Chronic Sinusitis

Sinusitis is a condition that significantly reduces the quality of life. Air cannot pass freely from the nose into the sinus cavity. It can be acute or chronic. If symptoms persist for 12 weeks, it is considered chronic sinusitis. The main reason sinusitis becomes chronic is the accumulation of fluid in the sinuses due to the backpressure in the nose. Under normal conditions, this liquid, which keeps the nose clean and free of bacteria, becomes a source of infection when the sinuses are blocked. Since the mucosa cannot flow, it creates a suitable moist environment for the growth of bacteria, causing chronic bacterial inflammation. Chronic sinusitis is different from recurrent sinusitis. Its symptoms never go away over long periods. In non-chronic recurrent sinusitis, there are for or more sinusitis stories in a year, but there are also symptom-free periods.

Causes of chronic sinusitis

Chronic sinusitis has multiple causes. Known causes:

• Congestion of the airways due to some conditions such as asthma, allergies, or cystic fibrosis can cause the sinuses to become blocked. Also, the sinuses can become inflamed in response to the allergens.
• The anatomical structure of the nose and sinuses may be prone to chronic obstruction and inflammation. The natural openings of the sinuses can block by enlarged turbinate. Again, the deviated septum may prevent the sinus from getting air. If air cannot enter and exit your sinuses, fluid will accumulate and, inflammation will occur.
• Genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis or ciliary dyskinesia can cause chronic inflammation of the sinuses.
• In rare cases, a weakened immune system can cause chronic inflammation of the sinuses.
• Bacterial, viral, or fungal infections can cause the sinuses to become blocked and inflamed.
• Breathing polluted air due to smoking, dust, mold, or exposure to excessive chemical cleaning products can cause chronic inflammation of the sinuses.

What are the symptoms?

Sinusitis symptoms make breathing through the nose hard, and facial sensitivity, pain, and pressure, especially around the nose, eyes, and forehead. Again, common symptoms include headache and chronic phlegm from the nose or throat. Cough, earache, toothache, fatigue, and feeling of burnout are among the less common symptoms. The coexistence of symptoms and the chronicity of sinusitis affect the quality of life quite negatively.

Treatment

In the treatment of chronic sinusitis, there are two main treatment methods: medication or surgical treatment. Surgical treatment should only consider after a conservative treatment try. Surgery may recommend if symptoms do not improve with medical treatment or if sinusitis symptoms do not improve sufficiently despite medical treatment.

Medication

Medication uses depending on the cause of sinusitis. Antibiotics may use if the cause of sinusitis is a bacterial infection. If the source is allergies or environmental factors, avoiding triggers is the treatment strategy. In the first stage, drug treatment starts depending on the cause of sinusitis. A saline solution or sterile seawater can help relieve nasal congestion.

Surgical treatment

Treatment for chronic sinusitis varies from person to person. Surgery use if the condition does not improve with medical treatments. The main goal of surgery is to improve the drainage of the affected sinus.

If the source of sinusitis is structural problems in the nose, such as nasal septum curvature or polyps, it would not be possible to get rid of chronic sinusitis without eliminating structural issues. In such cases, surgical methods to be applied to fix anatomical problems will also treat sinusitis.

How is a surgical treatment done?

The commonly performed sinusitis surgery is called functional endoscopic sinus surgery. The surgeon inserts an endoscope that is a thin and rigid instrument into the nose. The endoscope provides the surgeon with a detailed and magnified view of the inside of the nose. Tissues that prevent drainage of the affected sinus may remove. In this way, the airway opens while sinus drainage providing. The operation is minimally invasive. It causes minimal damage to the nose. It has a high success rate in relieving the symptoms of chronic sinusitis.

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