Sinusitis
(Sinus Infection)-
In this factsheet:
- The Facts on Sinusitis
- Causes of Sinusitis
- Symptoms and Complications of Sinusitis
- Diagnosing Sinusitis
- Treating and Preventing Sinusitis
The Facts on Sinusitis
The sinuses are hollow spaces in the bones behind the face. Directly behind the nose is a cavity. On either side of the nasal cavity are large sinuses. A row of very small sinuses runs behind the bridge of the nose, and two more large sinuses are located above and behind the inner part of the eyebrows. Sinusitis is inflammation of the sinuses. It may be associated with both bacterial and viral infections, but it may be due to non-infectious inflammation in the sinuses as well. It's extremely common, affecting about one person in 10 each year, both children and adults.
Causes of Sinusitis
The sinuses produce mucus that helps us clean the nose and to smell. It's moved out of the sinuses and into the nasal cavity by thousands of tiny hairs, called cilia, which operate in unison to form a sort of conveyor belt. Foreign particles and organisms entering the sinuses land in the mucus and are sent back to the nose, away from danger. To get to the nose, the mucus has to pass through small holes in the bones that surround the sinuses.
Sinusitis usually begins during a common cold, influenza (flu), or some other viral infection. This causes the nasal mucous membrane (which is soft tissue inside the nose, not simply mucus) to swell. It can press against the hole through which mucus leaves a sinus. The sinus fills with mucus and empties of oxygen, creating an ideal setting for bacteria to grow.
The bacteria are often already in the nose, but don't cause any symptoms. Humans are typically infested by organisms that are held in check by the body's natural defences. If something goes wrong with the defensive system, they can cause medical problems like sinusitis.
Apart from viral infections, anything that inflames the nose can cause sinusitis. Hay fever, for example, increases your chances of getting sinusitis.
People with diabetes, cystic fibrosis, or AIDS are at increased risk, as are those who have had their nose broken previously and those who were born with a malformed septum (the dividing wall between the nostrils).
Symptoms and Complications of Sinusitis
Sinusitis has symptoms very different from a cold or flu. The main symptoms are pain, congestion, and a frontal headache. The location of the pain depends on which sinus or sinuses are affected. Infection of the lower (maxillary) sinuses causes toothache in the upper jaw and pain in the area under the eyes, while infection of the upper (frontal) sinuses causes pain in the temple. Infection of the small sinuses between the eyes (the ethmoid sinuses) causes pain between and behind the eyes and a particularly severe headache.
Yellow or green pus may drain out of the nose, and there may be an unpleasant smell due to gases emitted by the bacteria. The sufferer may feel generally unwell, but there shouldn't be a fever if the infection is confined to the sinuses.
Acute sinusitis usually lasts about two weeks. In a few people, however, antibiotic treatment doesn't erase the bacteria immediately, and the infection can go on for a few months. Such cases are called chronic sinusitis.
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