How to Deal with Chronic Sinusitis
Sinusitis is a chronic condition that spreads through different age groups. It is commonly witnessed during winter, especially when the weather is dusty and stormy.
Sinusitis is a disease that causes severe discomfort. Its treatment depends on your continuous adherence to the medications prescribed by your doctor.
The reason behind this condition goes back to previous exposure to a bacterial infection as a result of seasonal flu or a severe oral/dental infection. Then the nasal region becomes allergic and develops an infection.
Depending on the case, the treatment and management options vary. In this article, we will learn about the different types of sinusitis and their management.
What is Sinusitis?
Sinusitis is the severe inflammation of the internal tissues of the nose causing severe swelling. This obstructs breathing and results in continuous pain around the nose and eyes.
Usually, the disease manifests itself at the beginning as a mild infection due to a microbe (caused by influenza or dental infection). When the treatment is neglected, it causes chronic sinusitis.
It can also be a result of the growth of adenoids in the nose, leading to its swelling and clogging, thus, interfering with the person’s ability to breathe properly. This condition is not age-specific and appears at any age, whether children or adults.
Types of Sinusitis
There are various causes of sinusitis; hence, there are different types of sinusitis. The inflammation can be acute, seasonal or chronic depending on the cause and symptoms.
- Acute Inflammation
This type of inflammation occurs as a result of two reasons, either a viral or bacterial infection. Its symptoms are similar to the symptoms of a common cold. The symptoms of acute sinusitis include:
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Sneezing
- Nasal congestion
- Cough
- Pain in the area around the eye or nose
The duration of an acute sinus inflammation usually does not exceed two weeks, and the disease can be easily controlled using medications to treat the symptoms such as pain relievers and decongestants along with some antibiotics prescribed by the doctor in the case of bacterial infection.
- Seasonal Inflammation
Typically, this type of inflammation is associated with a specific season that causes irritation and swelling of the inner nasal membrane with the occurrence of some infections that result in shortness of breath. The appearance of the symptoms can also be linked to exposure to a specific type of allergen.
The main symptoms of seasonal allergies include:
- Itchy nose, eye and ear
- Nasal congestion and runny nose
- Sneezing
Usually, the symptoms are temporary and can be controlled by avoiding exposure to allergens and consulting with your specialist to prescribe some antihistamine medications to avoid the development of the condition to chronic inflammation.
- Chronic inflammation
Neglecting the treatment of initial inflammations can develop into chronic sinusitis, where the symptoms are more severe.
If the symptoms persist for more than 12 weeks, and none of the prescribed medication could control the disease, a diagnosis of chronic inflammation can be initiated.
Chronic inflammation does not differ in symptoms from other types of sinusitis except they are more severe. The symptoms of chronic sinusitis include:
- Severe nasal congestion with blocked airway and difficulty breathing.
- Severe cough that gets worse at night or when you wake up in the morning.
- Loss of smell and taste.
- Severe pain in the area around the nose, eye and cheeks.
- Inability to sleep during the night due to the inability to breathe.
If you are diagnosed with chronic inflammation, your doctor may recommend using nasal sprays that are appropriate for your condition, and depending on the severity of the condition your doctor can prescribe some antibiotics.
Treatment Methods of Chronic Sinusitis
The methods of treating chronic inflammation vary according to the condition of each patient and the cause of the disease. The treatment methods are divided into:
- Prescription Drugs
The primary goal of these drugs is to control the symptoms associated with the inflammation and to reduce their severity. Your doctor may prescribe some NSAIDs, analgesics, and nasal sprays that help reduce the swelling to allow the expansion of the nasal airways increasing the patient's ability to breathe.
In the event of any bacterial infection that is agitating the inflammation, the doctor may recommend some antibiotics appropriate for the condition to prevent any complications or damage that may result.
While in the case of allergic rhinitis, you may need to visit a doctor to find out the main cause of the emergence of allergies and start choosing the appropriate treatment for the case.
- Surgical Operations
Some cases may require surgical intervention because the medications are ineffective in controlling the condition. This option includes endoscopic sinus surgeries.
It is a surgical procedure that is carried out using a surgical endoscope to remove the mucous membranes that prevent the patient from breathing comfortably. The operation is performed without making any surgical incisions inside or outside the nose.
Chronic sinusitis is one of the most difficult types of infections because the patient suffers from pain and is unable to carry out his normal activities. Therefore, we always recommend the necessity of treating the inflammatory infection in its early stages to mitigate the disease.