If your runny nose is accompanied by pain and does not go away in a couple of weeks, you may need to treat chronic sinusitis.
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There are seven air pockets in our skull. These are the sinuses: paired frontal, maxillary (in the cheekbone area), ethmoidal (between the eyes) and unpaired sphenoid (behind the nose). They lighten the weight of the bone and supposedly provide shock absorption for head injuries. Each of the sinuses is lined with thin mucous membrane, which normally secretes a small secretion. If allergens, viruses or bacteria get into the “pocket,” the mucus thickens and blocks the normal flow of secretions into the nasal passage. This is how sinusitis begins – inflammation of the sinuses.
Smokers have a high risk of developing this disease due to irritation of the mucous membranes from tobacco smoke. Allergy sufferers often suffer, especially if the allergies are permanent and not seasonal. An untreated virus that you suffered on your feet, or a deviated nasal septum can also cause inflammation of the sinuses.
Here are the typical symptoms of sinusitis, which are sometimes accompanied by high fever.
- < p role="presentation">Nasal congestion. Due to the fact that the inflamed mucous membrane swells, it becomes harder to breathe, and smells and tastes seem indistinguishable.
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Runny nose. Nasal discharge may be clear, green or yellow, depending on the causative agent of the disease and the severity of the process.
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Facial or headache pain. Swelling in the sinuses causes a feeling of pressure and distension in the face, pain may be felt in the upper jaw, bridge of the nose or behind the eyes, spreading to the entire head.
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Sore throat and cough. Mucus or pus flows down the back of the throat, irritating the throat and causing the urge to cough, especially after sleep.
Usually these symptoms go along with respiratory diseases or a cold and go away on their own within 10 days. This is called acute sinusitis. If the process drags on for months, doctors diagnose “chronic sinusitis,” or specify the diagnosis by the name of the affected sinus: frontal sinusitis, sinusitis, ethmoiditis or sphenoiditis.
To diagnose sinusitis, a survey and examination are usually enough. The doctor taps and gently presses the sinuses, assesses inflammation in the nose, ears and throat. In case of chronicity, an x-ray, CT or MRI may be prescribed. These studies will show whether there are complications: complete blockage or polyps – growths from mucosal tissue that arise in response to long-term inflammation.
In most cases, sinusitis is easily and successfully treated. If the infection is bacterial, the doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotics. If it is viral, he may recommend symptomatic therapy: nasal drops and rinsing, air humidification, drinking plenty of fluids, pain relief. Much less often, a puncture may be required to remove accumulated mucus or surgery to mechanically clean out the sinus, remove polyps, or correct the nasal septum.