Sinusitis
Sinusitis occurs when the sinuses in our face get inflammed due to a cold, nasal allergy or an infection. It is often characterised by the following signs and symptoms:
- Blocked nose
- Yellow/ green nasal discharge
- Facial pain at the cheeks, between the eyes, at the forehead
- Central headache
- Smell disturbance
- Complications: eye swelling or visual disturbances.
DIAGNOSIS & EVALUATION
Sinusitis should be evaluated and treated early before it evolves into a chronic condition. Our doctor will perform a nasoendoscopy to evaluate your nasal passages, check your dentition, culture any pus for its bacteriology, and start treatment.
TREATMENT
Treatment depends on the severity of your sinusitis. Mainstay of treatment for acute sinusitis is:
- Antibiotics
- Nasal decongestant
- Nasal douche
- Analgesia
- Treatment of any underlying cause eg decayed tooth, nasal allergy.
For sinusitis which persists for more than 3 months, treatment pivots towards treating chronic sinusitis. This would require a CT scan of the sinuses, long term treatment with antibiotics and nasal douche. Should medical treatment fail, then sinus surgery will be needed to clean out the sinuses which are infected.
PREVENTION
There are some steps you can do to prevent sinusitis:
- Stop smoking
- Control nasal allergies
- Avoid allergy triggers if known.
- Maintain good oral hygiene by visiting your dentist regularly
- Wash your hands regularly and practice good hygiene to avoid falling sick
