Sinusitis

What causes sinusitis?

Your sinuses are hollow, air-filled cavities in the bones around your nose. Each sinus produces mucus, then the mucus leaves through a small opening and flows into your nose.

You have sinusitis when the mucus-producing membranes become inflamed. As the inflamed tissues block the opening, mucus gets trapped inside the sinus, and an infection develops.

Sinusitis most often begins when a virus, such as the virus from a common cold, invades the sinuses. However, the problem may also begin with allergies or asthma. In some cases, a structural issue blocks the sinus, such as nasal polyps or a deviated septum.

What symptoms develop if I have sinusitis?

Sinusitis causes the following symptoms:

• Stuffy, congested nose
• Thick nasal discharge
• Pain or pressure around your sinuses
• Tenderness in your face and teeth
• Loss of smell
• Runny nose
• Sinus headaches
• Ear pressure
• Fatigue

Acute sinus infections usually clear up within four weeks. However, you can still have inflammation after the infection heals, or you could develop an ongoing bacterial infection. If your symptoms persist 12 weeks or longer, you have chronic sinusitis.

How is sinusitis treated?

For acute sinusitis due to a virus, you need to let the infection run its course. However, your provider can recommend medications to ease your symptoms and reduce inflammation. You may need antibiotics if a bacterial infection develops.

The initial treatment for chronic sinusitis includes anti-inflammatory nasal sprays and salt-water irrigation. However, chronic sinusitis often needs treatments such as:

Allergy or asthma treatment

If your provider suspects your sinusitis develops from allergies or asthma, they do allergy testing or pulmonary function testing, respectively. Then they create a customized treatment plan.

Blockage removal

Should nasal polyps or a deviated septum block the sinus opening, your provider recommends a procedure to treat the problem.

Balloon sinuplasty procedure

Balloon sinuplasty represents the gold standard for treating chronic sinusitis. Your Massachusetts Ear, Nose and Throat Associates provider performs balloon sinuplasty in the office, guiding a catheter through your nose to the sinus, then inflating a balloon to reopen the sinus.

Your provider uses salt water to clear the sinus and then removes the balloon. The inflated balloon changes the sinus opening structure. As a result, the sinus stays open, normal sinus drainage returns, your symptoms improve, and you get long-lasting results.

If you have persistent congestion or cold-like symptoms, call Massachusetts Ear, Nose and Throat Associates or book an appointment online today.