Sinusitis Signs, Symptoms, and Causes

nasal sprays

Understanding the symptoms of sinusitis is important in getting the right treatment. Sinusitis is an awfully irritating and often quite painful infection categorized by the blockage of the nasal passages. There are three classifications demarking the severity of the sinusitis based on duration. Acute sinusitis is temporary, lasting less than four weeks. Subacute is described as lasting four to 12 weeks. Chronic sinusitis, the most severe form of this condition, is diagnosed in any patient that has had the condition for over 12 weeks.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Sinusitis?

There are a number of different ways to know you are afflicted with one of the three classifications of sinusitis. Most obviously is congestion. Prolonged congestion can lead to eye pain from pressure, discolored discharge from the nose or in the throat, ear pain, sore throat, bad breath, and even nausea. If these symptoms are affecting your life in a serious negative way, see your Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor about treatment.

Causes

  1. AllergiesOne of the most common sources of sinusitis involves allergic reactions to pollen. The nasal passages become inflamed, restricting airflow.
  2. Respiratory Tract or Sinus InfectionViral, bacterial, and fungal infections in your respiratory tract can cause your mucous membranes to thicken, blocking drainage to relieve pressure.
  3. Deviated SeptumYour nasal septum is the barrier that separates your two nostrils. If it is deviated (crooked), it will block off one sinus passage to varying degrees depending on the angle of deviation.
  4. Nasal PolypsBenign tissue growth in your nasal passage can expand to encompass and block your sinuses.

For many individuals with these symptoms, treatment is widely available and effective. Unfortunately, for many other people suffering from chronic sinusitis, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin don’t work.

The next step could be surgery for chronic sinusitis sufferers. Perhaps the safest and most effective form, balloon sinuplasty is a variation of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). Unlike FESS, which uses surgical incisions to remove tissue, balloon sinuplasty dilates the sinus passages using a balloon that is gradually inflated.

If you are sick of feeling sick from your chronic sinusitis, call one of our Palm Beach ENTs for a consultation today. With balloon sinuplasty as a treatment option, you have the opportunity to breathe easy again.