Surely many have at least once heard of a disease such as sinusitis. Some at the same time know about him firsthand. Before you consider what sinusitis is, you need to understand what sinuses are. They are special sinuses in the human skull, performing several functions at once. Due to the malfunctioning of these sinuses, various pathologies can develop, including sinusitis. An x-ray helps to determine exactly which disease or pathological process occurs in the sinuses.
Features of sinusitis
The maxillary sinus of the nose is a dense structure that is lined with the thinnest epithelium and is filled with air. The sinus is combined by common bone walls with the orbit of the eye above, with the oral cavity from below, and from the inside with the nose. Along with the frontal, maxillary sinus, as well as the sphenoid and ethmoid nasal cavities, they perform several basic functions:
- Maintain and normalize pressure in a variety of cranial cavities in relation to external atmospheric pressure.
- Finally clean and drive the incoming air through the nose.
- Form an individual shade of a person’s voice.
The cavities are not separated by a continuous fabric structure, they have small holes for ventilation and cleaning. When there is a blockage of these holes, the functionality of the sinuses worsens or is completely lost. In this case, pathogenic microflora accumulate in the cavities, and the inflammatory process also begins. All this becomes the cause of sinusitis. X-ray allows you to more accurately diagnose this disease.
Etiological factors
A disease such as sinusitis, almost always begins to develop as a secondary complication of chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract and even due to improper drug therapy. Despite the fact that there are many different causes of the inflammatory process in the maxillary sinuses, the mechanism of the development of the disease is exactly the same in all cases. The main cause of the pathology is the presence of an infectious agent belonging to the genus of staphylococci, streptococci, fungi, mycoplasmas, gonococci, hemophilic bacillus, chlamydia. There are also other reasons for the development of sinusitis, consisting in the following:
- Chronic pharyngitis and tonsillitis.
- Complications of ARVI and ARI.
- Severe tooth damage, such as inflammation of bone tissue, pulpitis.
- Too narrow nasal passages, the cause of which is the anatomical feature of the structure.
- A curved nasal septum, which can be caused by trauma or be a congenital pathology.
- Protracted allergic rhinitis.
- Some viral diseases, such as scarlet fever or measles.
- Frequent pressure drops that can occur during a flight, diving, or diving.
Chronization of pathological sinusitis, an x-ray of which helps to determine its shape, can occur due to incomplete treatment of the acute form, a long course of a cold or ARVI, and also because of a weakened immune system. In addition, the risk of developing the disease may increase during the onset of cold weather. The main causes of the disease in children under 7 years old are based on physiological infantilism of the nasal cavity, for this reason, frontitis and ethmoiditis can develop together with sinusitis.
Classification and varieties of sinusitis
An x-ray can determine exactly what kind of sinusitis belongs to. As a rule, the modern classification of this disease includes several basic criteria based on the nature of the course of this pathology. The disease has an ICD-10 code - J01.0 - J01.9. This classification includes sinusitis of various clinical course.
Localization
At the site of localization of the inflammatory focus, it is customary to distinguish 2 types of this disease. An x-ray of the nose with sinusitis helps to determine what type it belongs to:
- Unilateral.
- Bilateral.
With a long course of the disease with unilateral inflammation, sinusitis almost always begins to spread to the second sinus. In children, quite often two cavities in the nose become inflamed at once.
Form of the disease
Sinusitis is also usually divided according to the form of this disease. It will be directly based on the duration of the course of the disease, which should also include episodes of exacerbations. X-ray of the nose with sinusitis helps to determine one of the following forms:
- Acute sinusitis, the duration of the disease in this case is from 1.5 to 3 weeks.
- Chronic sinusitis, the duration of which is from 1 to 3 months.
- Recurrent sinusitis, exacerbation of which occurs up to 5 times a year, and the period of remission is not more than 2 months.
If the course of the acute sinusitis is ignored, inadequate therapy is carried out or medical recommendations are not followed, then there is a risk of chronic pathology.
Nature of inflammation
In addition, sinusitis is usually divided according to the nature of the inflammation. The inflammatory process can develop according to various clinical scenarios:
- The exudative type is an abundant amount of mucus and the formation of purulent masses.
- The productive type of sinusitis is the formation of polyps, as well as their smooth growth with thickening of the mucosa.
- Atrophic sinusitis is an atrophy of the mucous epithelium inside the sinuses.
- Necrotic sinusitis is a necrosis of the surfaces of the sinus tissue during the aggressive course of the disease.
Thanks to this qualification, one can clearly characterize the overall picture of the pathology, choose the right tactics of therapy, and also make further predictions regarding the patient’s recovery. Each case will have its own symptoms and signs. X-ray of sinusitis will help to attribute it to one or another type of disease.
Signs and Symptoms
The main symptom of sinusitis is pain in the paranasal region, which tend to constantly increase. It should be noted that the pain in the morning is less pronounced than in the evening. With the development of pathology, soreness becomes extensive, the head begins to hurt, localization is lost. If X-ray showed bilateral sinusitis, then the soreness will be much stronger than with the unilateral type, since in this case the pain is limited, it is felt on one side only.
With the development of sinusitis in a person, the tone of the voice begins to change, with all types of disease, nasal is heard, and nasal congestion is felt. Patients in this case are forced to constantly breathe through their open mouths. If the x-ray showed sinusitis, then with any form, a runny nose appears. The structure of the secret will be different in this case, from transparent mucus to purulent contents with a greenish or yellowish tinge. If there is severe nasal congestion, mucous discharge may be completely absent.
In parallel with this, the patient's body temperature rises. As a rule, its indicator is about 37.5 degrees. In children, body temperature can rise to 38 degrees or more. In the chronic form of sinusitis, as a rule, the temperature is within normal limits. Other symptoms that indicate a disease:
- Poor appetite.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Memory impairment.
- Malaise and general weakness.
- Nasal congestion.
- Labored breathing.
- Pressure in the bridge of the nose, which increases with tilting the head.
- Chills.
- Bouts of coughing.
- Chronic rhinitis, rhinopharyngitis, tonsillitis.
All of the above symptoms can apply to both chronic and acute sinusitis. Characteristic features of exacerbations in the chronic form of the disease include:
- Inefficiency of conservative treatment and chronic rhinitis.
- Headache.
- Soreness in the orbit.
- Conjunctivitis.
- Chronic cough, when a purulent secret flows down the walls of the throat, while irritating the laryngeal mucosa.
If you do not make an x-ray of the sinuses of the nose in time with sinusitis, then this can provoke the development of a serious complication - the disease meningitis. In such situations, secondary signs of meningeal infection join the main symptoms.
Diagnostic Methods
Diagnosis of this disease primarily involves a physical examination of the patient, the study of the clinical history and complaints at the same time as taking urine and blood for analysis. In addition, with sinusitis do an x-ray in frontal and lateral projection. If necessary, specialists also refer the patient to MRI examinations in order to study sinus tissue in layers. But usually an X-ray of sinus sinusitis is enough to make a final diagnosis. After this, the main causes are also identified and possible complications are identified.
You can immediately understand how sinusitis looks on the x-ray, as a result of which the final diagnosis is made. The only drawback of this method is the lack of accurate visibility and differentiation of purulent contents from the mucous component.
Speaking about which X-ray is done for sinusitis, it should be noted that the pictures are taken in two main projections: frontal and lateral. If circles in the sinuses are detected, then this may indicate cystic components or neoplasms.
In the photo below, you can see the darkening of the sinuses with sinusitis.
Answering the question of how often you can do x-rays with sinusitis, we note that there will not be an exact answer here. In some cases, you have to resort to this procedure several times a month.
Treatment features
Treatment of sinusitis can be prescribed only by a specialist, after conducting a thorough examination of the patient. As a rule, the principles of the treatment regimen for maxillary sinus inflammation are based on two types: surgical and conservative treatment.
Drug therapy
A conservative method of therapy is aimed at preventing the appearance of purulent contents in the maxillary sinuses. The main drugs that a specialist can prescribe for the treatment of sinusitis are the following:
- Antibiotics: Suprax, Amoxiclav, Ceftriaxone, Augmentin, Cefotaxime.
- Desensitizing agents: Suprastin, Loratadin.
- Enriched with biological supplements and various vitamins: "Supradin", "Vitrum", "Mer", "Alphabet."
- Painkillers: Ibuprofen, Nurofen, Ketoprofen, Mig.
Taking into account the fact that with sinusitis, the temperature rises quite rarely, additional drugs to reduce fever are not prescribed. Means made on the basis of ibuprofen or paracetamol can do this well. All systemic medications in the complex are able to prevent the course of inflammation, create immune defense, and also contribute to the speedy recovery of the patient.
In addition, topical preparations can be prescribed for the treatment of sinusitis:
- Special antibacterial drops to combat sinusitis: "Polydex", "Bioparox", "Isofra".
- Vasoconstrictive decongestant drops: "Oxymetazoline", "Naphthyzine", "Galazolin".
- Preparations for frequent washing of the nose: Salin, Aquamaris, Dolphin.
If the conservative method of treatment is ineffective, a specialist can prescribe a puncture, which is a puncture of the sinuses.
Surgical intervention
If a long course of the disease is already observed, incorrect therapy was provided or the inflammatory process develops very rapidly, this is the reason for the operation. Such an operation involves taking a puncture, which is a puncture of the walls of the nasal cavity with the aim of sanitizing the mucous membranes and evacuating purulent contents.
As a rule, sinus puncture is performed under local anesthesia, however, despite pain relief, the patient may experience discomfort. In this case, a lidocaine solution is used as an anesthetic. A puncture is done along the lower edge of the nasal passage, after which a syringe is attached to the needle, which sucks all the pathological contents from the nasal cavity to the outside. After this procedure, washing is carried out with the help of antiseptics and disinfecting drugs. At the end of such a surgical operation, breathing immediately normalizes, the patient has a positive dynamics relative to overall well-being.
After this, special drug therapy can also be prescribed, which is aimed at preventing possible complications.
Recommendations of specialists
Any disease that affects the jaw bones is caused by inflammation and an accumulation of purulent contents, carries a special danger to the health and life of the patient. When pus goes beyond the location, this can lead to damage to the central nervous system and brain. Therefore, experts recommend timely and adequate treatment for the common cold, colds, and also constantly maintain their immune system.