The nose and paranasal sinuses perform the most important functions in the human body. They act as a kind of barrier, purifying and heating the inhaled air. Some people do not consider nasal diseases to be serious, so they take their treatment lightly. However, this is fundamentally not true, since many diseases can go into a chronic form, or even lead to such serious pathologies as meningitis, subdural brain abscess, etc. In this article we will examine in detail diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses, causes their occurrence, symptoms and treatment methods.
Causes of the most common nose diseases
The mucous membranes located in the nasal cavity are very thin, but at the same time they effectively fulfill the functions assigned to them. On their surface there are small cilia that remove various impurities from inspiration, and the mucous tissues fight the pathogenic microflora. If the protective functions do not work, this may indicate a decrease in immunity or a lack of vitamins. In this case, pathogenic microflora gets into the body, which leads to the development of bacterial and viral diseases of the nose.
In recent years, the number of patients suffering from pathologies of the nasal cavity has increased significantly. Scientists cannot explain this trend, but are more inclined to the version that the increase in incidence is associated with a negative environmental situation and uncontrolled self-medication.
Most nose diseases occur with seasonal fluctuations - in the fall and winter. In the summer, problems can arise due to water entering the nose and paranasal sinuses during diving and swimming.
According to statistics, a runny nose is the most common disease in the world. About 90% of all inhabitants of the planet annually (at least once) experience nasal congestion.
Types of diseases
The reasons for the development of diseases of the nose are many. This can be not only inflammatory processes, but also traumatic conditions, neoplasms, and even the specific structure of the organ. Conventionally, diseases can be divided into three groups:
- Traumatic. Such damages are domestic, sports, industrial, or received during hostilities. Injuries are divided into closed, open, combined. Some of them can lead to deformation of the external part of the nose. There are also situations when bone fragments are displaced or a nose injury leads to the formation of septum hematoma. In such cases, the treatment of diseases of the nose is performed through surgical intervention.
- Congenital. Such pathologies include curvature of the septum. This phenomenon occurs in many people, and not in all cases it leads to serious problems. However, with severe deformation, the functions of the nose can be impaired. Congenital pathologies include not only the curvature of the septum, this category also includes fistulas, narrowed nasal passages and other anomalies. To correct such problems using the surgical method.
- Infectious. This category includes diseases of the nose of a bacterial, fungal or viral nature. Infectious diseases are the most common. These include varieties of rhinitis, sinusitis, polyposis and other ailments.
Since infectious diseases of the sinuses are most common, we will dwell on them in more detail.
Rhinitis
Every person has encountered this disease, however, in the people it has a slightly different name - a runny nose. Rhinitis is a nasal disease that can be caused by pathogenic microflora or some kind of allergen. Having a runny nose can be a symptom of adenoids. It is very important to treat rhinitis, since in an advanced state the disease can acquire a chronic form.
The disease manifests itself in the form of sneezing, tearing, mucus secretions from the nasal cavity. Chronic rhinitis can also be accompanied by swelling of the mucous membranes and a decrease in the level of smell.
As a therapy, vasoconstrictor drugs are prescribed. Recommended washing of the nasal cavity with antiseptic and aqueous solutions, as well as inhalation.
Sinusitis
These are diseases of the sinuses of the nose, which are infectious or allergic in nature. The main symptoms of the disease are:
- increase in temperature indicators;
- headache;
- difficulty breathing through the nose, nasal congestion;
- partial or complete loss of smell during illness;
- feeling of pressure on the eye area.
In some cases, the symptoms can be supplemented by swelling of the face and even toothache. The causes of the development of the disease can be infections, nasal injuries, dental problems, polyps and swimming in a dirty pond.
With untimely treatment, sinusitis can develop into a chronic disease of the nose. As a rule, therapy includes the use of drops of a vasoconstrictor effect, antibacterial agents, as well as drugs aimed at strengthening the body's immune defense. In some cases, you may need puncture drainage of the paranasal sinuses.
Diseases known as sinusitis, sphenoiditis, frontal sinusitis and ethmoiditis are nothing more than a variety of sinusitis. These diseases are accompanied by the accumulation of pus in the paranasal sinuses. The lack of treatment leads to serious complications, pus can spread to nearby tissues, as well as to the brain.
Sinusitis
Among the various forms of sinusitis, the most common nose disease is sinusitis. An acute disease can develop against the background of infectious diseases such as acute rhinitis, measles, flu, scarlet fever, etc. Sometimes it occurs during the inflammatory process in the roots of four posterior teeth located on the upper jaw.
A person experiences the following symptoms:
- discomfort and pain in the area of the paranasal sinuses;
- difficulty breathing through the nose;
- violation of the functions of smell;
- discharge of mucus from the sinuses;
- lacrimation and photophobia;
- headaches in the frontal part and temples.
Patients are recommended bed rest. Treatment is aimed at ensuring the outflow of mucus from the sinuses. Apply vasoconstrictor drugs, antibiotics. If the disease is accompanied by fever, antipyretic drugs are prescribed. With sinusitis, physiotherapeutic procedures can be prescribed.
If such methods fail to achieve a positive result, they may resort to a puncture and washing of the nasal sinuses.
Ethmoiditis
Etmoiditis is a fairly serious disease that can lead to dangerous complications, such as phlegmon orbits. This is when purulent contents from the nasal sinuses spread to the fiber of the orbit, which provokes an inflammatory process in it, accompanied by necrosis and purulent fusion.
With ethmoiditis, the localization of pain affects the bridge of the nose, and sometimes the inner corner of the eye. It is difficult for the patient to breathe through his nose due to congestion and copious discharge. If the cells of the ethmoid labyrinth are affected , sputum separation in the morning hours will be most severe. This occurs with purulent, as well as edematous-catarrhal ethmoiditis.
The disease is quite rare. The main task in the treatment process is to restore the drainage and aeration functions of the paranasal sinuses and remove mucous discharge from them. To do this, use the "cuckoo" - a system for washing the nasal cavity.
Also, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics, vasoconstrictor drops and antihistamines.
Sphenoiditis
This disease is much less common than other types of sinusitis. Pathological processes affect the sphenoid sinuses.
Symptoms of the disease:
- the occurrence of pain in the occipital part of the head, in the eye area;
- purulent discharge from the nasal cavity, which has an unpleasant odor, flowing from the nasopharynx into the mouth along the back of the throat.
To diagnose sphenoiditis, a rhinoscopy is performed, during which you can see purulent accumulations in the posterior part of the upper nasal passage, in the anastomoses of the sphenoid sinuses, in the ethmoid labyrinth and the dome of the nasopharynx. The mucous membranes are swollen and hyperemic.
Conservative treatment is carried out:
- taking antibiotics for 7-10 days;
- drops of vasoconstrictor action (use 3-5 days), if it is advisable to further use such funds, they are changed to other drugs;
- antihistamines to reduce swelling and increase the outflow of purulent contents.
Physiotherapeutic procedures (UHF, laser therapy and others) can also be used.
If conservative methods have not yielded a positive result, the ENT doctor may prescribe an endoscopic operation.
Frontite
The causes of the disease become an inflammatory process affecting the maxillary sinuses. As a rule, the disease is severe. With insufficient drainage of the frontal sinuses, it can go from acute to chronic.
Symptoms
- severe headaches in the frontal part, most often occurring in the morning;
- breathing through the nose is impaired;
- the pain is very severe, has a neurological nature;
- after emptying of the sinuses, the pain subsides, and with the resumption of nasal congestion - appear again.
Acute frontal sinusitis is treated with conservative methods:
- Mucous tissues are smeared with a solution of galazolin 0.2%, a solution of cocaine with adrenaline 2-3% or naphthyzine 0.1%.
- The above funds can be used in the form of drops.
- At temperature - antipyretic drugs.
- Taking antibiotics in tablet form. In severe cases, drugs are administered intramuscularly.
- Physiotherapy (UHF, blue lamp, Sollux).
Surgical intervention is used only in cases where conservative treatment has been unsuccessful.
The danger of the chronic form is that the inflammatory process can spread to the bone tissue and lead to their necrosis, and this in turn can provoke meningitis and GM abscess.
Polyposis
Pathology is characterized by the appearance of neoplasms in the nasal cavity. The cause of its development often becomes an allergy, in which the mucous tissues of the organ are irritated for a long time.
The patient has difficulty breathing, headaches occur, the smell functions decrease, and ear congestion is observed. Due to the presence of polyps, sleep becomes bad.
Treatment of pathology is surgical.
Common nose diseases in children
Acute ENT diseases in children are very common. They cause about 50% of all visits to the clinic. In children, diseases of the nose and throat occur with greater complications than in adults. Some parents prefer to treat the child using traditional medicine, while the right decision would be to seek the help of a specialist. It will help not only to correctly diagnose the disease, but also to choose the most effective treatment.
The most common diseases of the nose in childhood are:
- acute rhinitis;
- sinusitis and frontal sinusitis;
- sinusitis in acute and chronic form.
Also one of the serious problems is the ingress of foreign bodies into the nasal cavity. Young children are very curious, they learn not only the world around them, but also their own body. This curiosity often leads to the fact that the baby thrusts a foreign object into his nose. Only an experienced doctor should get it, so as not to damage the nasopharynx. In some cases, such childish pranks end in disrepair - even fatal.
Treatment and dosage of drugs for diseases of the nasal cavity should be prescribed by a doctor.
Prevention of nose diseases
It is impossible to completely protect yourself from diseases of the nasal cavity, however, using preventive methods, you can significantly reduce the risk of morbidity:
- Exclude hypothermia. The cold itself is not able to provoke a runny nose or a cold. However, at low temperature indicators, the blood vessels located in the nose narrow significantly, which makes the tissues of the mucous membrane more vulnerable to the penetration of pathogenic microflora.
- Flushing the nasal cavity. This method of prevention is especially relevant in the autumn-winter period when outbreaks of the flu epidemic occur. If a runny nose occurs in the spring, with the beginning of flowering of various plants, then rinsing the nasopharynx should also be used. For these purposes, a normal salt solution is sufficient. In the process of washing, the causative agents of the disease will be removed.
- A balanced diet. Proper nutrition is the key to health. Using healthy products, a person receives the necessary vitamins and minerals, which is beneficial for the protective functions of the body. The menu should be dominated by natural products (meat, fish, vegetables and fruits). If there is a predisposition to allergic reactions, it is worth excluding possible irritants from the diet.
- Herbal stimulants of the immune defense. To improve health, Chinese magnolia vine, ginseng and eleutherococcus should be used.
There is a huge variety of nose diseases. Therefore, in order for the treatment to be effective, the diagnosis should be accurately determined. Self-medication can lead to negative consequences and serious complications, since the same drugs with one ailment can help the problem, and with another they may not work, and even worse, aggravate the patient's condition.
It is best to seek help from a specialist. Diagnosis of nasal diseases will help determine the diagnosis, after which the patient will be prescribed complex treatment, which is aimed not only at combating the disease, but also at strengthening immunity.