Chronic sinusitis: causes and signs

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Extract from the article: Uncomfortable headaches, blocked nostrils, heavy head feeling? You may be suffering from sinusitis. What is sinusitis? What are its causes and symptoms?

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Uncomfortable headaches, blocked nostrils, heavy head feeling? You may be suffering from sinusitis. What is sinusitis? What are its causes and symptoms?

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the sinuses, usually caused by a microbe. The sinuses are air cavities in the bones of the skull. The microbe can be a virus or a bacterium.

How long does sinusitis last?

There are two types of sinusitis: acute and chronic. When it lasts less than 4 weeks, sinusitis is said to be acute. However, if it lasts longer than 3 months, it is called chronic.  Most often, they are due to acute sinusitis that has not been treated or has not been treated properly.

Symptoms

Whether it is acute or chronic sinusitis, the symptoms may be nasal congestion, rhinorrhoea, i.e. a yellowish or greenish discharge from the nose. Sensitivity to touch or pressure or particular pain in the cheekbones, cheeks or teeth (maxillary sinusitis), forehead (frontal sinusitis), eyes and forehead (ethmoidal sinusitis) can be observed. Other signs include headaches, a reduced sense of smell (hyposmia), even a loss of smell or anosmia, a feeling of blocked ears and difficulty swallowing. Other symptoms of sinusitis include bad breath or halitosis, productive cough or hacking cough and sneezing, a feeling of general malaise or fatigue, and a fever of more or less 38.5°C.

Causes of chronic sinusitis

Sinusitis can be caused by a viral infection, such as a common cold, or by a dental infection, a cavity, or an abscess that spreads to the nearest sinuses. 

But other factors increase the risk of chronic sinusitis, such as living in an environment with humid or polluted air, not blowing your nose when your nose is blocked, smoking, and a deviated septum. Repeated nasal polyps, regular swimming sessions in a treated pool; chlorine irritates the nasal mucosa. Facial trauma can also cause obstruction of one or more sinuses. Exposure to irritating chemicals and chronic allergies can also cause sinusitis.

Jean ELI

Article validated by Dr Jean-Claude Bakpatina, General Practitioner, Lomé-Togo