In the article, we will consider how to distinguish sinusitis from the common cold.
Every year, the off-season period presents people with such inconveniences as colds and SARS. Constant sneezing, nasal congestion, temperature are just a small part of the likely troubles. But sometimes it happens that the fever passes, the head ceases to hurt, the cough disappears, and the nose remains blocked. Immediately the idea of a possible complication arises. In this case, you need to know how to distinguish sinusitis from the common cold.
The main differences
An obvious and key sign of the development of the inflammatory process in the maxillary sinuses is severe pain. Common rhinitis is not accompanied by pain, only in case of injury to the nose or damage to the mucous membranes.
We will figure out how to distinguish sinusitis from the common cold in a teenager, child and adult.
The occurrence of pain is a kind of indicator of the inflammation process: the more active the inflammation, the more pain will be expressed. Pain spreads to the maxillary sinuses, localized in the temporal region, in some cases - in the occipital and frontal, give to the teeth. Quite often, the presence of sinusitis or simple rhinitis can be determined by looking at the patient's eyes - they begin to watery and react strongly to light. In this case, redness and swelling of the eyelids, the appearance of cyanotic circles, are observed. With the development of the disease, the whole face begins to swell, the soreness intensifies, a person can not tilt his head forward without feeling pressure in the sinuses.
How to distinguish sinusitis from the common cold is interesting to many.
The second hallmark of sinusitis is the presence of a febrile state. If the temperature rises higher than 38 degrees after the beginning of the recovery period, you should be concerned about your health. If, after normalization of the condition, a sudden deterioration occurs, then this is a sure sign of the development of complications. With an increase in temperature to 39-40 degrees, it can be assumed that purulent sinusitis has replaced the catarrhal stage. A runny nose, in turn, often proceeds without fever at all and causes a temperature increase only for a while and slightly.
How to distinguish allergic rhinitis from sinusitis? The third sign is the appearance of nasal discharge. If the patient has a runny nose, including an allergic one, then a whitish or transparent, mainly liquid exudate is released from the nose, there are no difficulties with blowing. In some cases, the picture is quite the opposite: breathing is very difficult due to blockage of both nasal passages. If sinusitis develops, then the exudate acquires a yellow or greenish tint, this indicates purulent inflammation.
How to distinguish sinusitis from the common cold in children, every parent should know.
It is worth noting that the appearance of greenish mucus from the nose does not always indicate the bacterial origin of the infection, this phenomenon can be observed with a lack of fluid and drying of the mucus. If the greenish exudate from the nose is accompanied by temperature and soreness, we can assume the development of bacterial sinusitis.
Reasons for the development of complications in the form of sinusitis
In most cases, the development of sinusitis provokes the patient himself. Full or partial non-compliance with medical prescriptions and recommendations, as well as attempts at self-treatment are favorable conditions for activating bacterial agents.
A sinusitis complication develops under the influence of the following factors:
- Failure to comply with medical prescriptions.
- The use of dubious methods of traditional medicine.
- Dryness and heat in a residential or working room, which greatly accelerates the drying process of the mucous exudate.
- Drinking an insufficient amount of fluid, which provokes the drying of the mucous membranes.
- Thermal effects on the sinuses during an exacerbation of the disease.
- Use of nasal systemic antibiotic drugs.
- Irrational use of antibiotic therapy drugs.
- The presence of anomalies in the anatomical structures of the sinuses.
- Dental caries on the upper jaw.
- Adenoids (in particular in children).
- The presence of cystic formations and polyps in the nasal cavity.
These factors - each on its own or in combination - can provoke the transformation of rhinitis of viral origin into sinusitis: catarrhal, subsequently turning into purulent.
How to distinguish sinusitis from a common cold, is now clear.
Diagnosis of the disease
An otorhinolaryngologist can accurately determine what the patient is concerned about - rhinitis or sinusitis. For this, the specialist uses both standard examination methods (symptomatology, medical history, radiography), and new diagnostic methods using an echosynusoscope. This device is designed for ultrasound examination of the maxillary sinuses, without waiting for pictures, that is, immediately assess the condition of the mucous membranes, detect an inflammatory focus, determine the stage of pathology.
Why do you need to know how to distinguish sinusitis from the common cold in adults?
Danger of complications
Any pathology is not a pleasant pastime. But individual conditions can not only temporarily spoil human life, but cause other, more serious diseases than the initial inflammatory process. This feature is also a hallmark of a runny nose from sinusitis: if a runny nose is in an advanced stage, it can lead to the defeat of the maxillary sinuses, which, in turn, can result in inflammation of the meninges, purulent otitis media, phlegmon of the eye, and other pathologies that threaten both health, and life in general.
That is why it is so important to find out how to distinguish sinusitis from the common cold in a child and an adult.
Sinusitis Therapy
Therapeutic tactics are always determined by the attending physician, who is guided by the duration and nature of the pathology, the severity of symptoms, the results of laboratory tests. Conservative therapy means the use of physiotherapeutic procedures and medications, which together can significantly alleviate the patient's condition, relieve soreness, swelling, and contribute to recovery.
Therapy should not include:
- Conspiracies.
- Use in the form of nasal drops of vegetable and vegetable juices.
- Warming up.
- Folk recipes.
- Homeopathic medicines.
These methods, at least, may turn out to be useless, and the maximum - become dangerous, since lost time can cause an aggravation of complications. In addition, some of these treatment methods can provoke allergic reactions and further deterioration. Particular attention should be paid to the treatment of sinusitis in adolescents and children, since the inflammatory process in the maxillary sinuses requires an immediate reaction from parents.
Surgical intervention
If conservative therapy is unsuccessful or gives the expected result, the patient may be advised to radically resolve the problem through surgical surgery. Currently, the intervention can be carried out in several ways, but endoscopic sinusotomy is optimal.
Prevention of Complications
The main principle of the prevention of sinusitis is the elimination of the resulting pathology. When it comes to acute respiratory viral infections or colds, you should resort to symptomatic methods of assistance and create conditions conducive to recovery. If the obstruction of the sinuses is caused by a tooth disease, it is important to seek dental help, a cystic mass is detected - to eliminate the neoplasm.
To prevent a runny nose in sinusitis, you should follow some simple recommendations:
- When symptoms of rhinitis appear, seek medical attention.
- Do not self-medicate.
- The use of vasoconstrictor drugs is necessary not according to the regimen, but if there are indications.
- Unacceptable is the independent use of antihistamines and antibiotic drugs.
- It is important to drink enough fluids.
- It is recommended to rinse the maxillary sinuses with saline solutions.
- Humidify indoor air and mucous membranes in the nose.
- It is often necessary to ventilate the premises.
- Frequent outdoor walks are recommended.
- The diet should be saturated with vegetables and fruits.
Conclusion
Such measures are both simple and effective. They cannot guarantee that rhinitis will not turn into sinusitis, but their observance can significantly increase the likelihood of preventing complications. In addition, these actions have a positive effect on the immune system.
We examined how to distinguish sinusitis from the common cold.