Sinusitis is a disease that occurs when the spaces in the facial bones are filled with inflamed tissue under the influence of various factors. Sinusitis is a definition used to indicate inflammation of the mucosa lining the sinuses around the nose.
What is Sinusitis?
The air spaces in the bones around the nose are called sinuses. Sinuses form a part of the nasal system that produces a secretion called mucus in order to prevent the negative effects of external factors such as bacteria and viruses taken through nasal breathing. In a normal and healthy nasal system functioning, approximately half a liter of mucus is secreted by the nose and sinuses. This normally produced mucus acts on the nasal covering called mucosa, removing dust particles, bacteria, etc. from the air. is washing. This mucus is then filtered into the throat and swallowed. Swallowed bacteria and particles are broken down by stomach acid, and this process is carried out by the body regularly every day.
Sinusitis occurs as a result of inflammation of the mucosa produced during normal nasal system activities. Sinusitis generally occurs when the mucus produced by the lining mucosa cannot be discharged into the nose. We can talk about three main factors that cause mucus not to be discharged into the nose:
-Clogging in the channels that allow the sinuses to empty into the nose
-Disruption in the system that actively carries mucus to the ostia in the sinuses
-Change in mucus content or consistency
With the occurrence of one or more of these factors, bacteria in the mucus in the sinuses multiply and may cause sinusitis. Sinusitis is classified as follows as a result of the occurrence of one or more of these conditions;
-Acute sinusitis
-Chronic sinusitis
-Subacute sinusitis
-Recurrent acute sinusitis
-Recurrence of chronic sinusitis with acute attacks
What are the symptoms of sinusitis?
Sinusitis causes a lot of pain. undetectable and the symptoms vary from person to person It is a disease that varies from person to person. Although pains that occur in the head or face are generally described as sinusitis, the main complaints that appear with sinusitis are as follows;
-Nasal congestion and snoring
-Distortion in voice
-Yellow-green, thick nasal discharge
-Pressure around the eyes and feeling of fullness on the face
-Runny nose
-10- Cold symptoms that continue after 14 days and sometimes mild fevers
-Burning sensation in the throat along with postnasal drip
-Continuous and persistent coughs that occur at night or in the morning
-Behavioral changes
-Headaches that do not go away for a long time
What are the Causes of Sinusitis?
Sinusitis, It does not show symptoms much different from colds. The reasons that we cannot completely call sinusitis symptoms, but can be listed as sinusitis causes in general, are as follows:
-Nasal flesh enlargements; It may cause sinusitis by narrowing or completely blocking the sinus discharge channels in the nose.
-Mucosal edema formation that blocks the sinus channels due to allergy; It is one of the important causes of sinusitis.
-Curvatures or deviations in the nose; It may cause sinusitis by narrowing the channels in the nose.
-Viral upper respiratory tract infections; It is the most common cause of sinusitis. It manifests itself when the normal mucosa formed in the nose turns into an inflamed fluid as a result of viral infection, resulting in blockage of the sinus discharge channels. After the mucosa produced becomes inflamed, it causes blockage of the sinus channels, causing thick inflammatory fluid to accumulate in the sinuses and thus disrupting oxygen intake. This blockage and fluid accumulation brings about secondary bacterial proliferation and sinusitis.
-Enlarged adenoids, especially seen in children; It causes sinusitis by blocking the sinus channels.
-Empty area covered with mucosa. tumors, or polyps as they are called in medical language, that form within the cells; It may be the cause of edema caused by the inflammatory mucosal fluid.
- High pressure situations that are constantly exposed to; It is among the causes of sinusitis. High pressure, especially during continuous airplane flights or swimming activities, can cause the sinus channels to close.
Sinusitis Treatment
Sinusitis, hypertension and rheumatism. Although it is more common than other diseases, it can seriously impair the quality of life unless correct and effective treatment is applied. When sinusitis is not treated correctly, it can lead to conditions such as chronic pharyngitis, chronic gastritis and reflux. In fact, sinusitis that is not treated effectively and whose effects continue can cause infection and abscess formation around the eyes, and in later stages, very serious diseases such as meningitis and brain abscess.
-Diagnosis of sinusitis; It is diagnosed through ear, nose and throat examination and endoscopic examination. In addition, direct radiography and sinus tomography are also methods used to diagnose sinusitis.
-Sinusitis disease; It is classified into acute, subacute and chronic stages. In this regard, we can list the conditions that occur in sinusitis at each stage and their treatments as follows:
-Acute sinusitis; These situations last approximately 4 weeks. If necessary, it improves with medication or spontaneously.
-Subacute sinusitis; It constitutes a transition phase in sinusitis. In the subacute sinusitis stage, acute sinusitis has not yet fully healed and chronic sinusitis has not fully begun.
-Chronic sinusitis; It is the advanced state of sinusitis after the transition phase. It takes approximately 3 months. In the chronic sinusitis stage, antibiotic treatment is primarily applied. At this stage, if sinusitis cannot be treated with medication and continues to progress, sinusitis surgery is on the agenda.
For chronic sinusitis patients, as appropriate to the patient; Endoscopic Sinus Surgery or Balloon Sinus Surgery Surgery method can be applied.
-In endoscopic sinus surgeries; Functional disorders by blocking the channels of the sinuses Polyps that cause sinus formation can be removed or other anatomical disorders can be corrected and the sinus channels can be opened.
-In the Balloon Sinusoplasty method; The closed channels of the sinuses can be opened quickly, without damaging any tissue, causing bleeding or requiring the use of tampons, and rapid recovery can be achieved in the patient.
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