Sinusitis: Sinus Infection Symptoms and Treatment

Sinusitis is one of those medical conditions that is getting more and more common. According to statistics, around 38 million Americans develop sinusitis, at least once a year. What is sinusitis? What are the sinus infection signs and symptoms? Scroll down to know more about the condition.

What is a Sinus Infection

As the name rightly suggests, sinusitis is the infection of the sinuses, that are hollow cavities connected to the nasal passage. These air-filled cavities have various functions including protection of the inner sensitive structures. They are lined with hair-like cilia, which help to remove the mucous produced inside the cavities. The cilia also prevents germs and dirt from entering the sinus cavities. However, these cavities may get blocked and develop inflammation. A sinus cavity with blocked passages is a perfect location for pathogens to multiply and cause damage to the inner lining of the cavity, causing the symptoms. Apart from that, the air already inside the sinuses causes pressure, leading to sinus headache. In short, the sinus infection symptoms are caused by the inflammation within the sinus cavities and/or activity of pathogens.

Causes of Sinus Infection

There are many different causes of sinusitis. As mentioned above, bacterial, fungal or viral infections are among the leading causes of sinus infections. In some cases, the openings to the sinus cavities may be blocked with abnormal growths like tumor or nasal polyps. Even deviated septum is found to be a cause for sinusitis. This may also lead to inflammation of the passage and sometimes infection. Apart from that, common cold and allergies can also lead to this condition. Cocaine and other illegal drugs that are snorted through the nasal passages can also cause irritation of the cavities and cause sinus infection (you might have heard people complaining about bad cocaine causing sinus infection). It may also happen that the cilia (small hair in the nasal passages and sinus cavities) that help to move mucous out of the nasal area, can get damaged by smoke, lack of humidity or other causes. When this happens, the mucous stagnates and becomes a perfect location for bacteria to multiply and cause an infection.

Sinus Infection Types

Sinus Infection can be classified on the basis of various factors like the location of the sinus, specific causative agent, duration of the infection, etc. As far as duration is concerned, sinusitis can be divided into acute (sudden onset of symptoms that last for 8 to 10 days) or chronic (lasts for more than 2 months). While chronic sinusitis occurs four to five times a year, the recurrence rate in acute sinusitis is less than three times a year. Another type is sub-acute sinusitis, which lasts for four to eight weeks. If the cause is a pathogen or an infectious microorganism like bacteria or virus, then the condition is called infectious sinusitis. If the underlying cause is an allergy or some type of structural blockage, then, it is non-infectious sinusitis. According to some studies, around 30% of patients with sinusitis do not have any infectious microbes in the sinuses or the nasal passage. Sinus infections may sometimes be named according to the location of the infected cavity. For example, if the infection is in the maxillary sinus, then the condition can be called maxillary sinusitis. Whatever may be the type of sinus infection, the symptoms can cause severe discomfort to the affected person. Scroll down for some information about the common symptoms of sinusitis.

Symptoms of Sinus Infection

Some of the common sinus infection symptoms are headache, facial pressure and tenderness. The affected person may also have swollen areas around the eyes, reddened nasal passages, drainage from the nose that is similar to pus and tender facial areas (corresponding to sinus cavities). The type and severity of the symptoms may vary with the type of sinusitis, location of the affected sinus, underlying cause, etc. Let us take a detailed look at sinusitis symptoms.

Acute Sinusitis: In this case, beginning of sinus infection is with symptoms like stuffy nose, nasal discharge, facial pain and pressure, etc. Some people may experience loss of smell too. As the condition advances, symptoms like fever, fatigue, bad breath, and post nasal drip may occur. Even cough, dental pain, etc., are noted. The nasal discharge may be thick with a green or yellow color.

• If the infection is in the maxillary sinuses (under the eyes), the pain and pressure will be felt under the eyes, across the cheekbone on one side or both. This sinus infection may sometimes cause dental pain too.
• In this case, the pain may worsen with movements like bending forward. The person may feel better while leaning back, but again the pain may aggravate in an upright position.
• Frontal sinuses located above the eyes, may get affected causing pain and pressure in the forehead. However, those with sinusitis of the frontal sinuses feel relieved when they sit upright and the pain may worsen, as they recline.
• Acute sinusitis of the ethmoid sinuses (located between the eyes and the nose) may cause pain in the temple or around the eyes. The person may have severe post nasal drip, congestion of the nasal passages and sore throat.
• For acute ethmoid sinusitis, the pain may worsen while reclining. Even coughing and other stressful activities may aggravate the pain, but sitting upright may provide some relief.
• Sphenoid (located beneath the eyes) sinusitis can cause pain beneath the eyes, top of the head and forehead. This pain may worsen in a reclining position or while bending forward. In this case, vision problems are also found among the symptoms of sinus infection.

Chronic Sinusitis: Signs and symptoms of sinus infection in chronic type are nasal blockage, nasal discharge, post nasal drip, headaches, facial congestion, bad breath, fever, etc. In this type of sinusitis, the symptoms may last for around two months.

• If the maxillary sinuses are affected, then the symptoms would be pain and pressure beneath the eyes, recurrent toothache and cough at nighttime. The pain may worsen with conditions like cold and allergies.
• Chronic sinusitis of the frontal sinuses may cause persistent post nasal drip and mild to moderate headache. The headache in this case will be almost persistent and concentrated on the forehead. If the sphenoid sinuses are affected with this headache, the affected person may experience a generalized low-grade headache with post nasal drip.
• Sinus symptoms for chronic ethmoid sinusitis are nasal discharge, low-grade pain and discomfort in between the eyes and sore throat. The pain may worsen during the morning hours.

The above said is only a brief overview about the common sinusitis signs and symptoms. Diagnosis of sinusitis is often done with tests, like nasal endoscopy, CT scan, MRI or X-ray. Even allergy tests may be done. However, the doctor will conduct a physical examination of the affected person and study his symptoms and medical history, before opting for the tests.

Treatment of Sinusitis

Treatment for sinus infection is mainly aimed at reducing the inflammation of the sinus cavity, treating the infection and maintaining proper sinus drainage. This is done with the help of medication like nasal and oral decongestants, antibiotics (for countering infection), antihistamines (for allergies) and steroids (for reducing inflammation). The type and course of medication is determined on the basis of the type of infection and severity of symptoms. Some people may require surgery to remove the blockage and drain the sinus. Apart from the prescribed medication, certain lifestyle changes and home remedies may also prove useful. Drink lots of fluids, especially hot ones like herbal tea. Steam inhalation is also found to be useful to a large extent. Avoid smoking too.

In some rare cases of chronic sinusitis, the infection may extend to the brain and affect the organ, eventually leading to death. However, as was stated earlier, this is a rare occurrence and does not happen frequently. Even recurrent sinus infection needs to be checked, so as to determine the underlying cause. Sinusitis is not a life-threatening disease. But, it is always better to seek medical attention, if you experience sinus infection symptoms.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice. Visiting your physician is the safest way to diagnose and treat any health condition.