Sinusitis

Sinuses are lined by a soft tissue called mucosa. When this mucosa gets infected, the resulting condition is called sinusitis. Actually it is more appropriate to term it as rhino-sinusitis (rhino- is a suffix used for nose in medical science) as infection of nose and sinuses go hand in hand.

First of all, there are four pairs of sinuses in our head. Sinuses are hollow, air-filled and interconnected spaces located around the nose in the skull. All these spaces or cavities open into the nose through tiny openings called ostia. As both sinuses and nose are lined with the same soft tissue called mucosa, any infection that affects one affects the other too.

• Sinusitis or sinus infection is inflammation of the air cavities within the passages of the nose.
• Sinusitis can be caused by infection,allergies, and chemical or particulate irritation of the sinuses.
• Most people do not spread sinus infections to other people.
• Sinusitis may be classified as acute sinus infection, subacute sinus infection, chronic sinus infection, infected sinusitis, and noninfectious sinusitis.

An ENT physician will prescribe medical treatment for acute sinusitis. However, chronic or recurrent sinusitis types need proper investigation to find out what’s causing them in the first place. In some cases, the treatment prescribed may involve an endoscopic procedure called FESS or functional endoscopic sinus surgery.

We strongly recommend that you do not attempt self-medication. Especially steer clear of topical nasal decongestant drops such as Otrivin and Nasivion that could lead to a tough to treat condition known as rhinitis medicamentosa on overuse.