Sinusitis is an inflammation of the tissue of the sinuses which can get blocked by filling up with fluid. The blockage is caused by a cold or any kind of allergy.
Sinusitis is involved in swelling of the nasal and producing mucus. There are different types of sinusitis based on the difference in its length.
Common sinusitis symptoms are:
Some other sinus symptoms are:
Sinusitis is common nowadays. It is better to prefer an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist. They will ask you various questions to have a clear understanding of your case for better sinus treatment.
Simple sinusitis can be treated with:
If you do not get improvement in 10 days, your doctor may suggest:
Chronic sinusitis can be treated with:
Sinus Congestions are caused by flu, cold or allergies. When you face such problems the membranes of your nasal passage become irritated and inflamed. You can use the following tips for sinus congestion treatment.
When you have a stuffy nose, make sure to keep your nasal passages moist. If the membranes get dried you will face more irritation. Tips to keep nasal passages moist are:
The following medicines don't need prescription, still, take it by taking an expert opinion.
Decongestants - These medicines will help you in reducing the swelling in the nasal passage and will ease the sinus pressure. They come in the form of nasal sprays and pills.
Don't forget to use a decongestant for more than 3 days. It may result in high blood pressure.
Antihistamines - If you face any allergy issues because of which you are experiencing sinus pressure, take allergy medicines that have antihistamines to get relief from sneezing and sniffling.
Antihistamines are present in cold medicines or nighttime cold medicines for better sleep. So consult your doctor or a pharmacist before consuming it.
Menthol - Ointments having menthol or camphor can help you breathe better. Try to rub it on your chest as well as your upper lip which will open the airways.
Pain killers - Though it will not clear the congestion pain killers might help you ease the pain.
If the symptoms are severe and you do not get any results, you should make an appointment with the doctor. If the doctor suggests sinus surgery based on your condition, you must go for it.
Sinus surgery is a surgical procedure required when the sinuses get blocked resulting in the problem of breathing well. It has to be done when medications fail to solve the problem. You must not delay your sinus treatment.
A sinus treatment can be done with proper medication rather than surgery. But it may become important when sinus infections are persistent or recurrent. Sinus surgery may be performed for treating sinuses permanently. Sinus surgery is performed mainly to treat patients with chronic sinusitis.
The goal of surgery is to take away things which are blocking the pathways of the sinuses. This include:
Other reasons for sinus surgery are sinusitis and nasal polyps.
It is the swelling in the nasal passages. The common symptoms are:
Nasal polyps are swelling in the nasal lining. Common symptoms are:
The most common types of sinus surgery are:
This is the most common procedure for sinus treatment. This procedure includes the inserting of a thin and flexible instrument named endoscopy. It contains a small camera which sends back images after inserting them into the nose. The images help doctors to see where the sinuses are blocked. With the help of this, it gently removes scar tissue, polyps, and others.
Endoscopy is done without any cut to your skin which helps in the easy and fast recovery. The patient is given anesthesia to make the area numb. You can easily go back home after the procedure is done.
This is a more easy and new process. In this procedure, a thin tube is put in your nose which is attached by a small balloon on the other side. The doctors then guide the balloon and inflate the blocked area of your nose.
This procedure is less common. The Caldwell-Luc operation focus on removing the growth of the sinus and improving the drainage of the sinus.
The surgery involves the cutting of the upper jaw, above the second molar teeth of the mouth.
Before the surgery takes place, your doctor will perform a screening. The doctor may prescribe you medicines to ensure that there is no infection, swelling, or any other kind of complications. During the procedure, you are not able to eat or drink anything. So it is suggested not to eat anything after midnight before the day of the surgery.
The doctor may give local or general anesthesia to you for the procedure. The surgery may take time from 1 to 3 or sometimes more hours based on the type of surgery. After the surgery is completed, you will have to take a rest for a while to recover from anesthesia. You will be given a list of what to do and what not so that you can recover fast.
In a few days, after the surgery is performed, you will be able to go back to your normal daily routine. But you may suffer with little stuffiness and crusting in the nose for some weeks after the surgery has taken place. You may need to change the gauze which is placed under the nose. Your doctor may also suggest you sleep with a little elevated head and drink different types of healthy fluids. You may be given antibiotics or painkillers.
You are also advised to make appointments regularly with your doctor to ensure speedy healing of the sinuses and to clean excess mucus or blood. You are also advised not to blow your nose while recovering from the surgery.
The risks involved in the sinus surgery may be rare. But depending on your sinus treatment you may face these risks:
Bleeding can happen within 24 hours after the surgery. But, it may sometimes occur after some days or even weeks. If a clot is developed in the nasal passages known as septum, it has to be removed.
The septum which is attached to the roof of the nose is a thin layer which may get damaged during the sinus surgery. But it is a very rare risk involved in the sinus surgery.
As the part where the surgery is performed is very close to the eye, sometimes your eye might bleed. This usually happens when a thin layer of bone separating the sinus from the eye gets damaged. This is again rare and is usually identified and treated during the surgery.
Sinuses may affect your voice. You might face a little change of tone in your voice.
Though after the surgery your smelling capacity should improve it may get worse in some situations. Due to infection or swelling, you might face this problem.
You may develop an infection in the same area because of the surgery. But this problem is only possible if you have long-term sinusitis.
In some rare cases, sinus surgery can take a different turn and produce a scar in the nasal tissue. If such a thing happens, you have to undergo another procedure to remove it.
Sinus surgery can be the best treatment for sinus, for people experiencing severe sinus problems. It must be the last option for the sinusitis-facing patient if medical treatment doesn't help. Although some people will get immediate results after surgery, some may take a little time.
