Can sinus infections cause headaches. How do sinus headaches differ from migraines. What are the common symptoms of sinus headaches. When should you seek medical attention for sinus headaches. How can you prevent sinus headaches.

The Nature of Sinus Headaches: Unraveling the Mystery

Sinus headaches are often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Many people believe they’re experiencing a sinus headache when, in fact, they’re dealing with a migraine. This confusion stems from the similarity in symptoms between the two conditions. Sinus headaches are typically associated with sinus infections (sinusitis), but the relationship isn’t always straightforward.

Are sinus headaches always caused by sinus infections? While sinus infections can certainly lead to headaches, not all headaches in the sinus region are due to infections. In many cases, what people perceive as sinus headaches are actually migraines or other types of headaches that manifest with sinus-like symptoms.

Identifying Sinus Headache Symptoms: What to Look For

Recognizing the symptoms of sinus headaches is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment. The most common signs include:

• Pain, pressure, and fullness in the cheeks, brow, or forehead
• Worsening pain when bending forward or lying down
• Stuffy nose
• Fatigue
• Achy feeling in the upper teeth

How do these symptoms differ from other types of headaches? The key distinction lies in the location and nature of the pain. Sinus headaches typically cause a feeling of pressure or fullness in the face, particularly around the eyes, cheeks, and forehead. This pain often intensifies with movement, especially when bending forward or lying down.

Sinus Headaches vs. Migraines: Navigating the Diagnostic Challenge

Distinguishing between sinus headaches and migraines can be challenging, even for healthcare professionals. Why is this differentiation so important? Accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment. Migraines and sinus headaches require different approaches to management and relief.

What are the key differences between sinus headaches and migraines?

1. Duration: Sinus headaches often last for days, while migraines typically last hours to a couple of days.
2. Associated symptoms: Migraines are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound, which are not typical of sinus headaches.
3. Nasal discharge: Sinusitis usually involves thick, discolored nasal mucus, whereas migraines may cause clear, watery discharge.
4. Sense of smell: Sinusitis often leads to a decreased sense of smell, which is not a common feature of migraines.

Interestingly, studies have shown that a significant number of people who seek medical attention for sinus headaches are actually experiencing migraines. This highlights the importance of accurate diagnosis for proper treatment.

The Role of Sinusitis in Headache Development

While not all sinus headaches are caused by sinusitis, sinus infections can indeed lead to headaches. How does this occur? When the sinuses become inflamed due to infection, the resulting pressure and congestion can cause pain in the facial area, including headaches.

What are the typical characteristics of sinusitis-related headaches?

• They often occur after a viral upper respiratory infection or cold
• Pain is usually localized to one cheek or the upper teeth
• They’re accompanied by thick, discolored nasal mucus
• A decreased sense of smell is common

Understanding these characteristics can help differentiate between sinusitis-related headaches and other types of headaches, leading to more effective treatment strategies.

Risk Factors for Sinus Headaches: Who’s Most Susceptible?

While sinus headaches can affect anyone, certain factors may increase an individual’s susceptibility. What makes some people more prone to sinus headaches?

• Previous history of migraines or headaches
• Family history of migraines or headaches
• Hormonal changes associated with headaches

How do these risk factors contribute to sinus headache development? A personal or family history of migraines or headaches may indicate a genetic predisposition to headache disorders, including those that manifest with sinus-like symptoms. Hormonal changes, particularly in women, can influence headache patterns and may contribute to the development of sinus-like headaches.

When to Seek Medical Attention: Recognizing Red Flags

While many headaches can be managed at home, certain situations warrant medical attention. When should you consult a healthcare provider for your headaches?

• If headache symptoms occur more than 15 days a month
• If you require frequent over-the-counter pain medication
• If you experience severe headaches that don’t respond to over-the-counter pain relievers
• If headaches interfere with your daily life or cause you to miss work or school

Why is it important to seek medical attention in these cases? Frequent or severe headaches may indicate an underlying condition that requires professional evaluation and treatment. Additionally, overuse of over-the-counter pain medications can lead to rebound headaches, making the situation worse in the long run.

Preventive Strategies: Minimizing Sinus Headache Occurrence

Prevention is often the best approach to managing sinus headaches. What strategies can help reduce the frequency and severity of these headaches?

1. Avoid triggers: Identify and avoid foods, odors, or environmental factors that seem to provoke your headaches.
2. Maintain a regular routine: Establish consistent sleep patterns and meal times to help regulate your body’s internal rhythms.
3. Exercise regularly: Engage in aerobic exercise to reduce tension and promote overall health. Start slowly and warm up properly to avoid exercise-induced headaches.
4. Manage stress: Implement stress-reduction techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga.
5. Address hormonal factors: If estrogen seems to trigger or worsen your headaches, discuss hormone-related medications with your healthcare provider.

How do these preventive measures work? By addressing potential triggers and promoting overall health, these strategies can help reduce the frequency and intensity of sinus headaches. Regular exercise, in particular, has been shown to have numerous benefits for headache prevention, including stress reduction and weight management.

The Impact of Lifestyle Choices on Sinus Headache Prevention

Lifestyle choices play a significant role in headache prevention. How can modifying your daily habits help reduce sinus headaches?

• Maintain proper hydration: Drinking adequate water helps keep nasal passages moist and prevents congestion.
• Practice good sleep hygiene: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to support overall health and reduce headache risk.
• Manage allergies: If you have allergies, work with your healthcare provider to develop an effective management plan.
• Use a humidifier: Keeping the air in your home moist can help prevent nasal irritation and congestion.
• Practice nasal hygiene: Regular use of saline nasal sprays or rinses can help keep nasal passages clear and reduce the risk of sinus infections.

Why are these lifestyle modifications effective? By promoting overall health and addressing factors that can contribute to sinus irritation and congestion, these strategies can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing sinus headaches.

Treatment Options: Finding Relief from Sinus Headaches

When prevention isn’t enough, various treatment options are available for sinus headaches. What are the most effective ways to manage sinus headache pain?

1. Over-the-counter pain relievers: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen can help alleviate pain and reduce inflammation.
2. Decongestants: These medications can help relieve nasal congestion and sinus pressure.
3. Nasal corticosteroids: Prescription nasal sprays can reduce inflammation in the nasal passages.
4. Antibiotics: If a bacterial sinus infection is present, antibiotics may be prescribed.
5. Allergy medications: For headaches related to allergies, antihistamines or other allergy treatments may be beneficial.

How do you choose the right treatment approach? The most appropriate treatment depends on the underlying cause of your headaches. It’s essential to work with a healthcare provider to determine the best course of action, especially if your headaches are frequent or severe.

Alternative and Complementary Therapies for Sinus Headache Relief

In addition to conventional treatments, many people find relief from sinus headaches through alternative and complementary therapies. What are some non-pharmaceutical options for managing sinus headaches?

• Acupuncture: This traditional Chinese medicine technique may help reduce headache frequency and intensity.
• Aromatherapy: Certain essential oils, such as peppermint or eucalyptus, may help relieve sinus congestion and headache pain.
• Massage therapy: Facial massage and pressure point techniques can help alleviate sinus pressure and pain.
• Steam inhalation: Inhaling steam with added essential oils can help open nasal passages and relieve congestion.
• Herbal remedies: Some herbs, like butterbur and feverfew, have shown promise in headache prevention and treatment.

Why consider alternative therapies? These approaches can offer natural, low-risk options for managing sinus headaches, especially when used in conjunction with conventional treatments. However, it’s important to consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new treatment regimen, particularly if you have underlying health conditions or are taking other medications.

The Future of Sinus Headache Management: Emerging Research and Treatments

As our understanding of headache disorders continues to evolve, new approaches to diagnosing and treating sinus headaches are emerging. What advancements are on the horizon for sinus headache management?

• Improved diagnostic tools: Advanced imaging techniques and biomarker research may lead to more accurate differentiation between sinus headaches and migraines.
• Targeted therapies: Personalized treatment approaches based on individual genetic and environmental factors are being developed.
• Neuromodulation devices: Non-invasive devices that stimulate specific nerves to reduce headache pain are showing promise in clinical trials.
• Microbiome research: Studies exploring the relationship between gut health and headaches may lead to new preventive strategies.
• Artificial intelligence: AI-powered apps and devices for headache tracking and management are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

How might these advancements change the landscape of sinus headache treatment? By providing more precise diagnoses and tailored treatment options, these innovations have the potential to significantly improve outcomes for individuals suffering from sinus headaches and other headache disorders.

The Role of Patient Education in Sinus Headache Management

Empowering patients with knowledge is crucial for effective headache management. How can improved patient education contribute to better outcomes?

1. Enhanced self-awareness: Educating patients about headache triggers and warning signs can lead to earlier intervention and prevention.
2. Improved treatment adherence: Understanding the rationale behind treatment recommendations can increase patient compliance.
3. Reduced anxiety: Knowledge about the nature of headaches can alleviate fears and reduce stress-related exacerbation of symptoms.
4. Informed decision-making: Well-informed patients can participate more actively in their treatment planning and make lifestyle changes that support headache prevention.
5. Community support: Education can help patients connect with support groups and resources, fostering a sense of community and shared experience.

Why is patient education so crucial in headache management? By equipping individuals with the knowledge and tools to understand and manage their condition, patient education can lead to improved quality of life, reduced healthcare costs, and better overall outcomes in the treatment of sinus headaches and related disorders.

Sinus headaches – Symptoms & causes

Overview

Sinus headaches are headaches that may feel like an infection in the sinuses (sinusitis). You may feel pressure around the eyes, cheeks and forehead. Perhaps your head throbs.

But, this pain might actually be caused by a migraine.

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Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of sinus headaches may include:

• Pain, pressure and fullness in the cheeks, brow or forehead
• Worsening pain if you bend forward or lie down
• Stuffy nose
• Fatigue
• Achy feeling in the upper teeth

Sinusitis or migraine?

Migraines and headaches from sinusitis are easy to confuse because the signs and symptoms of the two types of headaches may overlap.

Both migraine and sinusitis headache pain often get worse when you bend forward. Migraine can also be accompanied by various nasal signs and symptoms — including congestion, facial pressure and a clear, watery nasal discharge. These are due to involvement of the autonomic nervous system in a migraine attack. In fact, studies have shown that most people who see a health care provider for sinus headaches are found to have migraines instead.

Sinusitis, however, usually isn’t associated with nausea or vomiting or aggravated by noise or bright light — all common features of migraines.

Sinusitis usually:

• Occurs after a viral upper respiratory infection or cold
• Includes thick, discolored nasal mucus
• Is associated with a decreased sense of smell
• Causes pain in one cheek or upper teeth

Headaches due to sinus disease often last days or longer, and migraines most commonly last hours to a day or two.

When to see a doctor

Consult your provider if:

• Your headache symptoms occur more than 15 days a month or require frequent pain medicine available without a prescription
• You have a severe headache, and pain medicine available without a prescription doesn’t help
• You miss school or work because of frequent headaches or the headaches interfere with your daily life

Causes

Sinus headaches are usually associated with migraines or other forms of headaches.

Sinus headaches are associated with pain and pressure in the face and sinuses and can cause nasal symptoms. Most of these headaches are not caused by sinus infections and generally should not be treated with antibiotics.

Risk factors

Sinus headaches can affect anyone but may be more likely if you have:

• A previous history of migraines or headaches
• A family history of migraines or headaches
• Hormonal changes associated with headaches

Prevention

Whether or not you take preventive medications, you may benefit from lifestyle changes that can help reduce the number and severity of headaches. One or more of these suggestions may be helpful for you:

• Avoid triggers. If certain foods or odors seem to have triggered your headaches in the past, avoid them. Your provider may recommend you reduce your caffeine and alcohol intake and avoid tobacco.

  In general, establish a daily routine with regular sleep patterns and regular meals. In addition, try to control stress.

• Exercise regularly. Regular aerobic exercise reduces tension and can help prevent headaches. If your provider agrees, choose any aerobic exercise you enjoy, including walking, swimming and cycling.

  Warm up slowly, however, because sudden, intense exercise can cause headaches.

  Obesity is also thought to be a factor in headaches, and regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight or lose weight.

• Reduce the effects of estrogen. If estrogen seems to trigger or make your headaches worse, you may want to avoid or reduce the medications you take that contain estrogen.

  These medications include birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy. Talk with your provider about the appropriate alternatives or dosages for you.

Sinus headaches – Symptoms & causes

Overview

Sinus headaches are headaches that may feel like an infection in the sinuses (sinusitis). You may feel pressure around the eyes, cheeks and forehead. Perhaps your head throbs.

But, this pain might actually be caused by a migraine.

Products & Services

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of sinus headaches may include:

• Pain, pressure and fullness in the cheeks, brow or forehead
• Worsening pain if you bend forward or lie down
• Stuffy nose
• Fatigue
• Achy feeling in the upper teeth

Sinusitis or migraine?

Migraines and headaches from sinusitis are easy to confuse because the signs and symptoms of the two types of headaches may overlap.

Both migraine and sinusitis headache pain often get worse when you bend forward. Migraine can also be accompanied by various nasal signs and symptoms — including congestion, facial pressure and a clear, watery nasal discharge. These are due to involvement of the autonomic nervous system in a migraine attack. In fact, studies have shown that most people who see a health care provider for sinus headaches are found to have migraines instead.

Sinusitis, however, usually isn’t associated with nausea or vomiting or aggravated by noise or bright light — all common features of migraines.

Sinusitis usually:

• Occurs after a viral upper respiratory infection or cold
• Includes thick, discolored nasal mucus
• Is associated with a decreased sense of smell
• Causes pain in one cheek or upper teeth

Headaches due to sinus disease often last days or longer, and migraines most commonly last hours to a day or two.

When to see a doctor

Consult your provider if:

• Your headache symptoms occur more than 15 days a month or require frequent pain medicine available without a prescription
• You have a severe headache, and pain medicine available without a prescription doesn’t help
• You miss school or work because of frequent headaches or the headaches interfere with your daily life

Causes

Sinus headaches are usually associated with migraines or other forms of headaches.

Sinus headaches are associated with pain and pressure in the face and sinuses and can cause nasal symptoms. Most of these headaches are not caused by sinus infections and generally should not be treated with antibiotics.

Risk factors

Sinus headaches can affect anyone but may be more likely if you have:

• A previous history of migraines or headaches
• A family history of migraines or headaches
• Hormonal changes associated with headaches

Prevention

Whether or not you take preventive medications, you may benefit from lifestyle changes that can help reduce the number and severity of headaches. One or more of these suggestions may be helpful for you:

• Avoid triggers. If certain foods or odors seem to have triggered your headaches in the past, avoid them. Your provider may recommend you reduce your caffeine and alcohol intake and avoid tobacco.

  In general, establish a daily routine with regular sleep patterns and regular meals. In addition, try to control stress.

• Exercise regularly. Regular aerobic exercise reduces tension and can help prevent headaches. If your provider agrees, choose any aerobic exercise you enjoy, including walking, swimming and cycling.

  Warm up slowly, however, because sudden, intense exercise can cause headaches.

  Obesity is also thought to be a factor in headaches, and regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight or lose weight.

• Reduce the effects of estrogen. If estrogen seems to trigger or make your headaches worse, you may want to avoid or reduce the medications you take that contain estrogen.

  These medications include birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy. Talk with your provider about the appropriate alternatives or dosages for you.

Sinusitis, chronic, symptoms – Health Clinic 365 Yekaterinburg

With chronic sinusitis (sinusitis) , the cavities adjacent to the nasal passages become inflamed and swollen. This makes it difficult for mucus to pass and it accumulates inside the sinuses. Chronic sinusitis is a common condition also called chronic rhinosinusitis. Depending on which sinuses are inflamed, sinusitis is divided into sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, ethmoiditis and sphenoiditis.

In chronic sinusitis, it becomes difficult to breathe through the nose and the facial area, especially around the eyes, becomes inflamed. There may be throbbing pain in the face or headache.

Chronic sinusitis can be caused by infection, growths in the sinuses (nasal polyps) or a deviated nasal septum. Most people have a short-term form of sinusitis (acute sinusitis), but if the condition lasts more than eight weeks or recurs periodically, it is chronic sinusitis.

Symptoms of chronic sinusitis

Symptoms of chronic sinusitis include:

• Thick, colorless discharge from the nose or running down the back of the throat
• Nasal obstruction and, as a result, difficulty in breathing through the nose
• Pain, tenderness, swelling or fullness around the eyes, cheeks, nose and forehead
• Reduced sense of smell and taste

Other signs and symptoms also occur:

• Ear pain
• Pain in the upper jaw and toothache
• Sore throat
• Cough worse at night
• Bad breath
• Tiredness or irritability

Signs and symptoms of chronic sinusitis are similar to those of acute sinusitis, but chronic sinusitis lasts longer and causes more fatigue. Chronic sinusitis is sinusitis that lasts more than eight weeks or recurs intermittently. Unlike acute sinusitis, fever is not among its symptoms.

When should I see a doctor?

Chronic sinusitis may be preceded by several episodes of acute sinusitis lasting less than four weeks.

Call your doctor:

• If you have had sinusitis several times and treatment does not help
• If your illness lasts more than 10 days
• If your condition does not improve after consulting your doctor.

Seek immediate medical attention if you have signs and symptoms that could lead to a serious infection:

• Fever
• Pain or swelling around the eyes
• Puffiness in the forehead
• Severe headache
• Confusion
• Double vision or other visual disturbances
• Stiff neck
• Shortness of breath

Serious complications of chronic sinusitis complications are rare but may include:

• Vision problems due to inflammatory eye disease. Keratitis and some other diseases can occur if the infection spreads to the eye area. As a result, visual acuity may decrease, and in some cases complete blindness may develop.
• Infections. For example, meningitis is possible if the infection spreads to the lining of the brain.

For more information about chronic sinusitis, please contact the otolaryngologists of the Health 365 clinic in Yekaterinburg.

Otorhinolaryngology (ENT)

Otolaryngologist

ENT for children

ENT for patients older than 70

Appointment with endoscopy

Diagnostics

Ambulatory

Hospital operations

Acute sinusitis

Acute sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses ( sinuses) surrounding the nasal cavity, which lasts up to 4 weeks.

It usually presents with nasal congestion, headache, pain or tension in the face.

Acute sinusitis most often occurs during or immediately after a cold. Less commonly, it can be caused by a bacterial, fungal infection, or an allergy.

Antibiotics are not required in most cases (unless sinusitis symptoms persist for more than 7 days in adults and more than 10 days in children).

Synonyms Russian

Acute rhinosinusitis, acute sinusitis, acute sinusitis.

Synonyms English

Acute sinusitis, Acute rhinosinusitis, Acute maxillary sinusitis.

Symptoms

There is no single sign that can accurately determine that a patient has sinusitis, therefore, when diagnosing this disease, the doctor takes into account all the symptoms and history of the development of the disease.

The most typical for sinusitis:

• nasal congestion,
• headache,
• discharge from the nose, light or yellow, green, or running down the back of the throat,
• decreased sense of smell,
• pain, tension, swelling in the face, corresponding to the affected sinus: around the eyes, nose, forehead,
• pain in the upper jaw, teeth,
• bad breath,
• cough, especially at night,
• fever,
• weakness.

General information about the disease

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses (sinuses) surrounding the nasal cavity. It is called acute in cases where recovery occurs no more than 30 days after the onset of the disease, subacute – when it lasts from 4 to 12 weeks. If the symptoms of the disease persist without interruption for more than 3 months, this is chronic sinusitis.

Sinusitis is very common at any time of the year, but is more common in winter.

In fact, it is more correct to speak of rhinosinusitis (from the Greek rhinos – “nose”), since inflammation in the sinuses is always accompanied by inflammation in the nasal cavity itself, which is called rhinitis, or, more simply, a runny nose.

The paranasal sinuses are air-filled cavities in the bones of the skull that connect to the nasal cavity. They are also called paranasal sinuses.

There are 4 groups of paranasal sinuses, and according to their defeat, the following types of sinusitis are distinguished:

• sinusitis – inflammation of the maxillary (maxillary) sinuses, located on the right and left side of the nasal cavity, in the upper jaw,
• ethmoiditis – inflammation of the ethmoid sinuses located between the eyes,
• frontitis – inflammation of the frontal (frontal) sinuses located above the eyes
• sphenoiditis – inflammation of the sphenoid (main) sinus, which is located behind the nasal cavity, close to the base of the brain.

Several sinuses can be affected at the same time, but the maxillary sinuses are most commonly affected.

The exact function of the sinuses is unknown, it is assumed that they, among other things, are involved in warming and moistening the inhaled air. They are covered with a mucous membrane with cilia that produces mucus. This mucus is expelled by the movement of the cilia through small openings that connect the sinuses with the nasal cavity. Normally, the mucus moves in only one direction, which ensures the sterility of the sinuses, despite the fact that the nasal cavity connected to them is inhabited by bacteria.

If the mucus outlets are blocked or the cilia of the sinus mucosa are disturbed, the fluid stagnates and fills the sinuses, causing sinusitis symptoms: nasal congestion, headache. The accumulation of fluid in the sinuses becomes a favorable environment for the reproduction of bacteria, due to which the disease is more severe and complications may develop.

Causes of acute sinusitis

• Infection
• Viral. Most often, acute sinusitis occurs with or immediately after a cold. The common cold is accompanied by inflammation of the sinus mucosa in most patients, but the addition of a bacterial infection is observed in less than 1% of cases.
• Bacterial. Much less often, acute sinusitis is caused by bacteria. Most often, they complicate viral inflammation, although they can be the primary cause of sinusitis. Sinusitis is considered to be due to bacterial inflammation if symptoms persist for 7 days or more in adults and 10 days or more in children.
• Fungal. Mushrooms can cause sinusitis with an extremely severe course, life-threatening. People with reduced immunity, such as HIV-infected people, are most susceptible to fungal infection.
• Allergy. Swelling of the nasal mucosa due to allergies (for example, to plant pollen) can block the flow of mucus from the sinuses.
• Anatomical causes, such as a deviated septum, the effects of trauma, or polyps are abnormal growths of the lining inside the nose.
• Chronic heartburn.
• Chemical agents, including those found in tobacco smoke, may impair sinus cilia.

Sinusitis can lead to the following complications.

• Meningitis. In this case, the infection spreads to the membranes of the brain.
• Abscesses inside the skull – purulent foci that cause fever up to 39-40 degrees, severe pain.
• Ocular complications. With the transition of inflammation to the region of the orbit, vision can be impaired up to complete blindness.
• Chronic sinusitis indicated by symptoms persisting for more than 12 weeks.

Who is at risk?

• Deviated septum, nasal polyps
• Suffering from allergic rhinitis.
• Suffering from chronic heartburn.
• HIV-infected and other immunosuppressed patients.
• Active and passive smokers.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of acute sinusitis is based on the study of all symptoms and the course of the disease. There are no specific signs that, on their own, would accurately indicate sinusitis. It is important to distinguish it from the common cold, which can also present with a runny nose and nasal congestion.

Most sinusitis is caused by viruses and does not require antibiotics (because they do not work against viral infections), while bacterial sinusitis is treated with antibiotics. That is why it is important to distinguish between viral and bacterial sinusitis. In practice, however, this is extremely difficult to do, since there are no clear criteria for the addition of a bacterial infection. You need to know that thick, purulent yellow or green discharge from the nose is not a sign of a bacterial infection and is often observed with the common cold, which is caused by viruses. Currently, bacterial and viral sinusitis is conditionally defined by the duration of the course of the disease. If symptoms persist for more than 7 days in adults and more than 10-14 days in children, the sinusitis is considered bacterial.

Usually no additional testing is needed, but in doubtful cases it can be helpful in making a correct diagnosis.

Laboratory tests

• Complete blood count. An increased number of leukocytes may indirectly indicate the bacterial nature of sinusitis.
• Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). It is significantly increased with severe bacterial inflammation.
• C-reactive protein is an indicator characterizing the activity of inflammation. With sinusitis, it can be elevated, but this is not specific to this disease.
• Rhinocytogram – taking a swab from the nasal cavity, followed by staining and examination under a microscope. The ratio of cells in this assay can indicate an allergic or infectious nature of sinusitis, although the reliability of the results is not very high.
• Sowing the contents of the paranasal sinuses. With prolonged sinusitis or ineffectiveness of antibiotics, as well as with reduced immunity in patients, the contents of the paranasal sinuses can be taken for subsequent inoculation on nutrient media where bacteria multiply so that they can be recognized. The most reliable results are obtained with a direct sinus puncture.

Other research methods

• X-ray of the skull. Allows you to identify thickening of the sinus mucosa or detect fluid in them. Currently, however, it is not recommended, as its reliability in diagnosing sinusitis is quite low.
• Computed tomography (CT) of the paranasal sinuses of the skull. The most reliable method of research for sinusitis. Especially useful in case of development of complications.
• Endoscopic examination of the sinuses. A thin tube is inserted into the nasal cavity, allowing you to visually assess the condition of the paranasal sinuses. This method can be informative for fungal infections, tumors, polyps, developmental anomalies.

Treatment

Illness with mild symptoms does not require medical attention.

Most patients recover without antibiotics. Treatment in this case includes the use of vasoconstrictors (no more than 3-5 days), washing the nasal cavity, inhaling warm steam, warm compresses on the sinus area, painkillers, and taking a sufficient amount of fluid.

Antibiotics are generally required only in severe disease, if a bacterial cause is clearly suspected, or if symptoms persist for a long time, and they are usually taken for at least 10 days. Approximately 10-15% of patients they do not help, then a sinus puncture can be used, followed by washing it. It can also be indicated in the development of complications.

In severe purulent complications, operations are performed to eliminate the purulent focus, simultaneously with intravenous administration of antibiotics.

Prevention

• Avoid contact with people with colds, wash hands before eating.
• Receive annual flu vaccinations.
• Properly treat allergic rhinitis (improper treatment is, for example, uncontrolled and prolonged use of vasoconstrictor drops).
• Use a humidifier at home, ventilate the room (moisturizing the nasal passages increases the resistance of tissues to microbes).
• Do not smoke, avoid exposure to tobacco smoke.