Sinusitis: types, symptoms and treatment

Sinusitis is a very common disease. It is characterized by the development of inflammation in the sinuses of the nose. Danger of the disease is that it can imperceptibly flow into the chronic form, as well as give complications to the eyes, ears, brain, cause sepsis.

Different types of sinusitis are characterized by different symptoms, they have peculiarities in methods and schemes of treatment. Properly diagnose the type of ailment and prescribe adequate ways to fight it can only a doctor.

Etiology of the disease

In the occurrence of any type of maxillary sinus, the main causative role is played by blockage of the exit lumen of the maxillary sinus of the nose. It leads to internal inflammation and the accumulation of purulent masses.

There are many factors that contribute to the appearance of such blockage and provoke the onset of sinusitis:

• Entry into the nasopharynx of pathogenic microorganisms, development of various infections in the upper respiratory tract;
• Untreated rhinitis;
• Constant use of drops from rhinitis;
• draft;
• Trauma to the surface of the mucous membranes of the maxillary sinuses;
• A cold in neglected form;
• Decreased immunity;
• pharyngitis;
• tonsillitis;
• Long stay in a room with over-dried or hot air;
• Severe hypothermia;
• Neglected diseases of the roots of teeth, located next to the sinuses;
• bronchial asthma;
• Anatomical features and defects of the nasal cavity;
• Transferred ARVI and influenza;
• Cystic fibrosis;
• Polyps, adenoids, some tumors;
• Underdevelopment of internal exits from the nasal cavity (hoan);
• Allergens;
• radiation sickness;
• fungus;
• tuberculosis;
• scarlet fever;
• measles;
• Ingress of aggressive media and chemical vapors.

Most often, the disease occurs in the autumn-winter period. In fact at this time there is a natural decrease in protective functions of an organism because of a hypovitaminosis.

In children under seven, the disease does not occur, since the maxillary sinuses at this age are not yet formed.

Symptoms

There are different types of sinusitis. Symptoms associated with ailment help to determine the etiology of the disease, as well as its shape and stage. This is very important in the diagnosis and choice of methods of treatment of pathology.

All signs are conditionally divided into general and local. The first group of symptoms include:

• Increase in body temperature to thirty-nine degrees;
• Sensation of weakness;
• Rapid appearance of fatigue;
• Pain in the head;
• Increased sweating;
• Memory impairment.

Local signs of sinusitis include:

• Constant aching pain in the nasal sinuses, intensifying in the evening and when the head is tilted down;
• Discharge from the nose, its stuffiness;
• Impaired sense of smell;
• Pressure in the nose;
• Difficulty breathing;
• Coughing attacks.

Stages of the disease development

Symptoms of sinusitis do not appear simultaneously and dramatically. Their intensity varies with time, as the ailment develops in stages. The following stages of its flow are distinguished:

• Subacute;
• Sharp;
• Chronic.

The first signs of genyantritis most often:

• The laying of nostrils;
• malaise;
• Sneezing;
• Coryza;
• Nasal voice.

The subacute stage of sinusitis is characterized by a noticeable daily deterioration in the patient's condition. Symptoms manifest themselves with increasing intensity.

Treatment at this stage of the disease is very effective. After all, the inflammatory process passes only in the zone of the paranasal sinuses.

In the absence of adequate medical care, the development of the maxillary sinusitis passes into the next stage - acute. It is characterized by:

• Chills;
• Temperature;
• The appearance of pain in the nasal sinuses;
• An increase in unpleasant sensations when the head is tilted and in the evening.

With pressure, the pain spreads under the eyes. Sometimes there is swelling, blushes blush.

The acute form of sinusitis lasts from two to three weeks. With timely medical care, the disease is completely cured.

Chronic stage of sinusitis occurs in the case of incomplete cure of the disease in the previous stage. She has a more erased symptomatology. The main features of this phase are:

• Permanent rhinitis, which can not be cured by traditional methods;
• Pain in the head and orbit;
• Swelling of the eyelids;
• Occurrence of conjunctivitis;
• Blunting of the sense of smell.

During the chronic stage, acute attacks of the manifestations of the disease alternate with periods of remission. This happens every three to four months.

In chronic maxillary sinusitis in the maxillary sinus structural changes occur. The time and complexity of treatment depends on the degree of the transformations that have occurred.

What kinds of sinusitis are: the area of the disease

Localization of the inflammatory process can occur in one sinus or in both. Depending on this, two types of maxillary sinusitis are distinguished:

• unilateral;
• bilateral.

The first form is less severe than the second. It is diagnosed more often. Sinusitis can be left-sided and right-sided. It depends on the sinus in which the inflammatory process develops. Local symptoms in this case are observed only on one side of the face.

Bilateral sinusitis is markedly different by the strength of the manifestation of the clinical picture and the severity of the flow. Most often it is treated in a hospital environment, since fighting at home is difficult enough.

Classification of maxillary sinusitis for reasons of origin

Types and signs of sinusitis are closely interrelated. External manifestations of the disease help determine its etiology. This allows you to choose the right treatment regimen and remove the factor that caused the development of the disease. In medicine, every kind of disease, having a different origin, got its name.

• Viral genyantritis - most often develops against the background of ARVI. Pathogenic microbes enter the upper respiratory tract and cause edema of the nasal passages and mucous membranes. This causes a strong rhinitis. Puffiness prevents the mucus from completely leaving the nasal cavity. This leads to the development of an inflammatory process, which is the beginning of sinusitis. Symptoms of a viral disease are not very pronounced and painful.
• Bacterial sinusitis - occurs when pathogenic microorganisms get into the maxillary sinus. It is caused by streptococci and hemophilic rods. It develops against the background of viral sinusitis in the absence of its treatment. The initial stage of the disease has a vivid clinical picture - there are strong discharge from the nose, high temperature, very poor health.
• Fungal antritis is not very common. Mycosis of the paranasal sinuses occurs when they block up due to the flow of colds, due to weakened immunity, with nasal injuries. In the cavity begins to develop a pathogenic fungus or an entire association of them, which so far did not show themselves. Mycosis can cause acute and chronic type of sinusitis. Pathology has a long period of development, the symptoms are long absent.
• Allergic sinusitis is a reaction to external stimuli that have penetrated the body and affect the nasal mucosa. Typical symptoms are: fever, the appearance of pain in the eyes and cheekbones. Often accompanied by coughing, the emergence of conjunctivitis, keratitis. Special treatment does not require. Symptoms occur when the source that caused the allergic reaction is eliminated.
• Odontogenic sinusitis - occurs due to infection in the sinuses from the roots of the upper teeth. The initial stage is characterized by the presence of a serous form of lesion. It is accompanied by edema, difficulty breathing. Quickly passes into purulent sinusitis. In the absence of treatment, tissue necrosis and severe intoxication can occur.
• Traumatic sinusitis - occurs as a complication in the fractures of the cheekbone and jaw, causing inflammation of the mucous sinuses. It is accompanied by headaches, nasal secretions, unpleasant sensations, swelling, nasal congestion. The main method of treatment is surgical.
• Aerosynusitis - occurs as a result of trauma to the sinuses due to differences in atmospheric air pressure. Professional disease of pilots and scuba divers. It is mostly bilateral. It is accompanied by difficulty breathing and nasal congestion.
• Mixed sinusitis - characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of several forms of the disease.

Classification of the disease by morphological changes

Types of sinusitis in adults and children differ not only because of the onset of the disease. The disease is classified into groups, depending on those changes that occur in the nose.

• Catarrhal sinusitis is the easiest in terms of treatment. It is characterized by the presence of swelling of the sinus mucosa and hyperemia. It is accompanied by a transparent discharge from the nostrils and a sensation of a slight pressure in the region of the nose.
• Purulent maxillary sinusitis is a dangerous form of the disease. Can lead to blindness, an abscess of the eyeball, intracranial complications. Characterized by the flowing from the nose of abundant purulent discharge, which accumulate in the sinus. In the mucus can be observed bloody veins.
• Polypotic sinusitis - characterized by increased growth of cells of the nasal mucosa. It is accompanied by congestion, fever, purulent discharge, painful sensations. Most often, hyperplasia develops only in one nostril. The proliferation of polyps and cysts can be diagnosed, the mucous membrane is deformed.

Consequences and complications

Any kind of genyantritis requires urgent treatment in the hospital and treatment. In the absence of timely medical care, various complications and negative consequences can arise. The main ones are:

• The overflow of the disease into a chronic stage;
• The appearance of problems with the organs of vision;
• Transition of the inflammatory process to other organs;
• sepsis;
• meningitis;
• periostitis.

Diagnostics

To avoid dangerous consequences, treatment should not only be timely, but also effective. This requires proper diagnosis, which can only be performed by a doctor. There are several methods to detect sinusitis. However, before each of them, the doctor will necessarily conduct a visual examination of the patient and listen to his complaints.

• Radiography. Does not require special preparation of the patient. Helps determine the presence and localization of the inflammatory process (in one or two sinuses). The disadvantage of this method is that it is impossible to determine the polypous type of maxillary sinus in the photo. Cysts, polyps and tumors in the picture are no different from simple edema.
• Endoscopy. The procedure is carried out by inserting a miniature chamber attached to the tube into the nostrils. Allows you to carefully examine the nasal concha and take tests.
• CT scan. Helps to see a more detailed picture of nasal sinuses and strokes. Ideally helps determine the types of sinusitis and their treatment. The study makes it possible to diagnose the presence of neoplasms and foreign bodies, the development of the chronic form of the disease, the change in the structure of tissues.
• MRI. Shows the structural changes in the smallest detail. The disadvantage of the procedure is its high cost.
• Bacteriological study. It is used to determine the type of infection that caused the disease.

Medication Therapy

Access to a doctor and accurate diagnosis are needed not only to simply determine the correct type of disease and exclude other types of sinusitis. Symptoms and treatment are inextricably linked. And the correct scheme of therapy allows you to quickly get rid of its manifestations, and soon and completely restore the health of the nasal sinuses.

Most types of sinusitis are successfully treated with therapeutic methods. Their goal is:

• Ensuring the release of mucus from the sinuses;
• Sanitation of the nose;
• Removal of edema;
• Cupping of the inflammatory process;
• Destruction of pathogens.

In most cases, drug therapy copes with all the tasks posed. To do this, apply:

• Nasal drops;
• Solutions for washing the nose;
• Antibiotics;
• Bacteriophages;
• Antipyretic;
• Anti-inflammatory;
• Mucolytics.

Any medicine can be prescribed only by a doctor. Quick recovery is possible only if all the prescriptions of a specialist are accurately and systematically met, and also the dosages are observed.

Puncture mode of treatment

With a purulent form of maxillary sinusitis, treatment with medication alone may not work. For greater efficiency and reducing the risk of complications, doctors perform a puncture:

• With the help of a puncture from the sinus all pus is removed, it is washed;
• Then antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs are introduced there.

Sometimes one puncture is not enough. A series of punctures have to be performed for several weeks. In this case, a special catheter is placed in the nasal sinus. This helps to avoid the occurrence of additional painful sensations in the patient.

Folk remedies

In addition to medicines, doctors can also recommend the use of prescriptions for alternative medicine. On the effectiveness of many folk remedies against sinusitis reviews from doctors and patients are better than about medicines. However, they still need to be used only in parallel with pharmaceutical preparations, and not instead of them.

The most popular are:

• Washing the nose with saline solution;
• Inoculation with thuja oil, propolis;
• Bookmark tampons with leaves of Kalanchoe;
• Applying compresses with decoction from laurel leaves;
• Performance of salt re-heating;
• Carrying out inhalations with medicinal herbs, potatoes, menthol.

Surgery

In particularly severe cases, surgical intervention can be used to treat sinusitis. Most often it is applied:

• With traumatic sinusitis;
• With severe chronic forms;
• When polyps, cysts and neoplasms are found in the nasal passages;
• In the absence of the effect of the use of therapeutic agents.

Prevention

There are several rules, the implementation of which will help reduce the likelihood of acute sinusitis or relapse of a chronic disease. It is necessary:

• Humidify the air in the room;
• Do self-massage in the area of the maxillary sinuses;
• When you feel discomfort in your nose - blow your nose;
• Perform breathing exercises.

If the symptoms of the disease can not be avoided, then at the first disturbing manifestations it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor. It is forbidden to be treated for genyantritis according to reviews from the Internet or to the advice of friends. Only a specialist can make the right diagnosis and determine the correct methods of fighting a dangerous ailment. This is necessary for a complete and quick victory over it.