Chronic Sinusitis

Sinuses are small, air filled cavities present in the area around the nasal passage and in the facial region. Sinusitis is a condition where inflammation occurs in the sinuses and nasal passage. It is mostly triggered by an infection. It is of two types; acute sinusitis and chronic sinusitis. The symptoms of acute sinusitis last for a short period of time and but chronic sinusitis symptoms persist for several weeks, which could even go beyond 12 weeks sometimes.

Causes
The condition of chronic sinusitis develops from an acute infection of the sinuses. In most cases, the virus that causes cold and flu and upper respiratory infection are responsible for spreading the infection to the sinuses. Similar infections can be caused by some bacteria or fungi as well. Dental infections may get extended to the sinuses and cause inflammation. Allergies, formation of nasal polyps (a kind of tissue growth in the nasal cavity), traumatic facial injury, all of these can also cause blockage of nasal passages. Chronic sinusitis in children may occur due to small objects like peas or beads being pushed into the nose. A weak immune system and complications of other medical condition can be held responsible for this as well.

Symptoms
In normal conditions, the mucus secreted by the sinuses drains out into the nose through small channels. When they get swollen by sinusitis, the mucus build up takes place which results in a blocked nose. This results in the following symptoms:

• Runny nose with yellow or greenish nasal discharge.
• Decrease in sensation of smell.
• Difficulty in breathing through nose due to nasal congestion.
• Pain and tenderness in the forehead, nose, cheeks and the area around the eyes.
• Cough, which tends to worsen during the night.
• Other symptoms are sore throat, toothache, bad breath, snoring, sense of fullness in ears, fatigue, etc.

Treatment
When the symptoms of acute sinusitis continues for more than four weeks, it means it has turned into a chronic infection. In that case, for treatment, an ear, nose and throat specialist (or ENT specialist) needs to be consulted. The main aim of the treatment is to provide relief from these symptoms. For instant relief from nasal congestion, a saline nasal spray is given. It should be used to rinse off the nasal passage. However, it should not be used for more than 3 days as the body tend to get dependent on it for breathing. For sinus headache, pain relieving medicines are given.

To bring down severe inflammation of chronic sinusitis, corticosteroids may be used. It could be administered orally or through injections or nasal sprays. These medicines should be used for a long period of time because of their side effects. Oral or nasal decongestants may also be used to reduce the severity of symptoms. In case the doctor can identify the cause as a bacterial infection, then antibiotics would be prescribed to fight sinus infection. When there is no improvement in the condition with the medicinal treatment, then the doctor may recommend a surgery to eliminate the obstruction and improve sinus drainage.

Along with the medicinal treatment, some home remedies like inhalation of steam is highly beneficial for this purpose. It is also important to increase the fluid intake to keep the body hydrated which helps in faster recovery. To prevent chronic sinusitis, a healthy lifestyle with good nutrition, regular exercise and adequate amount of rest is a must. This will strengthen the immune system and enable it to fight infection effectively.