Sinusitis Health Article

Definition

Sinusitis refers to an inflammation of the sinuses, airspaces within the bones of the face. Sinusitis is most often due to an infection within these spaces.

Description

The sinuses are paired air pockets located within the bones of the face. They are:

• the frontal sinuses; located above the eyes, in the center region of each eyebrow
• the maxillary sinuses; located within the cheekbones, just to either side of the nose
• the ethmoid sinuses; located between the eyes, just behind the bridge of the nose
• the sphenoid sinuses; located just behind the ethmoid sinuses, and behind the eyes

The sinuses are connected with the nose. They are lined with the same kind of skin found elsewhere within the respiratory tract. This skin has tiny little hairs projecting from it, called cilia. The cilia beat constantly, to help move the mucus produced in the sinuses into the respiratory tract. The beating cilia sweeping the mucus along the respiratory tract helps to clear the respiratory tract of any debris, or any organisms which may be present. When the lining of the sinuses is at all swollen, the swelling interferes with the normal flow of mucus. Trapped mucus can then fill the sinuses, causing an uncomfortable sensation of pressure and providing an excellent environment for the growth of infection-causing bacteria.

Causes and symptoms

Sinusitis is almost always due to an infection, although swelling from allergies can mimic the symptoms of pressure, pain, and congestion; and allergies can set the stage for a bacterial infection. Bacteria are the most common cause of sinus infection. Streptococcus pneumoniae causes about 33% of all cases, while Haemophilus influenzae causes about 25% of all cases. Sinusitis in children may be caused by Moraxella catarrhalis (20%). In people with weakened immune systems (including patients with diabetes; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS; and patients who are taking medications which lower their immune resistance, such as cancer and transplant patients), sinusitis may be caused by fungi such as Aspergillus, Candida, or Mucorales.

Acute sinusitis usually follows some type of upper respiratory tract infection or cold. Instead of ending, the cold seems to linger on, with constant or even worsening congestion. Drainage from the nose often changes from a clear color to a thicker, yellowish-green. There may be fever. Headache and pain over the affected sinuses may occur, as well as a feeling of pressure which may worsen when the patient bends over. There may be pain in the jaw or teeth. Some children, in particular, get upset stomachs from the infected drainage going down the back of their throats, and being swallowed into their stomachs. Some patients develop a cough.

Chronic sinusitis occurs when the problem has existed for at least three months. There is rarely a fever with chronic sinusitis. Sinus pain and pressure is frequent, as is nasal congestion. Because of the nature of the swelling in the sinuses, they may not be able to drain out the nose. Drainage, therefore, drips constantly down the back of the throat, resulting in a continuously sore throat and bad breath.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is sometimes tricky, because the symptoms so often resemble those of an uncomplicated cold. However, sinusitis should be strongly suspected when a cold lingers beyond about a week's time.

Medical practitioners have differing levels of trust of certain basic examinations commonly conducted in the office. For example, tapping over the sinuses may cause pain in patients with sinusitis, but it may not. A procedure called "sinus transillumination" may, or may not, also be helpful. Using a flashlight pressed up against the skin of the cheek, the practitioner will look in the patient's open mouth. When the sinuses are full of air (under normal conditions), the light will project through the sinus, and will be visible on the roof of the mouth as a lit-up, reddened area. When the sinuses are full of mucus, the light will be stopped. While this simple test can be helpful, it is certainly not a perfect way to diagnose or rule out the diagnosis of sinusitis.

X-ray pictures and CT scans of the sinuses are helpful for both acute and chronic sinusitis. People with chronic sinusitis should also be checked for allergies; and they may need a procedure with a scope to see if any kind of anatomic obstruction is causing their illness. For example, the septum (the cartilage which separates the two nasal cavities from each other) may be slightly displaced, called a deviated septum. This can result in chronic obstruction, setting the person up for the development of an infection.