Sinusitis is ... Sinusitis: symptoms and treatment. Antibiotics for sinusitis

Sinus infections are called sinusitis. This is a whole group of diseases, the name of each of which depends on the location of the infection in a particular sinus. This publication focuses on issues such as symptoms of sinusitis in adults, treatment of the disease, its features in children and the causes of the disease.

What is sinusitis

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses and nasal passages, which is also called sinusitis. In this case, infection can cause headache, pressure in the eyes, nose, cheeks or on one side of the head. Sinusitis in adults can also occur with cough, nasal congestion, shortness of breath, and sore throat. Sinusitis, the symptoms and treatment of which are discussed a little further, is divided into two main categories - acute and chronic. Sinusitis is a fairly common occurrence.

Acute sinusitis, as a rule, lasts no more than 7-8 weeks and occurs with a frequency of two to three times a year, each time lasting about ten days. There are many drugs that are effective in the fight against acute sinusitis. Successful and timely treatment prevents damage to the mucous membrane of the sinuses and nearby bones of the skull. Chronic sinusitis usually lasts more than two months. Their exacerbations occur with a frequency of four to five times a year, and symptoms can last more than 20 days.

Sinus anatomy

The human skull in the nose consists of four pairs of hollow bones that form the sinuses. They reduce the weight of the skull, allow the voice to resonate, contribute to warming.

The four main pairs of sinuses include:

• frontal;
• maxillary;
• ethmoid sinuses;
• wedge-shaped.

The surface of the sinuses is covered with mucous membranes with cells equipped with tiny hairs. They trap bacteria and dust particles that come in when breathing outside.

Causes

Acute sinusitis usually develops due to a viral infection in the upper respiratory tract. However, various allergens and pollutants can also cause acute sinusitis. Viral infection damages sinus cells and leads to inflammation. The tissue becomes inflamed, thickens, the nasal passage narrows. Such an obstacle further disrupts the natural process of cleansing and removing bacteria and contaminants, therefore, after accumulating there, microorganisms begin to multiply and affect the sinus mucosa. This causes symptoms of sinusitis in adults and children, and allergens and dust can produce a similar effect.

What microorganisms cause sinusitis?

The bacteria that most often cause sinusitis:

• pneumococcal streptococcus Streptococcus pneumonia;
• Staphylococcus aureus Staphylococcus aureus ;
• Haemophilus influenza hemophilus bacillus , or Pfeifer bacillus;
• gram-negative diplococcus Moraxella catarrhalis.

Mushrooms are also increasingly causing chronic sinusitis, especially in people with diseases that undermine the immune system: AIDS, diabetes and leukemia.

Symptoms and signs

So, sinusitis is a condition in which the sinuses become inflamed and cause respiratory failure. Respiratory disorders, in turn, lead to a decline in human energy and create a general feeling of illness for several days.

Chronic purulent sinusitis is an inflammation that is long present in the sinuses, which from time to time under certain conditions makes itself felt by exacerbations. Chronic sinusitis significantly reduces the level of human energy, undermining the normal state of health. Symptoms of chronic sinusitis include a lack of free and complete breathing due to obstruction of the sinuses. As a result, oxygen does not get enough into the lungs, the person gets tired, dizziness is observed. These symptoms may be accompanied by a dull headache.

During acute sinusitis, fever, a severe headache, sometimes leading to vomiting, may be involved. Most often, one of the sinuses is the main, more inflamed. If the infection has settled in the sphenoid sinus, then this is sphenoid sinusitis, which is very difficult to diagnose. This kind of disease is manifested by blunt headaches, which can last for several days in a row.

Ethmoid sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses that are located in the anterior, middle, and posterior parts of the ethmoid bone. Symptoms of this form of sinusitis are pain in the area around the eyes and in the temples. Nasal congestion and inability to breathe occur, which is a common sign of all types of sinusitis. Nasal congestion, fever, sore throat, sensation of nausea often manifests fungal sinusitis. Symptoms and treatment of the disease are determined by which sinuses are involved in the inflammatory process and what form of sinusitis is chronic or acute.

Signs of Acute Sinusitis

The table below lists the main symptoms of acute sinusitis for each type of disease. It is worth noting that severe sinusitis is characterized by severe nasal congestion and headaches.

Signs of chronic sinusitis

The table below describes the main characteristic symptoms of different types of chronic sinusitis.

Treatment

Therapy of chronic sinusitis can be carried out through the use of antibiotics, however, you need to remember about their side effects and entrust the choice and duration of treatment to your doctor. There are various treatments and methods that help relieve the discomfort caused by sinusitis. For example, removing the secretion from the sinuses cleanses the nasal cavity and resumes normal breathing.

Saline solution for washing the nose is the most famous and ancient way of treating acute forms of the disease. Sinusitis is a pathology that can also be eliminated by inhalation. Treatment of sinusitis, ethmoid, sphenoid and bacterial sinusitis should be carried out only according to the prescriptions and recommendations of an ENT doctor. Antibiotics for sinusitis are also prescribed by a doctor.

Tips and alternative treatment for sinusitis

Drink more pure water and hot herbal tea. Inhale the steam, bending over a container of hot water or a decoction of chamomile, oak bark or sage for 10 minutes daily - this is an effective tool if you have chronic sinusitis. Reviews of people say that a hot shower and a regular bath have a beneficial effect. All these methods contribute to the drainage of mucus and pus from the sinuses.

Of the drugs, Guaifenesin helps to effectively expel mucus from the respiratory tract. You can also combine decongestants and antitussive drugs. Pain relievers, such as Asibuprofen, Aspirin, Andnaproxen, will help relieve pain. They not only relieve pain, but also reduce inflammation. The medicine “Acetaminophen” has proven itself, the action of which is aimed at analgesia and overcoming fever.

Sinusitis in children

Chronic sinusitis in a child brings significant discomfort, since the inability to breathe freely is one of the worst conditions. In addition to this symptom, the occurrence of headache and heaviness in the face causes the child a constant feeling of malaise and fatigue. It is not difficult to diagnose acute sinusitis, but it is often confused with a cold. Treatment of sinusitis in children should be carried out strictly according to the doctor’s instructions. Since self-medication can only harm, causing the development of a chronic form of sinusitis.

Symptoms of sinusitis in children are most often similar to those in adults, but often headaches and shortness of breath can be more severe. The treatment of sinusitis in children is determined by the doctor based on the symptoms and diagnosis. At the same time, surgical intervention is not recommended until the basic methods bring a positive result and success. Antibiotics for sinusitis in children are not recommended as therapeutic agents, since they can harm an organism that has not yet matured. However, if necessary, the doctor can still prescribe acceptable antibacterial drugs. This is especially true of sinusitis, infections in which were provoked by bacterial microorganisms.

In case of serious symptoms, the attending physician may prescribe antihistamines and decongestants to make it easier for the child to breathe. Sinusitis, which arose on the basis of a viral infection, in most cases passes on its own, without going into a chronic form. At home, you can also try using a warm compress on the area of ​​the sinuses.

Change your lifestyle

Despite the fact that sinusitis is not considered life-threatening, with inaction it still brings a lot of pain and discomfort. Simple lifestyle changes can help your child recover health, breathe more easily and deal with pain. We offer some recommendations that will be useful.

Use a humidifier in the house and maintain humidity at a level of 40-50%. This will prevent the formation of dry air, which irritates the sinuses. Keep clean. Do wet cleaning regularly and ventilate the room. Teach your child about personal hygiene.

If you smoke, find the strength in yourself to give up this harmful and negative habit. Passive exposure of tobacco smoke to the nasal mucosa and sinuses, as well as to the lungs can lead to not only the onset of sinusitis, but also other, more serious health problems.

Try to limit your child’s access to various respiratory tract irritants and environmental allergens, especially in the early stages of his life. Some foods may make sinusitis worse, such as cold drinks.

Inhalation treatment

As natural remedies for traditional medicine for the treatment of sinusitis, inhalation is probably in the first place. You can breathe over solutions of various products and products in hot water. We list the most effective of them:

• dry menthol;
• decoction of potatoes;
• chamomile;
• decoctions of lavender and coltsfoot;
• yarrow;
• plantain;
• propolis tincture;
• Hypericum perforatum;
• ordinary baking soda;
• eucalyptus leaves or eucalyptus oil 3-4 drops per 1 liter of water;
• natural flower honey.

Compresses and ointments

For compresses, which are also useful, you can use softened hot beeswax, chopped garlic or radish wrapped in gauze. You can also prepare natural nasal drops from products such as honey and aloe leaf juice, Ledum oil tincture, peeled birch tar, a mixture of tea and eucalyptus tincture.

The sinus area can be lubricated with home-made ointments and mixtures. The best compositions are:

• sea ​​salt and interior fat;
• vegetable oil, wax and propolis;
• alcohol tincture from aloe leaves, celandine and red pepper;
• honey, onion juice and vegetable oil.

All of the listed folk remedies are effective and useful only subject to the instructions of the attending physician in the main direction of therapy and regularity of use.