Sinusitis is inflammation of the sinuses, which are the air-containing pockets in the skull and facial bones around your nose. Chronic sinusitis develops when inflammation lasts for more than 12 weeks. Most chronic sinusitis can be managed with medical therapy. However, if your symptoms or the inflammation do not respond to medical therapy, surgery may be necessary. The goal of treatment is to restore sinus health and function.
Symptoms of chronic sinusitis often resemble a cold. A cold is usually caused by a viral infection and accompanied by a runny or stuffed-up nose, sneezing, sore throat, watery eyes and a fever. This kind of acute viral sinusitis usually lasts 5-10 days;but oftenyou may get a bacterial infection as a result of a cold, triggering acute bacterial sinusitis. If that happens, cold symptoms get worse; You also may have yellow or green nasal drainage, pain in your face or teeth, and a fever. Acute sinusitis lasts up to four weeks. When symptoms persist for more than 12 weeks, you may have chronic sinusitis. But some cases of chronic sinusitis can develop subtly, without a preceding viral infection. In chronic sinusitis, the lining of sinus cavities, called Mucosa, becomes inflamed and swollen.
Chronic sinusitis symptoms usually do not include fever. You may have thick, discolored nasal discharge, often green or yellow, along with nasal congestion. You may feel dull pain or pressure in your cheeks, eyes, forehead or the back of your head. Your sense of smell and taste may be reduced. Sometimes, when the inflammation is very bad, polyps may form in the nose. Polyps occupy the nasal passageways and can cause problems with nasal breathing, drainage and sense of smell.
If you have chronic sinusitis, medical treatment is usually tried first to reduce the inflammation.If medication is not enough to relieve symptoms or control inflammation, you may need sinus surgery. The surgery, known as #EndoscopicSinusSurgery, involves widening the openings of the sinuses to allow for improved drainage and ventilation. It usually is performed entirely through the nose using an endoscope. A procedure called debridement typically is performed a few days after surgery to clean the nasal and sinus passageways. People often notice a large improvement in symptoms after that, and most are able to resume their normal activities at that time. In most cases, sinus surgery improves symptoms significantly. But even after surgery, many people with chronic sinusitis still require ongoing treatment, such as occasional use of nasal steroids and a nasal rinse to maintain good sinus health.