Sinusitis: symptoms and treatment
Written by:The sinusitis is the inflammation of the sinuses which can present different symptoms as nasal congestion, facial pressure, loss of smell, and even in some cases fever. Treatment must be appropriate to the type of sinusitis that suffer, leaving surgery as a last option.
Inflammation of the nasal mucosa, by a cold or an allergy, may lead, if it persists for more than a week, in a obstruction of ventilation holes sinus (which are around the nose) and this causes a lack of oxygen in them and changes that favor colonization by viruses and bacteria, therefore, produces an inflammation and / or infection of these sinuses is known as sinusitis.
Symptoms
The most accepted definition of rhinosinusitis is inflammation of the nose and sinuses characterized by two or more symptoms one of which should be obstruction or nasal congestion or purulent mucus which may be accompanied by facial pain or pressure, loss of smell, cough and / or fever.
As can be seen, the popular belief that headache is unequivocal symptom of sinusitis is not correct so in these cases is always priority rule out other more common origins of pain.
Moreover must differentiate acute and chronic sinusitis: acute appears quickly and has less than 12 weeks and evolution in chronic symptoms persist for more than 12 weeks. In chronic sinusitis also include the Nasal polyposis, whose main symptom is persistent nasal obstruction despite multiple treatments.
Treatment
In the treatment of acute sinusitis is a priority to get beat inflammation and obstruction of the sinus cavities plus the appropriate antibiotic treatment. Otherwise, if we do not solve the problem will persist and the blockage is reagudizara. Therefore, the best treatment is the systemic corticosteroids or topical ( depending on the severity of symptoms ), antibiotics and preparations promote drainage and washing mucus. Surgical treatment should be reserved for complications.
The treatment of chronic sinusitis is more complicated and longer life. Even antibiotic treatments are proposed, taken once a week for three months, besides topics, washed corticosteroids and, finally, endoscopic surgery to remove the infected areas or polyps that can cause obstruction.
