Symptoms of sinusitis include:
- Sinus congestion and pressure
- Headache with pain and tenderness of the face
- Post nasal drip
- Sore throat
- Cough
Sinus inflammation usually occurs with an infection from a virus, bacteria, or fungus. Sinus inflammation can also be caused by the common cold or respiratory illness, allergies, nasal polyps, or variations of the anatomy which make sinus drainage difficult. Sinusitis is considered acute when the symptoms are present for less than 4 weeks. Treatment for acute sinusitis is generally conservative and often involves an increase in fluids, warm compresses for the face, taking muculytics, and at-home nasal saline irritations. If the inflammation is present for more than 2 months, it may be considered chronic sinusitis.
Chronic Sinusitis may lead to minimal invasive endoscopic sinus surgery. If conventional treatments, such as repeated courses of antibiotics and steroids have failed, additional testing may be performed. After an extensive evaluation, nasopharyngoscopy, and CT scan imaging of the sinuses, you may be a candidate for sinus surgery.
