis.

causes of rhinosinusitis are multiple, from the most obvious form derived from a common cold virus-like until bacterial or fungal infections.

Symptoms characteristic are rhinorrhea, ie nasal mucus or mucopurulent secretion, nasal respiratory failure, headache or face and loss of smell. The fever does not necessarily have to appear. Other associated symptoms but not defining the table are cough, fatigue, dental pain, halitosis and discomfort in the ears.

acute and chronic rhinosinusitis

We talked about acute rhinosinusitis when symptoms last less than 3-4 weeks. This type of pathology is the common source of a cold virus that does not heal well and continues or worsens their symptoms during the first week. It is caused by accumulation of mucus and bacterial superinfection.

When the symptoms become recurrent or intermittent for more than three months talk about chronic rhinosinusitis. One of the causes of this are fundalmentales environmental allergies. Many of these patients also associated with asthma, which is nothing more than the disease itself but rhinosinusitis lungs. That is why the frequent association of asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis. Control relieve nasal disease lung equally symptomatology.

In some patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and due to ongoing inflammatory condition of the nasal mucosa appear formations characteristics we call polyps. They are not more than protrusions that produce more mucus obstruction and thus further exacerbate the symptoms.

Exam

Normally it is a characteristic clinical picture and does not need any additional test. In some centers still tend to do x-rays of the breast to certify that a breast is full of mucus but this is not really necessary.

In some patients with chronic symptoms, is sometimes difficult to determine if the sinuses are really full of mucus. In these cases the indicated realization of a TAC that is proof idonea image for the exploration of these cavities.

Treatment

The treatment of acute rhinosinusitis is the treatment of own symptoms cold symptoms with nasal decongestants, anti-inflammatories and treatment of possible bacterial infection with antibiotics.

treatment of chronic sinusitis are multiple, the patient must learn to control the disease and become familiar with the medication. The use of topical corticosteroid nasal sprays and antihistamines are the mainstay of treatment that can be done preventively, continued or with the appearance of the first symptoms form.

In addition, in cases where the origin is a environmental allergy it would have to evaluate the administration of a vaccine specified. In recent years are popping amount of new anti-inflammatory drugs in an attempt to reduce the adverse effects of past and improve their effectiveness.

Sometimes the symptoms of chronic sinusitis are not relieved by medication, it is mostly in cases in which appear the polyps. These formations typical of chronic rhinosinusitis prevent the topical treatment it acts effectively and also worsen the symptoms.

In some of these cases could be indicated surgical intervention to remove polyps and expand the drainage holes sinus. In any case surgery cure the disease, but if relieve symptoms and improve the medical treatment efficiency.