Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Symptoms of Sinusitis


Mon 06 Sep 2021 | 09:13 AM
Basant ahmed

The sinuses are hollow spaces in the facial bones that connect to your nose through small, narrow passages. Sinuses give your voice resonance, and they also lighten the weight of your head. You have four pairs of sinuses.

Sinusitis

Sinusitis is a common inflammation that causes pain, pressure, and swelling in the sinuses. The incidence of nasal polyps is between 0.2 to 4% of the population, and increases with age, peaking at age 50 years or greater. A familial history is reported in 14% of patients. It is much more common in adults than it is in children, whose sinuses are not fully developed.

Acute sinusitis only lasts for less than four weeks, it is usually part of a cold or other respiratory illness and it is the second most common infectious disease seen by GPs. Subacute sinusitis symptoms can last for up to three months. This condition commonly occurs with bacterial infections or seasonal allergies.

Chronic sinusitis is sinusitis that lasts for a long time, usually longer than twelve weeks. Unlike acute sinusitis, which is often due to a sinus infection, chronic sinusitis is not usually caused by bacteria and does not always get better with standard treatment , such as antibiotics. Chronic sinusitis is sometimes called chronic rhinosinusitis. Atrophic rhinitis is a dry crusty nasal condition in which the lining of the nose is colonized and infected with bacteria.

Most cases of sinusitis are due to a virus and will go away on their own. Viral sinusitis is contagious, so a person should take steps to avoid passing it on to others. Bacteria, and in rare cases a fungus, might also cause sinusitis.

Congestion

A sinus infection usually happens where there is fluid trapped in the sinuses in which viruses, bacteria, or fungus can grow. Because of the fluid buildup and inflammation, a person is likely to feel congested.

Sinus Pain and Pressure

Pain is a common symptom of sinusitis. Fluid trapped in the sinuses can fill the sinus cavities, causing intense pain and pressure. The sinuses may be sensitive to the touch. A person may have an urge to sneeze but be unable to do so. The pain can be in the cheeks, around the eyes and nose, or in the forehead because these areas are where the sinuses are. Bending over may make the pain worse. Frontal sinuses causes forehead pain and headaches. Ethmoid sinuses causes pain between the eyes and across the nose. Maxillary sinuses causes pain in the cheeks, upper jaw or teeth. Sphenoid sinuses causes pain behind the eyes, on the top of the scalp or along the back of the head. Sometimes, the pressure and pain are intense enough to interfere with sleep. Sinusitis may also cause the tissue in the nose to swell.

Sinus Headaches

The pressure and pain of sinusitis can cause headaches in the front of the head. Some people find that the pain radiates elsewhere, causing more widespread problems or even neck pain. Sinus headaches occur when the sinus passages are congested. A sinus headache can be felt on either or both sides of the head. Pain or pressure is felt not just in your head, but anywhere in the sinus area.

Sinus headaches can happen seasonally if you have allergies, or only occasionally when your sinuses become triggered for some other reason. Symptoms of inflamed sinuses accompany sinus headaches. Redness and swelling of the cheeks, nose, or forehead can occur.

Half of migraine misdiagnoses start with a person thinking they have a sinus headache. If you don’t have any of the symptoms that come specifically with a sinus headache, you may be experiencing a migraine. Migraines are treated differently from sinus headaches. If you experience symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, or sensitivity to light, you’re likely having a migraine and not a sinus headache.

Sinus headaches may also result from seasonal allergies that last an extended period of time.

Coloured Mucus

Mucus has an important role in the body. It lines many of your tissues. Its slippery consistency helps protect and moisturize, and it also traps potential irritants.

Sinusitis causes a lot of mucus production, and a person may find they are unable to clear the sinuses no matter how often they blow their nose. Viruses, bacteria, or fungus in mucus can change its colour. People with sinus infections often notice that they cough up green or yellow phlegm or that the mucus they blow out of their nose is a bright colour.

Postnasal Drip

Postnasal drip is mucus that drips from the nose down to the back of the throat. It can cause feelings of hoarseness and congestion or a sense of pressure in the throat or mouth.

Postnasal drip is a common occurrence, affecting almost everyone at some point in their lives. The glands in your nose and throat continually produce mucus to fight infection, moisten nasal membranes and filter out foreign matter. You typically swallow the mucus without even realizing it.

When your body starts producing extra mucus, you might feel it accumulate in the back of your throat. You may also feel it dripping down your throat from your nose. Common complaints of postnasal drip include feeling that you need to constantly clear your throat or swallow, a cough that’s worse at night, nausea from excess mucus moving into your stomach, sore, scratchy throat and bad breath.

Coughing

A sinus infection can cause mucus and fluid to back up in the throat, which may make the throat itch or feel full. Some people repeatedly coughto try to clear the throat, but others experience uncontrollable coughing.

Fatigue

Fighting a sinus infection demands energy from the body, so it is common to feel fatigued. Some people feel exhausted because they cannot breathe easily or are in pain.

Why does sinusitis cause fatigue? Chronic sinus infections can reduce your quality of life and make you constantly tired. Chronic sinusitis also causes fatigue in almost everyone that has it. The ongoing sinusitis makes it more difficult to sleep, and meanwhile the immune system is exhausted from fighting the infection day after day. This combination can cause significant fatigue

Fever

Some people develop a fever with a sinus infection. A fever is a typical indicator of an infection. Your body responds to the virus or bacteria by raising its temperature to try and kill it off. A low-grade fever is another sign of sinusitis. This symptom is more common with acute sinusitis than chronic cases. Other symptoms associated with fever include chills, exhaustion, and muscle aches.

Bad Breath

The mucus associated with a sinus infection may have a bad odour, which can cause smelly breath or a bad taste in the mouth. Colds create bad breath by drying out the mouth as you breathe through it when your nose clogs up. The mucus in infected sinuses, however, smells bad on its own, and the air you breathe out comes into contact with it. Infected mucus drips out of the sinuses and down the back of the throat, where it meets the air you exhale and the odour from the infection transfers to your breath.

Tooth Pain

Sinusitis, can lead to a toothache. Sinusitis occurs when the tissue lining the sinuses becomes inflamed and swollen. Tooth pain is a common symptom of sinusitis. It can be caused by sinus pressure and by drainage from sinus infections. The pain is usually felt in the upper rear teeth that are closest to the sinuses. Intense sinus pressure can cause pain in the gums, which can lead to toothaches, gum pain, or general pain in the mouth.

Loss of smell

The most common causes of extended loss of smell occur as a result of upper respiratory infection and sinusitis. A total loss of smell is known as anosmia. When you don't have a sense of smell, your food will taste different, you won't be able to smell flowers — and you may even find yourself in dangerous circumstances unknowingly (i.e. gas leaks).