Facts on Sinusitis

When the sinuses become inflamed due to viral, bacterial, fungal or allergic causes, a condition called Sinusitis develops.

In this article:

What is sinusitis?

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Effect on your life

Treatment

How Chemist Online can help

What is sinusitis?
Sinusitis can be either acute (a one-off episode that passes after a few days) or chronic (a long term condition).

If you are a smoker you are at increased risk of developing sinusitis – where an infection develops in the interconnected channels (sinuses) in facial bones which help to give a level of resonance to your voice and also connect with your nasal passages (the ‘tubes’ that run through your face down to your nose).

Symptoms
Symptoms of sinusitis include:

A throbbing pain around the infected sinus (like a feeling of pressure in your face. This feeling can be exacerbated when you lean forward, bend down, or suddenly turn your head)

Tenderness around the infected sinus

Runny nose

Blocked nose (nasal congestion or nasal obstruction, the level of which will depend upon the severity of your condition/infection)

Headache & earache

Dental pain (particularly around the upper jaw area)

High temperature, feverish symptoms and sometimes a feeling of faintness

A nasal discharge (yellow and/or green in colour and of thick consistency)

Loss of smell

An inability to taste food and drink as normal

Swollen eyelids (in rare cases)

Causes
Causes of sinusitis include:

A viral infection (usually after having a heavy cold or flu)

Bacteria which develops as the viral infection takes hold

Allergens (pollen, grass…)

Smoke and/or air pollution

Swimming in and/or diving into polluted water

Nasal irritants, such as household chemical sprays

Dental infection, such as an abscess at a tooth’s root

You can also develop sinusitis if you have asthma, cystic fibrosis, are pregnant or have a poor immune system.

Diagnosis
If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms and think that you may have developed sinusitis, arrange to see your GP. After taking your medical history and asking you some questions about your symptoms, they will examine your nose and the area around your nose. This should be enough for them to assess whether you have sinusitis. An appropriate treatment will then be recommended. However, where symptoms are particularly severe (and where recommended treatment proves unsuccessful) you will be referred to a specialist for an X-ray or a CT scan, in order to confirm the diagnosis and to try to establish the exact cause of your condition.

Treatment
Treatments for sinusitis can include:

Over-the-counter painkillers – to help ease the associated symptoms of sinusitis (e.g., headache, fever-like symptoms…)

Decongestant nasal sprays or drops – to help clear congested nasal passages

Steam inhalation treatment – usually at home, and with menthol added to the water/steam in an effort to ease symptoms until the condition itself eventually clears up completely

Prescribed antibiotics – a short course of antibiotics is generally extremely effective in clearing up acute sinusitis

Sinus draining surgery – for people with severe and chronic sinusitis and where all other treatment options have proved unsuccessful

How Chemist Online can help
Through this website we have a range of over-the-counter remedies available to buy which can help ease the associated symptoms of sinusitis, such as headache, earache, feverishness and also dental pain.



www.chemistonline.co.uk


This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based upon the content of the Chemist Online website. Chemist Online is also not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites.





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