Inflammation in the maxillary sinus babies is usually found at the age of four years and older. Until this time, due to the structural features of the sinuses and their small size, such a disease is very rarely diagnosed. Bilateral sinusitis in children is much more difficult than unilateral, since the focus of infection is formed immediately on both sides. Next, we will find out how the bilateral form of this disease manifests itself, consider the treatment, the signs and causes that cause it.
Main reasons
The main factor that provokes the appearance of bilateral sinusitis in children is bacteria and viral infections, as a result of their vital activity, pus accumulates in the maxillary sinuses. Harmful microscopic organisms penetrate them due to untreated flu, SARS, scarlet fever, measles and other infectious diseases, as well as when caries, stomatitis, and so on. Statistics show that in five percent of cases, colds, childhood diseases lead precisely to this process of inflammation. Now we will understand how this condition manifests itself in children.
Symptoms in children
It is not at all difficult to recognize bilateral sinusitis in children, since all the signs are pronounced and manifest themselves immediately:
- The presence of temperature and nasal congestion in both nasal passages combined with difficulty breathing.
- The mucous membrane secreted from the nose is transparent or has a greenish tint.
- The presence of pain in the cheeks, pain when tilting the head and ears.
- Loss of smell and appetite, along with weakness, lethargy. Kids are very capricious.
It happens that the symptoms of sinusitis without temperature appear. If at least several of these signs are present, you can not hesitate, you need to contact the otorhinolaryngologist. Untimely treatment with bilateral sinusitis in a child at 3 years old, and at any other age, is fraught with serious, and sometimes dangerous complications like purulent otitis media, meningitis or meningoencephalitis.
Varieties of this pathology in children
There is an acute and chronic form of bilateral sinusitis in children. In the acute course, all the symptoms of the disease are pronounced and cause the baby serious discomfort. In the event that measures are not taken in time, the disease can become chronic, against which the manifestations become weaker, but the disease itself does not recede. For some time, the state of the body can improve, but after a certain period an exacerbation will occur, and this will happen in a circle. Such a "cycle" is very exhausting for young patients, reducing their immunity.
The catarrhal and purulent form of the disease is distinguished by the nature of the inflammation. The difference of the first type is in the complete absence of pus in the sinuses, and the pathology is acute. In the second form of the disease, a purulent mass is released from the nose.
How to quickly cure sinusitis? This will depend on timely diagnosis.
Diagnostics
It is reliable to find out whether the child has bilateral sinusitis or is it the symptomatology of other diseases, will be possible with the help of X-ray examination of the sinuses. You can also do computed tomography, but this is an expensive way. As a rule, x-rays for the correct diagnosis in most cases are already enough.
With bilateral catarrhal sinusitis in a child directly in the blood, leukocytosis can be observed along with an increase in the number of neutrophils, which are one of the forms of leukocytes. All this is determined in the general analysis of biomaterial. Now we will find out what today exist ways to get rid of the disease in question. How to cure sinusitis at home, we will describe below.
Treatment methods
In the event that the child is diagnosed with bilateral sinusitis, therapy can be carried out at home and on an outpatient basis, but always under the supervision of an otorhinolaryngologist. It is necessary to strictly follow the schedule of visits to the ENT, fulfilling all its requirements. What is the fastest way to treat sinusitis? To date, conservative treatment methods are used, involving the use of antibiotics to kill the infection, vasoconstrictor drugs are prescribed to relieve congestion along with painkillers, sinus lavage and physiological procedures that reinforce anti-inflammatory effects.
Washing with sinusitis is best carried out under the guidance of a competent otorhinolaryngologist, as inept manipulations can lead to the penetration of an antiseptic into the ear and provoke otitis media. Lavage of the sinuses is named after the American doctor Arthur Proetz, who first applied this technique. But today, the people call it "cuckoo." Its essence is as follows: an antiseptic solution is poured into one nostril, while at the same time the pathogenic contents are pulled from the other under pressure. During such a manipulation, it is required to pronounce “cuckoo” so that the solution does not accidentally fall into the throat and the small patient does not accidentally choke. This procedure is completely safe for babies and greatly facilitates the condition.
How to quickly cure sinusitis, the doctor will tell. When conservative techniques are not enough, the doctor will suggest a puncture of the sinus to cleanse its contents. Next, an antiseptic is placed inside. This measure is rarely used, but in a good clinic, the procedure for babies is quick and almost painless.
An alternative to a puncture is the use of a two-balloon YAMIK catheter. It is injected into the nostril under local anesthesia. At the same time, both balloons inflate: the anterior one is in the nostril, the posterior one is in the nasopharynx. Using a syringe, air is pumped out of the cavity. The sinuses are opened by the created vacuum and the purulent contents from there are sucked into the syringe.
In any case, treatment in children of any form of sinusitis, including bilateral, is required to be carried out comprehensively, using medications and physiological procedures. In the event that the baby is better, throwing the course of therapy recommended by the doctor should not be. It is necessary to complete all appointments, fixing the positive effect. With timely access to a doctor, as well as subject to the recommendations to cure the bilateral form of the disease of the work will not be.
Are antibiotics needed?
In this case, the most appropriate and reasonable method of treatment is precisely antimicrobial therapy. Therefore, most often such drugs are prescribed in the process of combating the disease. But we must not forget that antibiotics are not entitled to prescribe not parents or relatives with neighbors, but qualified doctors. Unfortunately, the doses of antibacterial drugs during the treatment of bilateral sinusitis in children are large, and the course is not seven days, but at least ten.
The fact is that in order to achieve effective treatment of this ailment, it is necessary that a sufficient concentration of the antibacterial agent does not accumulate in the blood, but directly in the mucosa of the maxillary sinuses themselves. In this regard, if treatment is started with a course of antimicrobial drugs, you can not interrupt it, even if the child has a noticeable improvement in condition.
What antibiotics to drink with sinusitis in children?
At the very initial stage of the disease, the child is prescribed antibiotics related to the penicillin series. They act on the body much milder than others, causing fewer side effects, we are talking about Amoxiclav, Ampicillin and Amoxicillin.
In the event that the penicillins did not cope with their task and the baby could not be cured, or if the small patient has recently taken antibiotics of this group, then macrolides like Roxithromycin, Clarithromycin, Azithromycin or Sumamed are prescribed by the doctor.
If the macrolides have not had the proper effect or the crumbs have an advanced stage of the disease, the doctor will prescribe one of the cephalosporin medicines. The baby will have to take heavier, but at the same time, the most effective drugs, for example Ceftriaxone along with Cefuroxime or Zedex.
And it is extremely rare in the treatment of chronic sinusitis in a child that doctors use fluoroquinolones. These are not children's antibiotics at all, but sometimes they are still prescribed for babies after five years to eliminate the severe forms caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Cifran, Ciprofloxacin, Lomefloxacin. Next, we learn about folk methods of therapy.
Treating a child at home
So, we will find out how to cure sinusitis at home. The following options can help young patients breathe calmly:
- Performing acupressure - pressure on specific points. Such manipulation quite effectively helps the crumbs, clearing their nose. The point for exposure is located between the eyebrows, slightly above the root of the nose. Press with your index finger or thumb for thirty seconds. The pressure should be moderately strong so that the baby does not hurt.
- Homemade drops made from chamomile and sugar also help to clear the nose. Two tablespoons of the main ingredient are added to the cup. The resulting product relieves congestion, and the child can breathe normally.
- Inhalation is another method of effective treatment of sinusitis at home. Ten drops of bronchial balm are added to boiling water (liquid volume - 1 liter). Wait a few minutes in order to allow the medicinal composition to cool slightly. They cover the baby’s head with a towel and ask him to bend over the dishes. During this procedure, you must be careful not to get burned.
- A product like honey can come to the rescue. It is placed in the nose. Due to body temperature, it begins to melt and spreads throughout the nostril.
- Royal jelly can be equally effective. It is sold in the form of lozenges.
In most children, the appearance of bilateral sinusitis is caused by an infection. Treatment at home with the help of folk remedies is undoubtedly a safe way, but not everyone achieves a quick result. Therapy is carried out symptomatically, in connection with this, mainly drugs for pain and inflammation are offered. Antibiotics are given only if there are clear signs of bacterial infection or when previous therapy does not help, and the disease worsens.
Features of washing the sinuses of children, depending on age
This technology depends on how old the small patient is. Washing is carried out, as a rule, with sterile saline or boiled water. A salt solution is also used.
For infants and children under two years of age, the following method is used. They lay the child on his back and carefully clean his nose with cotton flagella moistened with boiled water. Then carefully drop into each nostril one drop of a solution of sea salt. They wait a few minutes, during this time the liquid in the depths of the nose should completely dissolve the crusts. Then the contents are pulled with an aspirator, which is a special pear that you can buy at the pharmacy.
For kids, it is allowed to use drops or sprays, the basis of which is natural sea water. It is desirable that they be equipped with a special restrictive nozzle to prevent deep insertion of the tip into the nose and have a soft type of spray. Such funds include, for example, the drug "Rinostop Aqua Baby."
Nasal lavage with sinusitis in a child from the age of two occurs differently. The kid is asked to tilt his head slightly to one side. A solution for washing is collected in the pear. Insert its tip into the nostril shallow and begin the procedure. Then they repeat the same thing from the second nostril, while tilting the head of the crumbs to the other side. After the manipulation, they ask the little patient to blow his nose. It is necessary to do this using the right technique: opening your mouth, pinching one nostril in turn, blow out the other.
In case of sharp blowing of mucus, mucus can enter the inner ear and provoke otitis media. The most convenient alternative is to use a ready-made spray based on sea natural water, which is sold in a pharmacy. In this case, the procedure will be less unpleasant and quick. For any child, this is a significant plus.
Rinsing the nose for students is also performed in a slightly different way. At this age, you can already explain to children the importance of the procedure, and they can carry it out on their own, of course, under the supervision of adults. This method is not particularly different from the technique that is used for children over two years old. Instead of a pear, you can use a special rubber teapot, which is a container with a curved long nose.
You can also apply an alternative technique, in which you need to tilt your body over the bathtub or over the sink, inhaling and holding your breath. At the same time, a nozzle of a spray or a container for irrigation is introduced into the nostril. The solution is fed into the nasal cavity, in the process, the holes of the organ are washed and the liquid leaves the second nostril.
Complications
With improper therapy or lack of treatment, both local and general complications can develop, such as chronic process, that is, the formation of chronic sinusitis. In addition, the following negative consequences are likely:
- The occurrence of an abscess or phlegmon of the orbit.
- The appearance of meningitis and sepsis.
Is it worth recalling that delaying the visit to the doctor, as well as inadequate self-medication, can lead to disastrous results.
Prevention
For this, standard methods are used, as with any other infections. It is necessary to prevent influenza and otolaryngological pathologies, the general strengthening of the body plus the timely disposal of infectious diseases, especially those associated with pathologies of the respiratory organs.
In the framework of specific prophylaxis against the background of frequent sinusitis, it is necessary to more carefully approach the detection of an anatomical defect in the nasal cavity and correct it (including surgery).