Sinusitis is infection or inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, by infection, from
bacterial, fungal, viral, allergic or autoimmune issues. One of the classifications
of sinusitis is rhinosinusitis, taking into account the thought that inflammation
of the sinuses cannot occur without some inflammation of the nose.
Sinusitis means your sinuses are infected or inflamed. In the U.S.,
millions of dollars are spent each year on healthcare costs related to sinusitis.
Acute sinusitis often start with a common cold, which is caused by a virus.
Colds can inflame your sinuses and cause symptoms of sinusitis. Both the cold and
the sinus inflammation usually go away without treatment within 2 weeks. If the
inflammation produced by the cold leads to a bacterial infection, however, then
this infection is what health experts call acute sinusitis.
The inflammation caused by the cold results in swelling of the mucus membranes (linings)
of your sinuses, and this can lead to air and mucus becoming trapped behind the
narrowed openings of the sinuses. When mucus stays inside your sinuses and is unable
to drain into your stuffy nose, it becomes the home for bacteria.
Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenza are the reason of such inflammation.
When you have a cold, you tend to sniff or to blow your stuffy nose, and these actions
cause pressure changes which send bacteria inside the sinuses. If your sinuses then
stop draining properly, bacteria that may have been living in your nose or throat
can begin to multiply in your sinuses, causing acute sinusitis.
In chronic sinusitis, the membranes of both the paranasal sinuses and the nose are
thickened because they are constantly inflamed. Most experts now use the
term "chronic rhinosinusitis" to describe this
condition, and they also recommend that the condition be divided into rhinosinusitis
with or without nasal polyps.
The causes of chronic sinusitis are largely unknown. The condition often occurs
in people with asthma, the majority of who have allergies. It is possible that constant
exposure to inhaled allergens that are present year-round, such as house dust mites,
pets, mold (a kind of fungus), and cockroaches cause chronic inflammation of the
nose and the sinuses.
An allergic reaction to certain fungi may be responsible for at least some cases
of chronic sinusitis; this condition is called "allergic fungal sinusitis." Almost
all the people with chronic rhinosinusitis do have allergies.
Most health experts believe that chronic rhinosinusitis is not an infectious disease
(like acute sinusitis). If you suffer frequent episodes of acute sinusitis, however,
you may be prone to develop chronic rhinosinusitis. Other causes of chronic rhinosinusitis
may be an immune deficiency disorder (for example, primary immune deficiency disease
or HIV infection) or an abnormality in the quality of mucus produced by the respiratory
system (cystic fibrosis).
Another group of people who may develop chronic sinusitis are those with significant
anatomic (structure) variations inside the nose, such as a deviated septum, that
lead to blockage of mucus.
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 are frequent,
as is nasal congestion. Because of the swelling in the sinuses, they may not be
able to drain out the stuffy nose. Drainage, therefore, drips constantly down the
back of the throat, resulting in a continuously sore throat and bad breath
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