Sinusitis

Sinus is a cavity that is present within a bone or other tissues mainly found in the regions of the face connecting to the nasal cavities. Sinus-related disease or Sinusitis is defined as a group of disorders that are categorized by the inflammation of the mucosa of the nose and within the paranasal sinuses.

There are basically three types of sinusitis conditions depending on the duration of symptom persistence namely;

• Acute
• Sub-acute
• Chronic

Acute bacterial sinusitis is often confirmed when symptoms have not been resolved after 10 days or they start worsening after 5 to 7 days. The conditions drift into sub-acute sinusitis if symptoms persist from 4 to 12 weeks. Conditions are considered chronic if symptoms cannot be resolved within 12 weeks.

Symptoms of Sinusitis

The symptoms of sinus-related diseases directly depend on the type of infection and the area where it has been affected. For example;

• Maxillary sinus infections can cause pain in the upper teeth
• Frontal sinus infections may affect the forehead or the temple
• Ethmoid infection affect the nasal bridge and eye movements
• Sphenoid infection can cause headaches and fever.

80% of children suffering from asthma attacks show symptoms like dark circles under the eye, nasal itching and watery secretions from the breathing passage of the nose.

What causes Sinusitis?

The cause of sinusitis pretty much depends on various factors and can vary with persons and places. The reasons can also vary from anatomic abnormalities such as a deviated nose wall or enlarged nasal tissues to infections caused by a foreign body allergy or tumor and can also be triggered by smoking or even diving and swimming.
Minor conditions of sinusitis can retain to headaches or pain in the ear, dental pain, fatigue, cough etc. while the more extreme conditions lead to much more severe effects such as nasal obstructions, facial pain or acute fever. Sinusitis, if untreated, can also lead to complications like meningitis and other brain related issues or even the more ominous results like facial swelling, visual changes and abnormal eye movements.

Treatment for Sinusitis

The sinusitis treatment approaches vary according to the nature of the infections and the symptoms the infections show. The foremost approach would be to undergo a physical examination (usually Endoscopy or Anterior Rhinoscopy) to detect the intensity of the infection caused by sinusitis. Various other treatment options are available for sinusitis and they are; the Sinus CT Scanning process to check for mucous thickening and air fluid levels and the use of medications like antibiotics, decongestants and certain approved steroids.

Home based remedies for Sinusitis

Sinusitis can also be treated from home by making use of certain remedies continuously for several days such as:

• Maintaining a healthy metabolism – The key step
• Keep the environment around you clean and dust free.
• Avoid any kinds of allergy “triggers”

Some of the other remedies to cure or prevent sinusitis include applying warm and moist washcloth to the face several times a day. Drinking plenty of water (about 8 tall glasses) can keep the sinus moist and help in draining them with less effort. Steam inhalation and spraying nasal saline many times a day also have proved effective.