Chronic sinusitis in adults
If it is too late to start treating acute sinusitis or do it wrong, it can turn into chronic. In this case, the treatment will be longer and more difficult.

What is chronic sinusitis

Chronic sinusitis is an inflammatory process in the maxillary or maxillary sinus of the nose, which lasts at least 12 weeks. The diagnosis of “chronic sinusitis” is made if the patient during this time has symptoms such as nasal congestion and mucous or purulent discharge. Most often, a chronic disease develops as a complication of acute sinusitis due to untimely or improper treatment.

Causes of chronic sinusitis

Chronic sinusitis is a polyetiological disease. Simply put, a variety of factors can provoke the disease, and not all of them are fully understood. The direct cause of inflammation is bacterial or fungal infections that multiply in the maxillary sinus.1. But there may be several predisposing factors:

  • frequent SARS1;
  • anomalies in the structure of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, for example, curvature of the nasal septum;
  • caries and other diseases of the teeth of the upper jaw1;
  • allergic diseases, since acute and chronic sinusitis is often diagnosed in people with allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma;
  • tumors and polyps in the nasal cavity.

In chronic sinusitis, periods of exacerbation alternate with periods of remission. During remission, the disease can proceed without pronounced symptoms – fever and headache, and nasal discharge will be minimal or completely absent.

Symptoms of chronic sinusitis in adults

Chronic sinusitis can regularly worsen and most often due to a common cold. As a rule, a runny nose begins first with copious discharge from the nose. As a result, the edematous nasal mucosa closes the passage to the maxillary sinuses. The outflow of mucus from them is disturbed and inflammation develops.

Symptoms of chronic sinusitis in adults are divided into general and local. Local symptoms indicate that the inflammatory process is localized in the maxillary sinuses. These symptoms include:

  • mucous discharge from the nose (traces of pus and blood may appear, with a prolonged course of discharge, it may become yellow or yellow-green in color);
  • unpleasant, bursting sensations from the side of the sinus (pain can spread to the region of the orbit, forehead, bridge of the nose);
  • nasal congestion, as a result of which the voice becomes nasal;
  • weakening of the sense of smell, especially with prolonged sinusitis;
  • frequent headaches associated with a chronic inflammatory process.

Common symptoms are the result of the body’s response to the inflammatory process. This is an increase in body temperature, weakness, headaches, decreased performance.

Treatment of chronic sinusitis in adults

The treatment of chronic sinusitis is carried out by an otorhinolaryngologist after diagnosis. To do this, it is necessary to conduct a thorough examination of the patient using modern diagnostic methods.

Treatment of chronic sinusitis is carried out both during the period of exacerbation and during the period of remission.

During the period of remission, drugs are prescribed for washing the nasal cavity, special sprays to relieve swelling and inflammation2. During this period, it is worth establishing the cause that causes exacerbations.

  • if it is an allergy, it is necessary to eliminate the exposure to the allergen;
  • if the problem is dental in nature, contact your dentist;
  • if the cause of the exacerbation is anatomical disorders, for example, curvature of the nasal septum, it is necessary to solve the problem with the help of surgical intervention.

During an exacerbation, more intensive therapy is prescribed. In such cases, the doctor usually prescribes antibiotics, glucocorticoid-based nasal sprays, vasoconstrictor drops, antihistamines, and antiseptic irrigation solutions.2. In addition, a specialist can refer to physiotherapeutic procedures – UHF, ultraviolet irradiation, laser. The combination of drugs with physiotherapy gives the greatest efficiency.

If the high temperature persists for several days, the pain in the nose, eyes or cheeks does not subside, doctors prescribe a sinus puncture. The procedure is unpleasant, but very effective. Through the puncture, the sinus of the nose is washed and the medicine is injected there.

Among modern methods of treatment of chronic sinusitis, endoscopic surgery is often used.3. During this operation, the doctor removes the accumulation of pus in the sinus, excised cysts and polyps, if necessary. Thus, the communication of the paranasal sinus with the nasal cavity is restored.3.

A fundamentally new method of treating chronic sinusitis is balloon sinusoplasty. With the help of special flexible balloon catheters, surgeons open blocked passages into the paranasal sinuses. After insertion into the sinus of the nose, the balloon is gradually inflated and, thus, the outflow of fluid from the sinus is restored. This operation does not require incisions and other traumatic manipulations. The risk of bleeding is extremely low.

What antibiotics can be used for chronic sinusitis?

The most effective in chronic sinusitis are broad-spectrum antibiotics. The appointment of antibiotics from the group of penicillins is shown. The most effective of them is amoxicillin with clavulanic acid. Azithromycin and clarithromycin may also be prescribed.

Folk remedies

Treatment of chronic sinusitis in adults is based on drug therapy. Folk remedies can be used in addition to medicines. As folk methods in the treatment of chronic sinusitis use:

  • Inhalations. Inhalations based on alcohol tincture of propolis help well. This method can be applied if you are not allergic to propolis.
  • Compresses. For this, clay compresses are often used, which are sold in pharmacies. The compress is applied to the area of ​​the maxillary sinuses for 1 hour.
  • Ointments. An ointment based on honey is effective against sinusitis. To apply the ointment, cotton swabs are used, which are dipped in the ointment and left for 15 minutes in the nasal passages.

Prevention of chronic sinusitis at home

As a prevention of chronic sinusitis in adults, it is necessary to treat acute sinusitis in a timely manner, to comply with all doctor’s prescriptions. And also in time to eliminate all factors that can lead to the development of this disease, for example, caries, deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps, adenoids, etc.

Popular questions and answers

Popular questions about chronic sinusitis and its treatment are answered by Svetlana Bozhko, pulmonologist, phthisis doctor, therapist, expert of the “Coronavirus-Control.ru” project.

How do you know if you have chronic sinusitis?

– It is worth alerting with a prolonged runny nose, mucopurulent discharge, constant nasal congestion. If these symptoms are accompanied by pain in the cheek area, which is aggravated by tilting the head forward, the diagnosis of chronic sinusitis is very likely.

Can chronic sinusitis be cured?

– There is no way to get rid of sinusitis once and for all, because in the future bacteria that cause inflammation can again penetrate into the sinus. However, proper treatment allows you to remove unpleasant symptoms and reduce the frequency of exacerbations, and if all medical recommendations are followed, remissions can last several years.

What happens if chronic sinusitis is not treated?

– Any inflammation and accumulation of pus in the region of the facial skull is very dangerous. The infection can spread to neighboring tissues, causing meningitis, brain abscess, and orbital cellulitis. Many patients practically lose their sense of smell and the ability to distinguish tastes.

Sources of:

  1. Vidal. Encyclopedia. Sinusitis. https://www.vidal.ru/encyclopedia/terapiya/gaimorit
  2. “Chronic sinusitis”. Journal “Attending Doctor” dated 24.10.2003/2003/08. V. G. Zenger https://www.lvrach.ru/4530624/XNUMX/XNUMX
  3. “Therapeutic tactics in chronic rhinosinusitis”. Russian medical journal from 05.05.2014/XNUMX/XNUMX. V. M. Averbukh, V. M. Svistushkin. https://www.rmj.ru/articles/otorinolaringologiya/Lechebnaya_taktika_pri_hronicheskom_rinosinusite/

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