Healthy Living

What Is Chronic Sinusitis?

This condition is also referred to as chronic rhinosinusitis. It affects the sinuses within the nose causing them to become inflamed and swollen. Sinuses are spaces within the eyes and nose that contain air. The sinuses get blocked and this allows the mucus to accumulate. The condition can persist for weeks despite treatment and this causes extreme discomfort within the nose.

What Causes Chronic Sinusitis?

Some of the factors that have been known to bring about the disease include the following listed below:

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Infection from acute bacterial sinusitis
Allergies
Fungi
Obstructions within the nose that block the sinuses
Asthma
A weak immune system
Dental infections which spread from the teeth to the sinuses
Smoking

What Are the Symptoms Of Chronic Sinusitis?

There are various signs that are associated with the condition. However chronic sinusitis is usually suspected if these symptoms last for twelve weeks or more despite treatment. The affected experiences congestion within the nose, causing drainage problems.

Stuffiness within the nose
Snoring
Breathing through the mouth
Swelling
Decreased sense of smell and taste. This normally happens due to blockage of the nasal cavity.
Discharges from the nose are thick and discolored

If you experience these symptoms continuously you should visit a doctor as soon as possible for diagnosis.

What Treatment Options Are There For Chronic Sinusitis?

When faced with this medical complication, one of the professionals you can visit for a check-up or diagnosis is an otolaryngologist (ENT). This specialist will examine your nose and symptoms in order to make a diagnosis and administer proper treatment.

Treatment of chronic sinusitis is somehow complex. This is because during the period of infection, a patient will have been under various types of medication that may not have worked. This makes the bacteria immune to the antibiotics thus making them even more difficult to treat. You may also become allergic to some of the antibiotics. One of the best working treatment options is the use of steroids. Steroids unblock the sinuses by minimizing the swelling that had caused the blockage.

Surgical cleaning of the sinuses can also be done in order to remove objects that may be blocking the sinuses. The main aim of surgery is restoring adequate ventilation and correct the mucosal lining to avoid any more mucus from being blocked.

Another method used is the balloon sinus dilation. During this process, anesthesia is administered to the patient and the cleaning of the sinuses is done. This method works well and on most occasions the patients get better within the following day with minimal pain. If the condition was caused by other medical problems such as asthma or allergic reactions, you may have to treat the underlying condition first.

The Bottom Line

Chronic sinusitis is a medical condition that should be handled carefully, especially on the issue of proper medication. Since its symptoms are similar to other conditions such as the flu, do not treat yourself or just get and over-the-counter medication. This is to avoid giving the bacteria a chance to become immune to the antibiotics. Ensure you get the correct medical attention by seeing a certified specialist.