What are the common causes of pain on one side of the face. How can neurological conditions contribute to unilateral facial discomfort. What infectious agents may trigger one-sided facial pain. How do structural issues affect facial pain on a single side. What role does trauma play in causing unilateral facial pain.

Understanding the Complexity of One-Sided Facial Pain

Facial pain confined to one side can be a perplexing and distressing experience for many individuals. This condition, known as unilateral facial pain, can stem from a wide array of causes, ranging from neurological disorders to infections and structural issues. Understanding the underlying factors is crucial for proper diagnosis and effective treatment.

One-sided facial pain is not a diagnosis in itself but rather a symptom that can point to various conditions. The complexity of facial anatomy, with its intricate network of nerves, blood vessels, and muscles, makes pinpointing the exact cause challenging. However, by examining the nature of the pain, its duration, and accompanying symptoms, healthcare professionals can narrow down the potential culprits.

Neurological Causes of Unilateral Facial Pain

Neurological issues are among the most common causes of one-sided facial pain. These conditions often involve the trigeminal nerve, the primary sensory nerve of the face.

Trigeminal Neuralgia: The “Lightning Bolt” of Facial Pain

Trigeminal neuralgia is characterized by sudden, severe, shock-like pain along the distribution of the trigeminal nerve. This condition typically affects one side of the face and can be triggered by simple activities such as brushing teeth or applying makeup.

Can trigeminal neuralgia resolve on its own. While some patients may experience periods of remission, trigeminal neuralgia is generally a chronic condition that requires ongoing management. Treatment options include medications, such as anticonvulsants, and surgical interventions in severe cases.

Central Nervous System Disorders

Conditions affecting the central nervous system can also manifest as unilateral facial pain. Multiple sclerosis, for instance, can cause facial pain as a result of demyelination of nerve fibers. Strokes, particularly those affecting the thalamus or brainstem, may lead to central post-stroke pain syndrome, which can include facial pain.

Migraine and Cluster Headaches

While often considered primarily headache disorders, migraines and cluster headaches can cause significant facial pain. Migraines may be preceded by an aura, which can include facial sensory disturbances on one side. Cluster headaches, known for their excruciating pain around the eye, can also cause facial pain and autonomic symptoms on the affected side.

Infectious Agents as Culprits of One-Sided Facial Pain

Infections can lead to facial pain through direct tissue involvement or by affecting nearby nerves. Both bacterial and viral pathogens can be responsible for such discomfort.

Bacterial Infections: From Sinuses to Teeth

Bacterial sinusitis is a common cause of one-sided facial pain, particularly when it affects only one sinus cavity. The pain is often described as a dull ache or pressure sensation in the cheek or around the eye on the affected side.

Dental infections, such as abscesses or severe cavities, can also cause localized facial pain. These infections can spread to surrounding tissues, leading to more widespread discomfort and swelling.

Viral Infections: The Case of Shingles

Herpes zoster, the virus responsible for shingles, can cause intense, burning pain along the distribution of the affected nerve. When it involves the trigeminal nerve, it can result in a painful rash and persistent discomfort on one side of the face.

Is post-herpetic neuralgia inevitable after facial shingles. While not all patients develop post-herpetic neuralgia, it is a potential complication that can occur in up to 20% of those who experience shingles, particularly in older adults. Early antiviral treatment may help reduce the risk of this chronic pain condition.

Structural Causes of Unilateral Facial Pain

The intricate structure of the face means that even small abnormalities can lead to significant discomfort. Structural causes of one-sided facial pain often involve the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or obstructions in various facial structures.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMD)

TMD can cause pain in the jaw joint and surrounding muscles on one or both sides of the face. The pain is often exacerbated by jaw movement, such as chewing or yawning. TMD can result from various factors, including jaw misalignment, teeth grinding, or arthritis in the joint.

Salivary Gland Obstructions

Salivary stones or other obstructions in the salivary ducts can cause swelling and pain in the affected gland. This pain is often localized to one side of the face and may worsen during meals when saliva production increases.

Trauma-Induced Unilateral Facial Pain

Traumatic injuries to the face can lead to both acute and chronic pain conditions. Understanding the mechanism of injury is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Direct Facial Injuries

Fractures, contusions, and lacerations can all cause localized facial pain. While the cause may be obvious in cases of visible injury, sometimes small fractures or deep tissue injuries may not be immediately apparent.

Iatrogenic Causes: When Treatment Leads to Pain

In some cases, medical or dental procedures can inadvertently lead to facial pain. Nerve damage during surgery or complications from dental work can result in persistent, one-sided facial discomfort.

What is anesthesia dolorosa. Anesthesia dolorosa is a rare but severe complication that can occur following procedures intended to treat trigeminal neuralgia. It is characterized by persistent pain in an area that has been rendered numb by nerve damage or intentional destruction.

Diagnostic Approaches to One-Sided Facial Pain

Given the diverse causes of unilateral facial pain, a systematic diagnostic approach is essential. Healthcare providers typically begin with a thorough medical history and physical examination.

Imaging Studies

Depending on the suspected cause, various imaging techniques may be employed:

• MRI to evaluate soft tissues and neural structures
• CT scans for detailed views of bone and sinuses
• X-rays for dental issues or TMJ evaluation

Specialized Tests

In some cases, more specialized diagnostic procedures may be necessary:

1. Electromyography (EMG) to assess muscle and nerve function
2. Thermography to detect temperature differences that may indicate nerve dysfunction
3. Biopsy in cases where tumors or inflammatory conditions are suspected

Treatment Strategies for One-Sided Facial Pain

The treatment of unilateral facial pain is as varied as its causes. A multimodal approach is often necessary to achieve optimal pain relief and address underlying conditions.

Pharmacological Interventions

Medications play a crucial role in managing many types of facial pain:

• Anticonvulsants for neuropathic pain
• Analgesics for acute pain relief
• Antibiotics for bacterial infections
• Antiviral drugs for conditions like shingles

Non-Pharmacological Approaches

Many patients benefit from non-drug therapies, either alone or in combination with medications:

• Physical therapy for TMJ disorders
• Acupuncture for various pain conditions
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy to manage chronic pain
• Biofeedback techniques for tension-related pain

Interventional Procedures

For refractory cases, more invasive treatments may be considered:

• Nerve blocks to interrupt pain signals
• Botulinum toxin injections for certain types of facial pain
• Surgical interventions, such as microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia

How effective are nerve blocks for facial pain. Nerve blocks can provide significant relief for many patients with facial pain, particularly those with trigeminal neuralgia or cluster headaches. The duration of relief varies, but some patients experience pain reduction for several months following a single procedure.

Living with Chronic Unilateral Facial Pain

For many individuals, one-sided facial pain becomes a chronic condition that requires ongoing management. Developing coping strategies and lifestyle modifications can significantly improve quality of life.

Stress Management and Relaxation Techniques

Stress can exacerbate many pain conditions. Incorporating stress-reduction techniques into daily life can help manage pain levels:

• Mindfulness meditation
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Yoga or tai chi
• Deep breathing exercises

Dietary Considerations

Certain foods and drinks may trigger or worsen facial pain in some individuals. Keeping a food diary can help identify potential triggers. Common culprits include:

• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Processed foods high in additives
• Foods containing tyramine (aged cheeses, cured meats)

Support Groups and Patient Education

Connecting with others who experience similar pain can provide emotional support and practical advice. Patient education programs can empower individuals to take an active role in their pain management.

Can lifestyle changes alone manage chronic facial pain. While lifestyle modifications can significantly improve pain management for many individuals, they are often most effective when combined with medical treatments. A comprehensive approach that addresses both the physical and psychological aspects of pain typically yields the best outcomes.

Emerging Therapies and Future Directions

Research into one-sided facial pain continues to evolve, with new treatments on the horizon. Understanding these developments can provide hope for those struggling with chronic pain conditions.

Neuromodulation Techniques

Advanced neuromodulation therapies show promise for treating refractory facial pain:

• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
• Sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation
• Occipital nerve stimulation

Gene Therapy and Molecular Approaches

Ongoing research into the genetic and molecular basis of pain could lead to more targeted treatments:

• Gene therapy to modify pain signaling pathways
• Targeted drug delivery systems
• Personalized medicine based on genetic profiles

Regenerative Medicine

Stem cell therapies and other regenerative approaches may offer new ways to repair damaged nerves and tissues:

• Autologous stem cell transplantation
• Growth factor therapies
• Tissue engineering for facial reconstruction

How close are we to a cure for conditions like trigeminal neuralgia. While a definitive cure remains elusive, significant progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms of neuropathic facial pain. Current research focuses on developing more effective and longer-lasting treatments, with some promising results in preclinical studies. However, it’s important to note that bringing new therapies from the laboratory to clinical practice is a lengthy process that can take many years.

Unilateral facial pain presents a complex challenge for both patients and healthcare providers. The diverse range of potential causes necessitates a thorough diagnostic process and often requires a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. From neurological conditions to infections, structural issues, and trauma, the underlying factors contributing to one-sided facial pain are numerous and varied.

As our understanding of facial pain mechanisms continues to grow, so too do the treatment options available. From traditional pharmacological interventions to cutting-edge neuromodulation techniques, the field of pain management is constantly evolving. For those living with chronic facial pain, a combination of medical treatments, lifestyle modifications, and psychological support often provides the best path forward.

While managing one-sided facial pain can be challenging, it’s important to remember that help is available. Advances in diagnostic techniques and treatment modalities offer hope for improved outcomes. By working closely with healthcare providers and staying informed about the latest developments in pain management, individuals suffering from unilateral facial pain can take proactive steps towards finding relief and improving their quality of life.

One-Sided Facial Pain | 10 Causes for Pain on One Side of Face

Pain on one side of the face causes

The causes of one-sided facial pain vary widely due to the many components of the face that can become damaged, injured, or inflamed. These include neurologic, infectious, structural, and traumatic causes.

Neurologic causes

Neurologic causes of pain on one side of the face may include the following.

• Neuropathic: The word neuropathic refers to a disruption in nerve functioning. One-sided facial pain can be caused by malfunction of the trigeminal nerve. In most cases, the exact mechanism causing the trigeminal nerve to malfunction is never diagnosed, but there are many diagnosable causes of trigeminal nerve dysfunction that this article will also discuss in depth.
• Central: Central neurologic causes are those related to lesions or dysfunction in the central nervous system. Such pain can often happen after strokes or be due to conditions such as multiple sclerosis. Causes such as headaches and migraines can also be associated with one-sided facial pain. For example, people who suffer from migraines may experience an aura (a visual or sensory warning sign) on one side of the face before a migraine or a migraine may affect only one side of the face.

Infectious causes

Infection-related causes of pain on one side of the face may include the following.

• Bacterial: Many bacteria can affect parts of the head, such as the teeth and sinuses, and indirectly cause one-sided facial pain. For example, a bacterial infection of a tooth that results in an abscess can lead to swelling and discomfort in the face. Bacterial infection of the eye can cause pain that radiates to include the face. Furthermore, specific bacteria such as the bacteria causing Lyme disease can affect nerves of the face.
• Viral: Certain viruses are inclined to infect and attack the nerves of the face. Herpes zoster, the virus that causes shingles, can lay dormant in the trigeminal nerve and resurface to cause a painful, blistering rash of the face. Furthermore, the pain can recur even after the rash is treated and goes away in a condition known as post-herpetic neuralgia. Viruses can infect the same parts of the face that bacteria can infect, especially the sinuses and eyes.

Structural causes

Structural causes of pain on one side of the face may include the following.

• Musculoskeletal: Pain and dysfunction in the muscles that control chewing and movement of the jaw can result in debilitating one-sided facial pain that is easily triggered by common actions such as eating breakfast or yawning.
• Obstruction: Many conditions may obstruct or put direct pressure on the trigeminal nerve to cause pain or nerve dysfunction. For example, the presence of a salivary stone that obstructs the salivary gland may cause facial swelling that puts pressure on the trigeminal nerve causing pain.

Traumatic causes

Trauma-related causes of pain on one side of the face may include the following.

• Iatrogenic: Iatrogenic is a term that describes a problem caused by medical intervention or treatment. Direct injury to the trigeminal nerve due to surgical trauma or treatment for trigeminal neuralgia can result in a condition called Anesthesia Dolorosa (painful, post-traumatic trigeminal nerve dysfunction) that is characterized by one-sided facial or oral pain.
• Other injury: It is important to remember that one-sided facial pain can be due to direct injury to the face that may result in a fracture or bruise. Large bruises and deformities are a clear cause of any facial pain you be experiencing, but also take note of any smaller cuts or lesions on the face that could be responsible for your symptoms.

This list does not constitute medical advice and may not accurately represent what you have.

Acute bacterial sinusitis

Acute bacterial sinusitis, also called bacterial rhinosinusitis or “sinus infection,” has symptoms much like viral rhinosinusitis but a different treatment.

Any sinusitis usually begins with common cold viruses. Sometimes a secondary bacterial infection takes hold. Like cold viruses, these bacteria can be inhaled after an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Anyone with viral sinusitis, upper-respiratory allergy, nasal passage abnormality, lung illness, or a weakened immune system is more prone to bacterial sinusitis.

Symptoms include thick yellowish or greenish nasal discharge; one-sided pain in the upper jaw or teeth; one-sided sinus pain and pressure; fatigue; fever; and symptoms that get worse after first improving.

See a doctor right away for severe headache, high fever, stiff neck, or vision changes. These can indicate a medical emergency.

Diagnosis is made with a simple examination in the doctor’s office.

Bacterial sinusitis can be treated with antibiotics, but this is not always necessary. Often rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain relievers and decongestants are enough.

Prevention is done through good lifestyle and hygiene to keep the immune system strong.

Rarity: Common

Top Symptoms: fatigue, headache, cough, sinusitis symptoms, muscle aches

Symptoms that always occur with acute bacterial sinusitis: sinusitis symptoms

Symptoms that never occur with acute bacterial sinusitis: clear runny nose, being severely ill

Urgency: Primary care doctor

Temporomandibular joint (tmj) dysfunction disorder

Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction is often caused by a variety of factors, including daily habits, your teeth alignment, and even stress. It usually affects one side of the jaw, but in some people it can affect both sides. People with TMJ dysfunction will typically experience pain on one side of the face that is worse with chewing, yawning, or other movements of the jaw. With some simple changes in your daily habits and other at-home treatments, most people with TMJ dysfunction will experience relief of their symptoms within weeks.

Treatment for temporomandibular joint dysfunction usually includes avoiding eating hard foods or foods that require a lot of chewing. Good posture and relaxation techniques may help relieve tension in the muscles that connect to your temporomandibular joint. In people who clench or grind their teeth, a mouth guard worn at night (and fitted by your dentist) may also help relieve your symptoms. Pain relievers, like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), can also help.

Rarity: Common

Top Symptoms: dizziness, pain, restricted movement, and clicking sounds from jaw, history of headaches, jaw pain, pain in the back of the neck

Symptoms that always occur with temporomandibular joint (tmj) dysfunction disorder: pain, restricted movement, and clicking sounds from jaw

Urgency: Primary care doctor

Acute viral sinusitis

Acute viral sinusitis, also called viral rhinosinusitis or “sinus infection,” occurs when viruses take hold and multiply in the sinus cavities of the face.

It is most often caused by the same viruses that cause the common cold and spreads the same way, through an infected person’s coughing or sneezing.

Because children have small, underdeveloped sinuses, this illness is far more common in adults.

Symptoms include clear nasal discharge (not greenish or yellowish,) fever, and pain if facial sinuses are pressed.

If there is rash, severe fatigue, or neurologic symptoms (seizures, loss of sensation, weakness, or partial paralysis,) see a medical provider to rule out more serious conditions.

Diagnosis can usually be made through history and examination alone.

Antibiotics only work against bacteria and cannot help against a viral illness. Therefore, treatment consists of rest, fluids, and fever/pain reducers such as ibuprofen. (Do not give aspirin to children.) Symptoms of viral sinusitis last for about seven to ten days. As with the common cold, the best prevention is frequent and thorough handwashing.

Rarity: Common

Top Symptoms: headache, cough, sinusitis symptoms, sore throat, congestion

Symptoms that always occur with acute viral sinusitis: sinusitis symptoms

Symptoms that never occur with acute viral sinusitis: being severely ill

Urgency: Self-treatment

Infection of the salivary duct (sialadenitis)

The ducts that create saliva can be infected by bacteria and is typically found after surgery in the mouth and in the elderly that take medications that slow saliva production.

Rarity: Rare

Top Symptoms: fever, chills, swelling on one side of the face, pain on one side of the face, swollen jaw

Urgency: Hospital emergency room

Sinus headache

Sinus headache, also called sinusitis or rhinosinusitis, is caused by either a bacterial or a viral infection of the sinuses (open spaces) behind the eyes and nose.

Symptoms include fever; thick nasal discharge which may be clear, white, greenish or yellowish; some loss of sense of smell; foul-smelling breath; and pain, congestion, and pressure over the sinus areas of the face, especially if bending forward or lying down.

A self-diagnosed “sinus headache” very often turns out to be a migraine headache with a few sinus symptoms. This requires very different treatment from an actual sinus headache, and is an important reason to see a medical provider about any sort of ongoing headaches.

Diagnosis is made through patient history, physical examination, and sometimes CT scan or MRI of the head to look for changes in the sinuses.

A true sinus headache, if caused by a bacterial infection, will be treated with antibiotics. If caused by a viral infection, the symptoms can be treated with over-the-counter pain relievers and alternating hot and cold compresses.

Rarity: Common

Top Symptoms: headache, headache that worsens when head moves, facial fullness or pressure, mucous dripping in the back of the throat, sinus pain

Symptoms that always occur with sinus headache: headache

Symptoms that never occur with sinus headache: fever, being severely ill, sore throat, muscle aches, cough, drooping eyelid, wateriness in both eyes

Urgency: Self-treatment

Myofascial pain syndrome

Myofascial pain syndrome is also called chronic myofascial pain (CMP.) Pressure on certain points of the muscles causes referred pain, meaning the pain is felt elsewhere in the body.

The cause is believed to be muscle injury through overuse, either from sports or from a job requiring repetitive motion. Tension, stress, and poor posture can also cause habitual tightening of the muscles, a form of overuse.

This overuse causes scar tissue, or adhesions, to form in the muscles. These points are known as trigger points, since they trigger pain at any stimulus.

Symptoms include deep, aching muscular pain that does not go away with rest or massage, but may actually worsen. There is often difficulty sleeping due to pain.

Myofascial pain syndrome should be seen by a medical provider, since it can develop into a similar but more severe condition called fibromyalgia.

Diagnosis is made through physical examination and applying mild pressure to locate the trigger points.

Treatment involves physical therapy, pain medications, and trigger point injections. In some cases, acupuncture and antidepressants are helpful.

Rarity: Common

Top Symptoms: dizziness, spontaneous shoulder pain, pain in the back of the neck, tender muscle knot, general numbness

Symptoms that always occur with myofascial pain syndrome: tender muscle knot

Urgency: Primary care doctor

Cellulitis

Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of the deep layers of the skin. It can appear anywhere on the body but is most common on the feet, lower legs, and face.

The condition can develop if Staphylococcus bacteria enter broken skin through a cut, scrape, or existing skin infection such as impetigo or eczema.

Most susceptible are those with a weakened immune system, as from corticosteroids or chemotherapy, or with impaired circulation from diabetes or any vascular disease.

Symptoms arise somewhat gradually and include sore, reddened skin.

If not treated, the infection can become severe, form pus, and destroy the tissue around it. In rare cases, the infection can cause blood poisoning or meningitis.

Symptom of severe pain, fever, cold sweats, and fast heartbeat should be seen immediately by a medical provider.

Diagnosis is made through physical examination.

Treatment consists of antibiotics, keeping the wound clean, and sometimes surgery to remove any dead tissue. Cellulitis often recurs, so it is important to treat any underlying conditions and improve the immune system with rest and good nutrition.

Rarity: Uncommon

Top Symptoms: fever, chills, facial redness, swollen face, face pain

Symptoms that always occur with cellulitis: facial redness, area of skin redness

Urgency: Primary care doctor

Viral throat infection

A viral throat infection is an infection of the throat, or pharynx, that is caused by viruses. Viruses are different from bacteria such as Streptococcus pyogenes (which causes “strep throat”). Viral infections are the most common cause of sore throats in children and adu..

Carotid artery dissection

A carotid artery dissection is a tear in a layer of the wall of a blood vessel called a carotid artery, one of two such arteries found in the neck. Blood vessel walls normally have three layers, and a tear in any of these can allow blood to flow into the result…

Bruise of the face

A bruise is an area of skin discoloration. A bruise occurs when small blood vessels break and leak their contents into the soft tissue beneath the skin.

Rarity: Common

Top Symptoms: swelling on one side of the face, head or face injury, painful face swelling, warm and red face swelling, face bruise

Symptoms that always occur with bruise of the face: head or face injury

Urgency: Self-treatment

Sinus Pain or Congestion

Is this your child’s symptom?

• Fullness, pressure or pain on the face over a sinus
• Sinus pain occurs above the eyebrow, behind the eye, and under the cheekbone
• Other common symptoms can be a blocked nose, nasal discharge, or postnasal drip

Symptoms

• Most often, the pain or pressure is just on one side of the face.
• Swelling around just one eye.
• Other common symptoms are a stuffy or blocked nose or nasal discharge. Your child may also have a nasal drip down the back of the throat. This is called a postnasal drip.
• Less common symptoms are bad breath or mouth breathing. Also, may have a sore throat and throat clearing from postnasal drip.
• Age Limit. Sinus pain is not a common symptom before 5 years of age.

Causes of Sinus Congestion

• Viral Sinus Infection. Part of the common cold. A cold infects the lining of the nose. It also involves the lining of all the sinuses.
• Bacterial Sinus Infection. A problem when the sinus becomes infected with bacteria. (Occurs in 5% of colds). It starts as a viral sinus infection. Main symptoms are increased sinus pain or return of fever. The skin around the eyelids or cheeks may become red or swollen. Thick nasal secretions that last over 14 days may point to a sinus infection. This can occur in younger children.
• Allergic Sinus Reaction. Sinus congestion often occurs with nasal allergies (such as from pollen). Sneezing, itchy nose and clear nasal discharge point to this cause.

Treatment of Sinus Congestion

• Viral Sinus Infection. Nasal washes with saline. Antibiotics are not helpful.
• Bacterial Sinus Infection. Antibiotics by mouth.
• Allergic Sinus Reaction. Treatment of the nasal allergy with allergy medicines also often helps the sinus symptoms.
• All Thick Nasal Drainage. Nasal secretions need treatment with nasal saline when they block the nose. Also, treat if they make breathing through the nose hard. If breathing is noisy, it may mean the dried mucus is farther back. Nasal saline rinses can remove it.

Color of Nasal Discharge with Colds

• The nasal discharge changes color during different stages of a cold. This is normal.
• It starts as a clear discharge and later becomes cloudy.
• Sometimes it becomes yellow or green colored for a few days. This is still normal.
• Colored discharge is common after sleep, with allergy medicines or with low humidity. Reason: all of these events decrease the amount of normal nasal secretions.

Bacterial Sinus Infections: When to Suspect

• Yellow or green nasal discharge is seen with both viral and bacterial sinus infections. Suspect a bacterial infection if the discharge becomes thick (like pus). But, it also needs one or more of these symptoms:
• Sinus Pain, not just normal sinus congestion. Pain occurs mainly behind the cheekbone or eye or
• Swelling or redness of the skin over any sinus or
• Fever lasts more than 3 days or
• Fever returns after it’s been gone for over 24 hours or
• Nasal discharge and post-nasal drip lasts over 14 days without improvement

When to Call for Sinus Pain or Congestion

Call 911 Now

• Not moving or too weak to stand
• Severe trouble breathing (struggling for each breath, can barely speak or cry)
• You think your child has a life-threatening emergency

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

• Trouble breathing, but not severe. Exception: gone after cleaning out the nose.
• Redness or swelling on the cheek, forehead or around the eye
• Severe pain and not better after using care advice
• Weak immune system. Examples are: sickle cell disease, HIV, cancer, organ transplant, taking oral steroids.
• Fever over 104° F (40° C)
• Your child looks or acts very sick
• You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours

• Headache lasts more than 48 hours
• Fever lasts more than 3 days
• Fever returns after being gone more than 24 hours
• Earache occurs
• Sinus pain (not just pressure) and fever
• You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent

Contact Doctor During Office Hours

• Sinus pain (not just pressure or fullness) lasts more than 24 hours, after using nasal washes
• Thick yellow or green pus draining from nose and not improved by nasal washes. Exception: yellow or green tinged secretions are normal.
• Sinus congestion and fullness lasts more than 14 days
• Nasal discharge lasts more than 2 weeks
• You have other questions or concerns

Self Care at Home

• Normal sinus congestion as part of a cold

Seattle Children’s Urgent Care Locations

If your child’s illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.

Care Advice for Sinus Congestion

1. What You Should Know About Sinus Congestion:
   • Sinus congestion is a normal part of a cold.
   • Nasal discharge normally changes color during different stages of a cold. It starts as clear, then cloudy, turns yellow-green tinged, then dries up.
   • Yellow or green-tinged discharge. This is more common with sleep, antihistamines or low humidity. (Reason: decrease the amount of normal nasal secretions.)
   • Usually, nasal washes can prevent a bacterial sinus infection.
   • Antibiotics are not helpful for the sinus congestion that occurs with colds.
   • Here is some care advice that should help.
2. Nasal Saline to Open a Blocked Nose:
   • Use saline (salt water) nose spray (such as store brand). This helps to loosen up the dried mucus. If you don’t have saline, you can use a few drops of water. Use bottled water, distilled water or boiled tap water. Teens can just splash a little water in the nose and then blow.
   • Step 1: Put 3 drops in each nostril.
   • Step 2: Blow each nostril out while closing off the other nostril. Then, do the other side.
   • Step 3: Repeat nose drops and blowing until the discharge is clear.
   • How often: Do saline rinses when your child can’t breathe through the nose.
   • Saline nose drops or spray can be bought in any drugstore. No prescription is needed.
   • Saline nose drops can also be made at home. Use ½ teaspoon (2 mL) of table salt. Stir the salt into 1 cup (8 ounces or 240 mL) of warm water. Use bottled water or boiled water to make saline nose drops.
   • Reason for nose drops: Suction or blowing alone can’t remove dried or sticky mucus.
   • Other option: use a warm shower to loosen mucus. Breathe in the moist air, then blow each nostril.
3. Fluids – Offer More:
   • Try to get your child to drink lots of fluids.
   • Goal: Keep your child well hydrated.
   • It also will thin out the mucus discharge from the nose.
   • It also loosens up any phlegm in the lungs. Then it’s easier to cough up.
4. Humidifier:
   • If the air in your home is dry, use a humidifier. Reason: Dry air makes nasal mucus thicker.
5. Decongestant Nose Spray (Age 12 years or Older):
   • Use this only if the sinus still seems blocked up after nasal washes. Use the long-acting type (such as Afrin).
   • Dose: 1 spray on each side. Do this 2 times per day.
   • Always clean out the nose before using.
   • Use for 1 day. After that, use only for symptoms.
   • Don’t use for more than 3 days. (Reason: Can cause rebound congestion).
   • Decongestants given by mouth (such as Sudafed) are another choice. They can also open a stuffy nose and ears. Side effects: They may make a person feel nervous or dizzy. Follow the package directions.
6. Pain Medicine:
   • To help with the pain, give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
   • Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil).
   • Use as needed.
7. Cold Pack for Pain:
   • For pain or swelling, use a cold pack. You can also use ice wrapped in a wet cloth.
   • Put it over the sinus for 20 minutes.
   • Caution: Avoid frostbite.
8. Allergy Medicine:
   • If the child also has nasal allergies, give an allergy medicine.
   • Long-acting allergy medicines (such as Zyrtec) are a good first choice. Other options are Allegra or Claritin. Reason: these meds do not cause your child to act sleepy.
   • Benadryl can be used if these products do not control symptoms.
   • No prescription is needed.
9. What to Expect:
   • With this advice, the viral sinus blockage goes away in 7 to 14 days.
   • The main problem is a sinus infection from bacteria. This can occur if bacteria multiply within the blocked sinus. This leads to a fever and increased pain. It needs antibiotics. Once on treatment, the symptoms will improve in a few days.
10. Return to School:
    • Sinus infections cannot be spread to others.
    • Your child can return to school after the fever is gone. Your child should feel well enough to join in normal activities.
11. Call Your Doctor If:
    • Sinus pain lasts more than 24 hours after starting treatment
    • Sinus congestion lasts more than 2 weeks
    • Fever lasts more than 3 days
    • You think your child needs to be seen
    • Your child becomes worse

And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the ‘Call Your Doctor’ symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.

Last Reviewed: 05/29/2021

Last Revised: 03/11/2021

Copyright 2000-2021. Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines LLC.

Is My Facial Pain or Facial Pressure Caused by a Sinus Infection?

Facial pain is linked with high levels of healthcare utilization and significant morbidity and continues to be a challenge in both diagnosis and therapeutic approaches for both doctors and patients. It’s often diagnosed on the basis of exclusion. 

Those suffering from facial pain often undergo various repeated consultations with various specialists and end up receiving a number of treatments, including surgery. Many individuals and doctors mistakenly attribute facial pain and facial pressure as being caused by rhinosinusitis when, in fact, this isn’t the case. 

What is Rhinosinusitis (Sinusitis)?

Rhinosinusitis, or a sinus infection, occurs when your nasal cavities become inflamed, infected and swollen. 

Your sinuses are typically air-filled pockets in your facial bone. They’re located:

If they become blocked by fluid, bacteria or germ like viruses can multiply in these hard-to-reach, dark areas, causing an infection.

Sinusitis is typically caused by a virus and can persist even after the symptoms of an upper respiratory condition have disappeared. Sometimes, bacteria might cause a sinus infection. Other disorders can contribute to sinus symptoms and pain such as:

Is Sinusitis the Same as Sinus Infection?

The answer is essentially yes. Sinusitis is actually the same thing as a sinus infection. The term “itis” refers to swelling or inflammation often caused by an infection and “sinus” is the area of facial swelling.

How Long Does a Sinus Infection Last?

There are a couple of primary forms of sinus infections or sinusitis — acute and chronic.  

From a clinical standpoint, it’s important to distinguish between “sinogenic” and “non-sinogenic” facial pain to avoid the wrong treatment.

Distinguishing Between Chronic Sinusitis-Related Facial Pain and a Migraine?

Sinus infection headaches and migraines are simple to confuse because the symptoms and signs of both types of headaches might overlap.

Both migraine headache and sinusitis pain frequently become worse when you bend forward. Migraine can also be accompanied by a variety of nasal symptoms and signs, including:

Migraines are often misdiagnosed as sinus headache in around 42% of individuals because they share: 

• Overlapping symptoms (nasal congestion, facial pain-fullness and rhinorrhoea)

• Common areas with chronic rhinosinusitis

• Precipitating triggers (allergies, weather changes and environmental irritants)

Also, migrainous and sinonasal conditions might often co-exist as comorbidities. Chronic rhinosinusitis might increase migraine-linked frequency and morbidity through aggravation of trigeminal nerve receptors.

Studies have found around 90% of individuals who visit their doctor for sinus headaches receive a migraine diagnosis instead.  However, sinusitis typically isn’t aggravated by bright light or noise or associated with nausea or vomiting — all common with migraines.

Sinusitis typically occurs after a cold or viral upper respiratory infection and includes:

• Discolored, thick nasal mucus

• Pain in upper teeth or one cheek

• Decreased sense of smell

Sinus infection-related headaches frequently last days or longer, whereas migraines often last hours to a day or two.

Sinus Infection and Facial Pain 

So, is your facial pressure or facial pain due to a sinus infection?  Pain is a common sinusitis symptom. You have a few different sinuses below and above your eyes and behind your nose. When you have a sinus infection, these can hurt.

Swelling and inflammation make your sinuses ache with dull pressure. You might feel pain:

The relentless sinus infection and facial pressure and sinus swelling can cause headache symptoms. Sinus pain can also give you:

Sinusitis headaches are frequently worse in the morning since fluids have been gathering all night long. 

Other Symptoms of Sinus Infection

Common sinus infection symptoms include:

• Nasal congestion or stuffiness

• Postnasal drip

• Coughing

• Discolored (greenish) nasal discharge

• Fever

• Pain in your teeth

• Tenderness of your face (especially at the bridge of your nose or under your eyes)

• Bad breath

• Fatigue

How is a Sinus Infection Treated?

First, you will need to find out what’s causing your sinus infection. Is it bacterial or viral? If it’s viral, it will not likely last more than a couple of weeks. To obtain relief from symptoms of a sinus infection, you can use:

Antibiotics are often prescribed for bacterial infection. But, you don’t want to jump too quickly to antibiotics because being overprescribed antibiotics can lead to you developing antibiotic resistance. Usually, allergists suggest you only take antibiotics if your symptoms have lasted over seven to 10 days. If medications don’t work for you, your doctor might recommend surgery to correct defects in the bone that separates your nasal passages, open closed passages or remove nasal polyps.

How is Chronic Sinusitis Treated?

Treatments for chronic sinusitis include:

1. Medications

• Saline nasal irrigation: These include nasal solutions or sprays which reduce drainage and rinse away allergies and irritants.

• Nasal corticosteroids: These are nasal sprays that help treat and prevent inflammation. Some include budesonide, fluticasone and triamcinolone. If these aren’t effective enough, the physician may suggest rinsing with a saline solution mixed with budesonide drops or using a nasal mist made from the solution.

• Aspirin desensitization treatment:  If your body reacts to aspirin and it causes sinusitis, your doctor might have you take larger doses of aspirin, under their medical supervision, to increase your tolerance.

• Injected or oral corticosteroids: These are medicines used for relieving inflammation from severe sinusitis, particularly if nasal polyps is also present. Oral corticosteroids, when used long-term, can serious side effects, so they’re typically only used for treating severe symptoms.

2. Antibiotics

Antibiotics, in some cases, are necessary to treat sinusitis if you’re suffering with a bacterial infection. Your doctor may suggest an antibiotic, sometimes with other medicines, if they can’t rule out an underlying infection.

3. Immunotherapy

If allergies are contributing to your sinusitis, immunotherapy (allergy shots) that help decrease your body’s reaction to certain allergens may improve your condition.

4.Surgery

If your chronic sinusitis is resistant to medication or treatment, your doctor may recommend endoscopic sinus surgery. The doctor will use a flexible, thin tube with an endoscope (light) attached to explore your sinus passages during this procedure. Depending on the source of your obstruction, your doctor may use a variety of instruments for removing tissue or shaving away a polyp that’s causing your nasal blockage. 

Balloon sinuplasty, which is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure can improve sinus drainage, particularly if medications aren’t effective enough. Balloon sinuplasty can offer relief from chronic sinuplasty and is FDA approved.

Contact Houston ENT & Allergy Services

If you’re wondering if your facial pain/pressure or other symptoms are related to a sinus infection or chronic sinusitis, give Houston ENT & Allergy Services a call. While we’ve become a large doctor group, we continue to treat every patient as though they’re the only one we have. Contact us today to schedule your appointment with one of Houston’s most trusted and best ENT & Allergy Doctors. 

Experiencing Facial Pressure? Find Out Why –

Posted at 09:00h in MISC by HPCS

Does your face feel sore to the touch? Are you experiencing facial pressure and don’t know why? Our Houston ENT can explain a variety of reasons that can cause of this uncomfortable sensation. In order to diagnose the cause of your facial discomfort, it’s important to note which specific areas of your face are under pressure, different areas can mean different conditions.

What Is Facial Pressure?

It’s most notably felt as a sense of fullness, pressure, soreness or pain (in more severe cases) throughout the affected area. Facial pressure can affect your entire face from your forehead and eyes to your nose, cheeks, and jawline. Conditions such as sinus headaches, sinusitis, and deviated septum are the leading causes of facial pressure. But each has distinct signs that will reveal which one is the culprit behind your face related soreness.

Sinus Headaches

If you are experiencing a fullness/pressure and pain in your cheeks, brow or forehead area, you could be suffering from a sinus headache. The symptoms above are usually accompanied by a stuffy nose, worsening pain when you bend forward or lie down, fatigue and an achy feeling in your upper teeth.

Sinus headaches occur when your sinuses become swollen due to allergies or an infection, they end up producing more mucus and the channels that drain them become blocked. Due to this blockage, you’ll feel the build-up of pressure in your sinuses, which then translates into the pain felt throughout your cheeks, brow, and forehead.

• Treatments

For sinus headaches, treatments will target relieving the pressure in your sinuses so decongestants, antihistamines, and nasal decongestants are often prescribed. It is only recommended to take inhaled decongestants for up to three days because any longer use can cause your symptoms to worsen. For extreme cases, sinus surgery or balloon sinuplasty is recommended.

Sinusitis

Facial tenderness that includes pain in the sinuses or ears and occasional facial swelling are usually signs of Sinusitis (sinus infection). People with sinusitis also tend to have a fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, and cloudy discolored postnasal drainage.

Sinusitis is usually triggered by the common cold or allergies, it causes the tissues in your sinuses to become inflamed and filled with fluid which can lead to an infection. The infection then produces the fever, postnasal nasal discharge and painful facial tenderness associated with sinus infections.

• Treatments

People suffering from Sinusitis are often given antibiotics for 10 to 14 days to combat the infection causing it. If 10-14 days of antibiotics fail to resolve the infection, a balloon sinuplasty procedure or sinus surgery can cure the sinusitis part from antibiotics decongestants are also prescribed alleviate pressure in the sinuses and in some cases a nasal saline wash is also suggested.

Deviated Septum

If you have facial pressure or nasal congestion associated with difficulty breathing, especially through the nose, you might be suffering from a deviated septum. A deviated septum can cause other problems such as nosebleeds, snoring, and dryness in one nostril. Another tale tell sign of this condition is having one nostril that is easier to breathe through than the other.

A deviated septum can be a congenital defect from birth or can be caused later on in life due to an injury affecting the nose. The septum is a piece of cartilage separating the two nostrils in the center of your nose, so whenever there is an extreme unevenness in your septum that affects the nostrils, it is considered a deviated septum. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, more than 80 percent of septums are deviated to some degree, but they only require medical attention when it affects a person’s quality of life.

• Treatments

Treatments for a deviated septum depend on the severity of the deviation, in severe cases, sinus surgery or balloon sinuplasty is usually recommended. In less serious cases, however, treatments focus on lessening the symptoms caused by the deviation such as decongestants, nasal strips, nasal steroid sprays and antihistamines.

Still Have Questions?

If you still have questions on any of these conditions or are suffering from the symptoms detailed above, please don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Kuperan, a board certified nose and sinus surgeon, rhinologist and ENT specialist. You can contact him at (713) 791-0700 about any questions, concerns or to schedule a consultation.

For convenience, you can also book a consultation online. Or, for more information on our services and locations please visit our website here.

Facial Problems, Noninjury | Michigan Medicine

Do you have a facial problem?

How old are you?

Less than 4 years

Less than 4 years

4 years or older

4 years or older

Are you male or female?

Why do we ask this question?

• If you are transgender or nonbinary, choose the sex that matches the body parts (such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina) you now have in the area where you are having symptoms.
• If your symptoms aren’t related to those organs, you can choose the gender you identify with.
• If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice (once as “male” and once as “female”). This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you.

Have you had a head injury in the past 24 hours?

Yes

Head injury in past 24 hours

No

Head injury in past 24 hours

Have you had an injury to your face in the past 2 weeks?

Yes

Facial injury in the past 2 weeks

No

Facial injury in the past 2 weeks

Are you having trouble breathing (more than a stuffy nose)?

Yes

Difficulty breathing more than a stuffy nose

No

Difficulty breathing more than a stuffy nose

Could you be having a severe allergic reaction?

This is more likely if you have had a bad reaction to something in the past.

Yes

Possible severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)

No

Possible severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)

Could you be having symptoms of a heart attack?

In some cases, a heart attack may cause a strange feeling in part of the face, such as the jaw.

Yes

Symptoms of heart attack

No

Symptoms of heart attack

Have you had any new vision changes?

These could include vision loss, double vision, or new trouble seeing clearly.

Did you have a sudden loss of vision?

A loss of vision means that you cannot see out of the eye or out of some part of the eye. The vision in that area is gone.

Do you still have vision loss?

Yes

Vision loss still present

No

Vision loss still present

Did the vision loss occur within the past day?

Yes

Vision loss occurred in the past day

No

Vision loss occurred in the past day

Have you had any changes in feeling or movement in your face?

Changes could include weakness or loss of movement in part of the face, numbness or tingling, facial drooping, or trouble closing an eye.

Yes

Changes in feeling or movement in face

No

Changes in feeling or movement in face

Do you have blisters on your forehead, eyelid, or nose?

Blisters in this area may be a sign of shingles and may cause serious eye problems.

Is there any swelling in your face?

Was the swelling sudden?

Yes

Facial swelling was sudden

No

Facial swelling was sudden

Do you think the eyelid or the skin around the eye may be infected?

Symptoms could include redness, pus, increasing pain, or a lot of swelling. (A small bump or pimple on the eyelid, called a stye, usually is not a problem.) You might also have a fever.

Yes

Symptoms of infection around eye

No

Symptoms of infection around eye

Do you have any pain in your face?

Do you have any eye pain?

Have you had facial pain for:

Less than 1 full day (24 hours)?

Pain for less than 24 hours

1 day to 1 week?

Pain for 1 day to 1 week

More than 1 week?

Pain for more than 1 week

Do you think you may have a fever?

Are there red streaks leading away from the area or pus draining from it?

Do you have diabetes, a weakened immune system, or any surgical hardware in the area?

“Hardware” in the facial area includes things like cochlear implants or any plates under the skin, such as those used if the bones in the face are broken.

Yes

Diabetes, immune problems, or surgical hardware in affected area

No

Diabetes, immune problems, or surgical hardware in affected area

Have you had thick, yellow discharge from your nose for more than 5 days that is not getting better?

This may mean you have a sinus infection.

Yes

Nasal discharge more than 5 days not getting better

No

Nasal discharge more than 5 days not getting better

Do you have a rash or any blisters on your face?

Yes

Rash or blisters on face

No

Rash or blisters on face

Do you think that a medicine may be causing the facial problem?

Think about whether the symptoms started soon after you began using a new medicine or a higher dose of a medicine.

Yes

Medicine may be causing facial symptoms

No

Medicine may be causing facial symptoms

Have your symptoms lasted longer than 1 week?

Yes

Symptoms have lasted longer than 1 week

No

Symptoms have lasted longer than 1 week

Many things can affect how your body responds to a symptom and what kind of care you may need. These include:

• Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker.
• Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner.
• Medicines you take. Certain medicines, such as blood thinners (anticoagulants), medicines that suppress the immune system like steroids or chemotherapy, herbal remedies, or supplements can cause symptoms or make them worse.
• Recent health events, such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious.
• Your health habits and lifestyle, such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel.

Try Home Treatment

You have answered all the questions. Based on your answers, you may be able to take care of this problem at home.

• Try home treatment to relieve the symptoms.
• Call your doctor if symptoms get worse or you have any concerns (for example, if symptoms are not getting better as you would expect). You may need care sooner.

Symptoms of difficulty breathing can range from mild to severe. For example:

• You may feel a little out of breath but still be able to talk (mild difficulty breathing), or you may be so out of breath that you cannot talk at all (severe difficulty breathing).
• It may be getting hard to breathe with activity (mild difficulty breathing), or you may have to work very hard to breathe even when you’re at rest (severe difficulty breathing).

Severe trouble breathing means:

• You cannot talk at all.
• You have to work very hard to breathe.
• You feel like you can’t get enough air.
• You do not feel alert or cannot think clearly.

Moderate trouble breathing means:

• It’s hard to talk in full sentences.
• It’s hard to breathe with activity.

Mild trouble breathing means:

• You feel a little out of breath but can still talk.
• It’s becoming hard to breathe with activity.

Severe trouble breathing means:

• The child cannot eat or talk because he or she is breathing so hard.
• The child’s nostrils are flaring and the belly is moving in and out with every breath.
• The child seems to be tiring out.
• The child seems very sleepy or confused.

Moderate trouble breathing means:

• The child is breathing a lot faster than usual.
• The child has to take breaks from eating or talking to breathe.
• The nostrils flare or the belly moves in and out at times when the child breathes.

Mild trouble breathing means:

• The child is breathing a little faster than usual.
• The child seems a little out of breath but can still eat or talk.

Pain in adults and older children

• Severe pain (8 to 10): The pain is so bad that you can’t stand it for more than a few hours, can’t sleep, and can’t do anything else except focus on the pain.
• Moderate pain (5 to 7): The pain is bad enough to disrupt your normal activities and your sleep, but you can tolerate it for hours or days. Moderate can also mean pain that comes and goes even if it’s severe when it’s there.
• Mild pain (1 to 4): You notice the pain, but it is not bad enough to disrupt your sleep or activities.

Pain in children under 3 years

It can be hard to tell how much pain a baby or toddler is in.

• Severe pain (8 to 10): The pain is so bad that the baby cannot sleep, cannot get comfortable, and cries constantly no matter what you do. The baby may kick, make fists, or grimace.
• Moderate pain (5 to 7): The baby is very fussy, clings to you a lot, and may have trouble sleeping but responds when you try to comfort him or her.
• Mild pain (1 to 4): The baby is a little fussy and clings to you a little but responds when you try to comfort him or her.

Symptoms of infection may include:

• Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in or around the area.
• Red streaks leading from the area.
• Pus draining from the area.
• A fever.

Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) may include:

• The sudden appearance of raised, red areas (hives) all over the body.
• Rapid swelling of the throat, mouth, or tongue.
• Trouble breathing.
• Passing out (losing consciousness). Or you may feel very lightheaded or suddenly feel weak, confused, or restless.

A severe reaction can be life-threatening. If you have had a bad allergic reaction to a substance before and are exposed to it again, treat any symptoms as an emergency. Even if the symptoms are mild at first, they may quickly become very severe.

Symptoms of a stroke may include:

• Sudden numbness, tingling, weakness, or paralysis in your face, arm, or leg, especially on only one side of your body.
• Sudden vision changes.
• Sudden trouble speaking.
• Sudden confusion or trouble understanding simple statements.
• Sudden problems with walking or balance.
• A sudden, severe headache that is different from past headaches.

Shock is a life-threatening condition that may quickly occur after a sudden illness or injury.

Adults and older children often have several symptoms of shock. These include:

• Passing out (losing consciousness).
• Feeling very dizzy or lightheaded, like you may pass out.
• Feeling very weak or having trouble standing.
• Not feeling alert or able to think clearly. You may be confused, restless, fearful, or unable to respond to questions.

Shock is a life-threatening condition that may occur quickly after a sudden illness or injury.

Babies and young children often have several symptoms of shock. These include:

• Passing out (losing consciousness).
• Being very sleepy or hard to wake up.
• Not responding when being touched or talked to.
• Breathing much faster than usual.
• Acting confused. The child may not know where he or she is.

Certain health conditions and medicines weaken the immune system’s ability to fight off infection and illness. Some examples in adults are:

• Diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS.
• Long-term alcohol and drug problems.
• Steroid medicines, which may be used to treat a variety of conditions.
• Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer.
• Other medicines used to treat autoimmune disease.
• Medicines taken after organ transplant.
• Not having a spleen.

Symptoms of a heart attack may include:

• Chest pain or pressure, or a strange feeling in the chest.
• Sweating.
• Shortness of breath.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Pain, pressure, or a strange feeling in the back, neck, jaw, or upper belly, or in one or both shoulders or arms.
• Lightheadedness or sudden weakness.
• A fast or irregular heartbeat.

For men and women, the most common symptom is chest pain or pressure. But women are somewhat more likely than men to have other symptoms, like shortness of breath, nausea, and back or jaw pain.

Seek Care Today

Based on your answers, you may need care soon. The problem probably will not get better without medical care.

• Call your doctor today to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.
• If you cannot reach your doctor or you don’t have one, seek care today.
• If it is evening, watch the symptoms and seek care in the morning.
• If the symptoms get worse, seek care sooner.

Seek Care Now

Based on your answers, you may need care right away. The problem is likely to get worse without medical care.

• Call your doctor now to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.
• If you cannot reach your doctor or you don’t have one, seek care in the next hour.
• You do not need to call an ambulance unless:
  • You cannot travel safely either by driving yourself or by having someone else drive you.
  • You are in an area where heavy traffic or other problems may slow you down.

Call 911 Now

Based on your answers, you need emergency care.

Call 911 or other emergency services now.

Sometimes people don’t want to call 911. They may think that their symptoms aren’t serious or that they can just get someone else to drive them. Or they might be concerned about the cost. But based on your answers, the safest and quickest way for you to get the care you need is to call 911 for medical transport to the hospital.

Make an Appointment

Based on your answers, the problem may not improve without medical care.

• Make an appointment to see your doctor in the next 1 to 2 weeks.
• If appropriate, try home treatment while you are waiting for the appointment.
• If symptoms get worse or you have any concerns, call your doctor. You may need care sooner.

Call 911 Now

Based on your answers, you need emergency care.

Call 911 or other emergency services now.

After you call 911, the operator may tell you to chew 1 adult-strength (325 mg) or 2 to 4 low-dose (81 mg) aspirin. Wait for an ambulance. Do not try to drive yourself.

Sometimes people don’t want to call 911. They may think that their symptoms aren’t serious or that they can just get someone else to drive them. Or they might be concerned about the cost. But based on your answers, the safest and quickest way for you to get the care you need is to call 911 for medical transport to the hospital.

Facial Injuries

Head Injury, Age 4 and Older

Head Injury, Age 3 and Younger

Will my sinus infection clear up on its own?

Speaking of Health

Thursday, February 25, 2016

The first few weeks of the common cold aren’t fun, but the acute sinusitis that can pop up afterwards doesn’t help either. Sinus congestion and the common cold, unfortunately, go hand in hand. Acute sinusitis frequently is caused by the common cold, but also can be caused by allergies and bacterial and fungal infections. 

Sinus infections are caused when the cavities around your nasal passages become inflamed and swollen, which eventually interferes with drainage and causes mucus to build up. This tends to get annoying, because it makes breathing through the nose difficult. It also affects the area around your eyes and face, and can cause a throbbing headache. 

When a sinus infection hits, it’s always worse than what you remembered from the last time you had one. This may give you the idea that you need antibiotics, but most clear up without them. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses and aren’t recommended within the first week of developing a cold. About 70 percent of sinus infections go away within two weeks without antibiotics.

Consider these other forms of treatments instead of antibiotics:

• Decongestants. These medications are available for over-the-counter purchase. Be careful to only take these medications for a few days at most, as they can cause the return of more severe congestions.
• Over-the-counter pain relievers. Aspirins, acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help relieve temporary pain. 
• Saline nasal spray. This is used to spray into your nose several times a day to rinse your nasal passages. They can help to prevent and treat inflammation. 

Antibiotics only will be needed if the infection is severe, recurrent or persistent. The likelihood of bacterial infection increases when:

• Symptoms last seven days or more, particularly when symptoms initially improve and then worsen.
• Mucus is thick and yellow or greenish in color.
• There is facial or sinus tenderness, particularly if it’s worse on one side of the face.
• Pain is present in the upper teeth and is worse on one side of the face.

If the infection becomes severe, recurrent or persistent, contact your provider.

Leanna Munoz is a nurse practitioner at Express Care in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

For the safety of our patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a non-patient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

Nasal Cavity and Sinus Cancer

Not what you’re looking for?

Overview

The paranasal sinuses are air-filled sacs distributed into several areas of the face.

• Maxillary sinuses are under the eyes in the cheek bones
• Frontal sinuses are above the eyes in the forehead area
• Ethmoid sinuses are between the nose and the eyes
• Sphenoid sinuses are at the bottom of the skull, under the pituitary gland

The purpose of the paranasal sinuses is not known for certain, but scientists believe the air-filled sacs have several functions:

• To decrease the weight of the skull
• To increase voice resonance
• Protection against blows to the face
• Insulation of the eyes and roots of teeth against temperature fluctuations
• To humidify and heat inhaled air

Symptoms

Early cancer symptoms are often the same as non-cancerous conditions. Early cancer symptoms that mimic common conditions of the sinuses include:

• A nose bleed from one nostril
• Blockage of a nostril
• Runny nose on one side

Symptoms that can indicate an advanced cancer tumor are:

• A persistent headache
• Changes in vision or double vision

Causes and Risk Factors

Men are affected one-and-one-half more often then women. The disease is more common in people between 45 and 85 years of age.

Approximately 60 to 70 percent of sinus cancers occur in the maxillary sinus. About 20 to 30 percent begin in the nasal cavity, and 10 to 15 percent in the ethmoid sinuses. Less than 10 percent are found in the frontal and sphenoid sinuses.

Squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma are associated with exposure to products found in furniture making, the leather industry, and the textile industry:

• Wood dust, nickel dust
• Mustard gas
• Isopropyl oil
• Chromium
• Dichlorodiethyl sulfide

Some viral infections can cause sinus cancer. The human papilloma virus (HPV) can produce a benign (non-cancerous) sinus tumor called inverted papilloma.

Diagnosis

To make a diagnosis of nasal cavity cancer or sinus cancer the doctor will ask questions about your symptoms, medical history, and examine your mouth.

An examination of the ears, nose, and neck is also needed to help determine if the tumor has spread.

If your examination needs further investigation, your doctor may order a biopsy in order to diagnosis the type of cancer present. A Biopsy is conducted with tissue that is removed so that a pathologist may examine its cells under a microscope.

Doctors may order a traditional X-ray and other imaging tests to gather information about the tumor. Those tests include:

• CT scan – A special type of X-ray that makes a series of detailed pictures, with different angles, of areas inside the mouth and neck. A computer is linked to the X-ray machine. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed in a pill to help the organs or tissues show up on the X-ray. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – A machine that uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the mouth and neck. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).
• PET Scan – A PET scan helps determine if a tumor has spread to other areas in the body. During a positron emission tomography scan (PET), a small amount of radioactive sugar (glucose) is injected into a vein. The scanner makes computerized pictures of the areas inside the body. Cancer cells absorb more radioactive glucose than normal cells, so the tumor is highlighted on the pictures.

Many types of cancer grow in the sinuses and can metastasize (spread to other parts of the body):

• Inverted papilloma (not cancer but can become cancerous)
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Verrucous carcinoma
• Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma
• Spindle cell carcinoma
• Transitional cell or cylindrical cell carcinoma
• Adenocarcinoma
• Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC)
• Small-cell carcinoma
• Lymphoma
• Malignant melanoma
• Salivary-type neoplasms
• Sarcoma
• Metastic tumors

Treatment

The exact treatment depends on the location and severity of the cancer. Sinus surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation for head and neck cancers are used to remove the cancer and help prevent recurrence.

Nasal Cavity Cancer Surgery

Nasal cavity cancers are usually removed by a wide local excision. A wide local excision includes the area around the tumor to assure all cancer cells are removed:

• Nasal septum. If the tumor involves the dividing wall of the nasal cavity (the nasal septum) either a portion or the entire septum is removed.
• Nasal cavity. If the tumor is growing on the side wall of the nasal cavity, the wall must be removed. Sometimes the surgeon can remove the tumor by cutting under the upper lip so visible incisions are not needed. If this is not possible, the surgeon will cut through the skin on the side of the nose. Then the skin and nose are folded back to remove the tumor.
• If the cancer has grown into the tissue, part of the nose or the entire nose might need to be removed. A reconstructive surgeon rebuilds the nose with the surrounding facial tissues or from artificial materials (prosthesis).

Paranasal Sinus Surgery

• Ethmoid sinuses. If the tumor is very small, and is located within the ethmoid sinuses only, the surgeon can remove the tumor through the nostril with an endoscope (a thin lighted tube). If the tumor is much larger, an incision on the side of the nose may be necessary.
• Maxillary sinus. If the tumor involves the maxillary sinus, a maxillectomy is needed. The type of maxillectomy depends on the exact location of the tumor. If the tumor is small and toward the middle of the sinus, the surgeon can remove the tumor through the nostril with an endoscope. If the tumor is larger, the surgeon will make the incision along the side of the nose or under the upper lip. The surgeon might need to remove bone from the hard palate, the upper teeth on one side of the mouth, part or all of the orbit (eye socket), part of the cheekbone, and/or the bony part of the upper nose.

A craniofacial resection may be needed if the cancer involves the ethmoid sinuses, frontal sinuses, and the sphenoid sinuses. A craniofacial resection requires both a head and neck surgeon and a neurosurgeon. If the tumor is located in the roof the nasal cavity, and invades into the brain, surgeons will need to remove the tumor from the nose and the brain.

Endoscopic Surgery

Endoscopic surgery is less destructive to normal tissue than conventional operations. The surgeon inserts a thin lighted tube (endoscope) into the nasal cavity, or sinus, instead of opening the area with an incision. The image is enlarged on a computer screen. Small (micro) instruments are used with the endoscope.

Surgeons are using the endoscopic method increasingly more often for treatment of nasal tumors, ethmoid tumors, and for nasal cavity cancer.
Radiation treatments are usually needed after surgery.

If cancer has affected the lymph nodes in the neck, a neck dissection (removal of the lymph nodes) might be needed during any type of head and neck cancer surgery.

Radiation

Radiation therapy stops cancer cells from dividing. The growth of the tumor is slowed. Radiotherapy also destroys cancer cells and can shrink or eliminate tumors.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is prescribed for different reasons:

• Together with radiotherapy as an alternative to surgery (called chemoradiation)
• After surgery to decrease the risk of the cancer returning
• To slow the growth of a tumor and control symptoms when the cancer cannot be cured (palliative treatment)
• The combination of surgery, radiation or chemotherapy depends on the size, the location and the type of tumor

© 2000-2021 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional’s instructions.

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Sinusitis (sinusitis) acute, symptoms – Clinic Health 365, Yekaterinburg

A disease in which inflammation of the maxillary paranasal sinus occurs is called sinusitis . Symptoms of 90,004 sinusitis are varied.

Sinusitis is part of a group of diseases that are currently defined by the general term – sinusitis, so further we will use this particular term. Sinusitis, synonym: sinusitis – acute or chronic inflammation of one or more paranasal sinuses.It usually occurs as a complication of the common cold, flu, measles, scarlet fever and other diseases.

Sinusitis at the site of localization is divided into:

• Sinusitis – inflammation of the maxillary paranasal sinus;
• Frontitis – inflammation of the frontal paranasal sinus;
• Ethmoiditis – inflammation of the ethmoid cells;
• Sphenoiditis – inflammation of the sphenoid sinus

With acute sinusitis , the cavities adjacent to the nasal passages (sinuses) become inflamed and swollen.This makes it difficult for the mucus to pass through, and it builds up inside. This common condition is also called acute rhinosinusitis.

In acute sinusitis, it becomes difficult to breathe through the nose, and the area of ​​the face, in particular around the eyes, becomes inflamed. There may be throbbing pain in the face or headache.

Most often, acute sinusitis occurs as a complication of a common rhinitis. Other causes could be bacteria, allergic reactions, or fungal infections.Treating acute sinusitis is necessary depending on the cause. Home remedies are sufficient in most cases. However, prolonged sinusitis can lead to serious infections and other complications. If the disease lasts more than eight weeks or recurs periodically, it is already chronic sinusitis.

Symptoms of acute sinusitis include :

• Thick yellow or greenish discharge from the nose or down the back of the throat;
• Nasal congestion and as a result – difficulty breathing;
• Pain, tenderness, swelling, bloating in the areas around the eyes, cheeks, nose and forehead;

In addition, there may be other symptoms of acute sinusitis:

• Pain or pressure in the ear;
• Sore throat;
• Bad breath;
• Fatigue;
• Temperature;
• Pain in the upper jaw and / or toothache;
• Decreased sense of smell and taste;
• Cough that may be worse at night.

When to see a doctor

If symptoms are not expressed, try to heal yourself; but you should see your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Condition does not improve for several days or worsens;
• Temperature is above 38.1 C;
• The disease repeats itself.

See your doctor right away if you have symptoms that could lead to a serious infection:

• Pain and swelling around the eyes;
• Swelling in the forehead area;
• Severe headache;
• Confusion of consciousness;
• Double vision or any other visual impairment;
• Stiff neck;
• Shortness of breath.

You can get more detailed information on acute sinusitis from the otolaryngologists of the Zdorovye 365 clinic in Yekaterinburg.

Medical Center Axon

Sinusitis – inflammation of the maxillary (maxillary paranasal) sinuses. It is accompanied by difficulty in nasal breathing, mucopurulent discharge from the nasal passages, intense pain in the bridge of the nose and in the wings of the nose, swelling of the cheek and eyelid from the side of the lesion, and a rise in body temperature.Timely started treatment will avoid serious complications: otitis media, meningitis, brain abscess, phlegmon of the orbit, osteomyelitis, myocardial and kidney damage.

Mechanism of sinusitis development

The maxillary sinus is an air-filled cavity in the maxillary bone. The maxillary sinus has common bony walls with the following anatomical structures: above – with the orbit, below – with the oral cavity, from the inside – with the nasal cavity.
Along with other paranasal sinuses (two frontal, two ethmoid and one sphenoid), the maxillary sinuses perform the following functions:
participate in equalizing the pressure in the cavities of the skull in relation to external atmospheric pressure;
warm and clean the inhaled air;
shape the individual sound of the voice.
All sinuses communicate with the nasal cavity through small openings. If these holes are closed for any reason, the sinuses will no longer be ventilated and cleared.Microbes accumulate in the cavity, inflammation develops.
Sinusitis can be caused by streptococci, staphylococci, Haemophilus influenzae, fungi, viruses and mycoplasma. Diseases and conditions that impede normal ventilation of the maxillary sinus and contribute to the penetration of infection into the sinus cavity act as risk factors:
The risk of developing sinusitis increases in winter and autumn due to a natural seasonal decrease in immunity.
Sinusitis may be catarrhal or purulent.With catarrhal sinusitis, the discharge from the maxillary sinus is aseptic, with purulent it contains microflora.
Depending on the route of infection, hematogenous (usually in children), rhinogenic (usually in adults), odontogenic (microbes enter the maxillary sinus from the adjacent molars) and traumatic sinusitis are isolated.
In chronic sinusitis, true cysts and small pseudocysts of the maxillary sinus are often formed.

Symptoms of acute sinusitis
The disease begins acutely.The patient’s body temperature rises to 38-39C, signs of general intoxication are expressed, chills are possible. In some cases, the patient’s body temperature can be normal or subfebrile. A patient with sinusitis is worried about pain in the area of ​​the affected maxillary sinus, zygomatic bone, forehead and root of the nose. The pain increases with palpation. Irradiation to the temple or the corresponding half of the face is possible. Some patients develop diffuse headaches of varying intensity.
Nasal breathing on the affected side is impaired.With bilateral sinusitis, nasal congestion forces the patient to breathe through the mouth. Sometimes, due to blockage of the lacrimal canal, lacrimation develops. Discharge from the nose is at first serous, liquid, then becomes viscous, cloudy, greenish.
Symptoms of chronic sinusitis
As a rule, chronic sinusitis is the outcome of an acute process. During the period of remission, the general condition of the patient is not disturbed. With an exacerbation, signs of general intoxication appear (weakness, headache, fatigue), it is possible that the temperature rises to febrile or subfebrile.
For exudative forms of chronic sinusitis, discharge is characteristic, the amount of which increases during the period of exacerbation and becomes insignificant when the patient’s condition improves. With catarrhal sinusitis, the discharge is liquid, serous, with an unpleasant odor. With a purulent form of the disease, the discharge is thick, yellowish-green. there are abundant viscous mucous secretions, which dry up and form crusts in the nasal cavity.

Headache, as a rule, appears only during periods of exacerbation of chronic sinusitis or in violation of the outflow of discharge from the maxillary sinus.Headache pressing or bursting, according to patients is often localized “behind the eyes”, aggravated by raising the eyelids and pressure on the infraorbital areas. Decreases during sleep and in the supine position (relief is explained by the resumption of the outflow of pus in a horizontal position).
Often, patients with chronic sinusitis complain of a nocturnal cough that does not respond to conventional treatment. The reason for the appearance of a cough in this case is pus flowing from the maxillary sinus along the back of the pharynx.

Diagnosis of sinusitis.
The diagnosis is made on the basis of patient complaints, external examination data, examination of the nasal mucosa. On the roentgenogram of the maxillary sinus, darkening is revealed. Ultrasound examination of the maxillary sinuses determines the presence of fluid (mucus, pus) in the paranasal sinuses.
Treatment of acute sinusitis
To reduce mucosal edema and restore normal ventilation of the sinus, local vasoconstrictor drugs are used for a period of no more than 5-7 days, antipyretic drugs, with severe intoxication – antibiotics.After normalization of the temperature, physiotherapy (laser therapy, UST) is recommended.
Treatment of chronic sinusitis
To achieve a sustainable effect of therapy in chronic sinusitis, it is necessary to eliminate the causes that contribute to the development of inflammation in the maxillary sinus (adenoids, curvature of the nasal septum, aching teeth, etc.). During the period of exacerbation, local vasoconstrictor agents are used in short courses (to avoid mucosal atrophy).
Carry out drainage of the maxillary sinus.The lavage of the sinus is carried out by the displacement method (wah).
For purulent-polyposis, polyposis, caseous, cholesteatomic and necrotic forms of chronic sinusitis, surgical treatment is indicated. The maxillary sinus is opened for maxillary sinusitis.

90,000 Facial pain: causes, diagnosis, treatment

Pain in the face can be dull or acute, short-term or chronic, affecting only one side of the face or both at once. But the reaction to this pain is always the same: it is a desire to get rid of it as soon as possible.Facial pain can be caused by trauma, neuropsychiatric disorders and infectious and inflammatory diseases. We invite you to learn more about the most common sources of facial pain and common symptoms.

Tooth abscess

Everyone who at least once in his life had to deal with an abscess of a tooth knows firsthand what unbearable, incessant pain is. A dental abscess is an acute inflammation caused by a bacterial infection entering the pulp (the inside of a tooth that contains nerves and blood vessels).Most often, damage occurs due to advanced caries, gum disease or mechanical trauma to the tooth. The most common symptoms include persistent throbbing pain, facial swelling, redness of the gums, bad taste in the mouth, and fever. Remember that an abscess is a serious disease, so if you have any of the above signs, contact your dentist immediately, who will help you get rid of painful sensations and prevent complications from occurring.

Dry socket

After the removal of one of the permanent teeth, a blood clot forms in its place, which serves as a barrier for infection to enter the wound and contributes to its rapid healing. However, if the blood clot is not completely formed, disintegrated or was washed out, bone tissue and nerves are exposed, resulting in a painful condition, which is commonly called a “dry socket”. Symptoms of a dry socket and an abscess are similar: severe pain, facial swelling, bad breath, and fever.If these symptoms appear, you should visit the dentist or surgeon who performed the extraction of the tooth.

Temporomandibular joint dysfunction

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is used so that we can open and close our mouth. Anything that interferes with the normal functioning of the TMJ can cause facial pain. The causes of the violation can be associated with involuntary clenching of the jaw and grinding of teeth, as well as with an anomaly in the bite.Facial pain and TMJ often result from arthritis, trauma, and dislocation. If you notice any clicking, crunching or soreness when moving your jaw, visit your orthodontist as soon as possible. Drug therapy, physiotherapy, massage and myogymnastics, wearing occlusal splints or mouth guards help to solve the problem.

Headaches

People with frequent headaches complain that facial pain combined with migraine or cluster headache can be very severe.These pains usually affect one side of the head and face. Pain is usually concentrated around the eyes, although in migraine sufferers, pain may radiate to the area of ​​the teeth and jaw. For mild pain, over-the-counter pain relievers are usually helpful, but if the pain gets worse, do not delay the visit to the doctor.

Sinusitis

Extensive facial pain, including dull pain in the upper jaw and teeth, can cause sinusitis (inflammation of the paranasal sinuses).Other common symptoms of this condition include nasal congestion, pressure around the eyes and cheekbones, swelling of the cheeks or eyelids, ear pain, bad breath, and fever. Inflammation in sinusitis often gives rise to toothache, as the roots of the upper molars are attached to the floor of the maxillary sinuses. Sinusitis can often be cured with common cold and flu medications, but if symptoms persist, be sure to see a physician or ENT doctor.

Trigeminal neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia (trigeminal neuralgia) is a chronic disease characterized by attacks of severe pain in the innervation zones of the trigeminal nerve, the largest cranial nerve that transmits sensory information from the face to the brain.Experts at the Scientific Center of Neurology believe that trigeminal neuralgia most often occurs as a result of compression of a part of the trigeminal nerve by blood vessels. As a result, repetitive pain attacks – from mild tingling to extremely intense, shooting or stabbing pains – can even provoke a light touch of the skin, for example, when applying makeup or brushing your teeth. Injections, medication or surgery can help relieve pain and prevent relapses of the disease.

Herpes zoster

Many of us have had chickenpox (chickenpox) in childhood. After a disease, the virus remains latent in a person’s nerve fibers for many years, without causing any damage to his health. In the future, with a weakening of immunity or in old age, the virus may re-activate, which causes herpes zoster (shingles). The infection manifests itself in the form of rashes along the affected nerve endings.The patient begins to experience severe pain and a tingling sensation on one side of the body, headache and joint pain, fever and chills. Herpes zoster can also affect the nerves of the face, causing sagging eyelids, facial paralysis, changes in taste perception, visual impairment, or hearing loss. At the first sign, see your doctor immediately, who will help you relieve your symptoms by prescribing a course of antiviral and strong anti-inflammatory drugs.

Since the causes of facial pain are very diverse in nature, the best way to get rid of problems is a comprehensive diagnosis of the disease.Having carefully studied the symptoms, the therapist or dentist will be able to make the correct diagnosis and choose the most effective treatment tactics.

Why sinusitis is dangerous / Health / Nezavisimaya gazeta

Infection from the focus of inflammation can spread throughout the body and cause serious illness

In acute sinusitis, treatment is aimed at relieving the swelling of the sinuses. Photo Depositphotos / PhotoXPress.ru

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the maxillary paranasal sinus.A person has two of them – right and left. They are small caves that communicate with the nasal cavity. By the way, another name for the maxillary sinus is maxillary in honor of the English doctor Highmore, who first described the symptoms of its inflammation in the 17th century.

Speaking of sinusitis, it should be noted that this common ailment most often occurs in adults and children in the autumn-winter period against the background of colds and flu. The cause of the appearance of the disease can also be carious teeth.The development of the disease is facilitated by the curvature of the nasal septum, the presence of adenoids, and an allergic rhinitis.

Distinguish between acute and chronic sinusitis. In the first case, the inflammatory process is caused by pathogenic microbes that have penetrated the sinus, for example, streptococci or staphylococci. Acute sinusitis is manifested by pain of varying intensity (it can move from the sinus to the temple or the entire half of the face) and impaired nasal breathing due to swelling of the mucous membrane and a sharp narrowing of the nasal passages.Discharge from the nose is usually one-sided: at first – liquid, then – viscous and purulent, sometimes, however, they are immediately purulent. Other symptoms include chills, fever, and poor overall health.

In the case of a protracted course, acute sinusitis can turn into chronic. Most often this happens against the background of a weakening of the immune system. At the same time, in the stage of remission (subsiding of the symptoms of the disease), pronounced signs of the disease are often absent, and the patient develops a certain addiction to dysfunction of the nose.However, it is enough for a person to catch a cold for an exacerbation of chronic sinusitis. It is often accompanied not only by nasal congestion and discharge, but also by fever, poor health, painful swelling of the cheeks and eyelid swelling, and headache.

Why sinusitis is dangerous. Infection from the site of inflammation can spread throughout the body and cause serious illness, such as meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain) or neuritis (inflammation) of the trigeminal nerve, which is very painful.To prevent possible complications, it is necessary, when the first symptoms of the disease appear, not to self-medicate, but to immediately consult an otolaryngologist.

In acute sinusitis, treatment is aimed at relieving swelling and ensuring the natural outflow of mucus from the affected sinus. For this purpose, vasoconstrictor drops, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic drugs are used. In the fight against the disease, rinsing the nose with antiseptic solutions and physiotherapy procedures help.If necessary, the doctor also prescribes antibacterial drugs. If we are talking about chronic purulent sinusitis, then along with drugs, a puncture (puncture) of the maxillary sinus can be shown with washing it with an antiseptic solution.

For the treatment of sinusitis, decongestants are primarily used, the action of which is aimed at narrowing the blood vessels and reducing the blood flow to the inflammation focus. As a result, swelling of the mucous membrane in the nasal passages decreases and nasal congestion decreases.If the disease is caused by streptococci, staphylococci or pneumococci, antibiotic therapy is indicated. For this purpose, antibiotics are used, which are usually prescribed for severe sinusitis, and if the patient has an allergy, only after carrying out special tests for the body’s sensitivity to them.

Massage in the area of ​​the projections of the paranasal sinuses also has a healing effect in case of sinusitis, which helps to eliminate congestion. Another therapeutic recommendation concerns air humidification in the room where the patient is.The fact is that the mucous membrane lining the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses dries up in dry air. And this negatively affects their ability to cleanse themselves and slows down the healing process. Therefore, the air must be humidified, for example, by hanging wet towels in the room for this purpose.

90,000 Headaches with pathology of the skull, neck, eyes, ears, nose, sinuses, teeth, mouth

Head and facial pain associated with pathology of the skull, neck, eyes, ears, nasal cavity, sinuses, teeth, oral cavity or other structures skull and face .

Most disorders of the skull bones (hereditary deformities, fractures, tumors, metastases) are not accompanied by headache. But headache can accompany osteomyelitis, multiple myeloma, Paget’s disease, damage to the mastoid process of the temporal bone, and petrositis (inflammation of the cells of the apex of the temporal bone).

Diseases and injuries of the cervical spine and soft tissues of the neck can cause pain originating in the neck region and felt in one or more areas of the head and / or face. Cervical spondylosis and osteochondrosis are not established causes of headache . If the cause of the headache is myofascial pain points , the headache is considered a Tension Headache.

Eye pathology (acute glaucoma, refractive errors, overt and latent strabismus, inflammatory diseases) can cause headaches.

Structural damage to the outer ear, ear canal, eardrum, or inner ear can cause ear pain associated with headache.There is no evidence that ear abnormalities can cause isolated headache without ear pain. Only 50% of all ear pains are due to structural damage to the outer or inner ear. Lesions in areas other than the ear region may be accompanied by reflected ear pain due to pain radiating to the parotid region. Sensory fibers V, VII, IX and X of the cranial nerves are projected into the ear, external auditory canal, tympanic membrane and inner ear.Therefore, damage in any anatomical area that receives the innervation of these nerves can be accompanied by pain in the ear (reflected otalgia).

Acute or subacute-chronic rhinosinusitis (inflammation of the nasal mucosa and sinuses) can cause frontal headache, accompanied by pain in one or more areas of the face, ears or teeth. Clinical signs include purulent nasal inflammation, nasal congestion, decreased or no sense of smell, and / or fever.Chronic sinusitis can only be considered a cause of headache during an exacerbation.

Headache can occur with temporomandibular joint pathology . Diseases of the teeth, jaws can cause pain in these structures, spreading to any area of ​​the head.

Maxillary sinus perforation during tooth extraction, treatment, plastic

Perforation of the maxillary sinus floor – damage to the lower sinus septum, which is the natural border of the maxillary sinus, separating it from the oral cavity with its infections.

The reason is gross trauma, in 95% of cases occurs when the upper teeth are removed .

During removal, an oroantral communication with the oral cavity is formed through the punched hole in the hole of the tooth, through which air first passes, and then food.

Why perforation occurs and how to avoid it

Such consequences can be avoided with the correct planning of removal on a CT scanner and adherence to gentle removal protocols.

There is a group of patients with anatomy of roots that penetrate the apex into the sinus, and if such patients are managed as a standard removal protocol, perforation and all associated complications will be certain.Only this can be seen in the image that a computer tomograph builds in a special ENT mode, and this is not possible in any clinic. In our Center, it is possible to do this with the latest SIRONA-SIEMENS equipment, and the diagnostic software complex GALILEOS.

After examining the CT scan, the surgeon must be prepared for an emergency. If perforation does occur, it is important to perform its immediate microsurgical closure in a sterile operating unit in order to avoid the development of an inflammatory process.

Even an experienced doctor without a good image on a modern expensive tomograph may not notice the details and miss the patient to an ordinary dental surgeon, not pay attention to the anatomical features and not take the necessary actions. The patient learns about this later by the characteristic symptoms:

• air passage, whistling and squelching in the socket of the extracted tooth;
• Foamy bloody or yellowish discharge from the nose;
• strange unreasonable organic odors in the nose and mouth,
• change in the timbre of the voice (nasal).

If you do not carry out timely emergency closure of the anastomosis after tooth extraction, the hole itself may never be overgrown. The gum tissue heals, epithelizes, shrinks, but the bones in the area of ​​such a fistula between the nose and mouth never grow together due to the difference in the timing of bone and gum growth, the gum will instantly take up all the free space, the slowly growing bone simply will not have time to fill the defect.

Within 2-3 weeks, a thin sinus tract is formed from the oral cavity to the sinus.In this case, the diameter of the hole is reduced in a natural way due to the formation of scar tissue, the symptoms of perforation may temporarily disappear or not appear. But this does not prevent the penetration of infection due to the penetration of food into the sinus.

As a result, the sinus becomes inflamed, signs of unilateral sinusitis appear, which should confuse the thinking patient (sometimes there are coincidences, but sinusitis-sinusitis, which comes as an accompaniment to the flu or cold, is always bilateral).

Other causes of perforation

The remaining 5% of clinical cases of sinus perforation are attributed to the following causes :

• Not ideal endodontic treatment of tooth canals – the therapist treated the canals, rushed, gave excessive force when filling the canal, under the action of a rotating canal filler with pressure, the filling material fell outside the root of the tooth. We often meet cases when even fragments of endodontic instruments are sometimes found in the thickness of the filling material, which get jammed in the canal and tear into pieces, leaving metal fragments in different places of the tooth root;
• Punitive sinus lift – an inexperienced or rude doctor does not feel the density of tissues, breaks through the Schneider’s membrane, the bone material is forced into the gap and enters the sinus;
• Author’s implantation – it happens that due to the lack of skills in performing sinus lifting and the desire to restore the missing bone, a decision is made – the implant is placed in the remaining bone that is, without bone grafting.Bottom line: the implant completely fails or partially protrudes into the sinus.

Fragment of an endodontic instrument in the canal

Why entrust the treatment to the Department of ENT Dentistry

ENT dentistry combines two areas of medical services and treatment options – otolaryngology and dentistry. This is modern format of the clinic’s work on complex rehabilitation in the treatment of traumatic and inflammatory processes in the upper jaw, penetrating into the maxillary sinus or passing along its borders.

The Center for Private Dentistry “Doctor Levin” has been specializing in providing care to patients with combined ENT and dental pathology for many years. Medical and surgical treatment programs are carried out by candidates of medical sciences, maxillofacial surgeons with ENT training.

Statistics for 20 years of the Center’s work and for the last 10 years of the Department’s work, unfortunately, are inexorable. The main providers of complications are our colleagues who are stumped by an unsuccessful treatment plan.We are grateful to our colleagues who do not hesitate to send patients with ENT complications to us, despite the reputational damage. It is always possible to avoid a dramatic outcome by stopping treatment in time.

Features of the ENT department “Doctor Levin”

ENT unit Chammed XU-7 visual

Modern equipment of the ENT surgeon’s workplace

Ultrasound surgery without blood

The PiezoSurgery device acts only on hard tissues, does not damage the gums, nerves, vessels and membranes.We do not use chisels, cutters and drills in the work of the Department!

3D tomograph Sirona Galileos

Accurate diagnosis of odontogenic diseases and neoplasms of the maxillary sinuses

Sleep treatment under sedation

We perform operations only in medication sleep, under sedation, without pain and nervous overload

Dental microscope
SEILER Evolution XR6

Each ENT operation is performed with full optical control of the operating field by a maxillofacial surgeon

Rehabilitation without hospital
in just 1-2 days

Effective methods of removing puffiness, hematoma and painful sensations after surgery

How we treat

Treatment is carried out only comprehensive and strives to conduct in one visit , at the same time:

1. Hygienic cleaning and dental treatment.Preparing the oral cavity for sterile surgical work. We treat compromised roots. Operations are carried out only in the sanitized oral cavity to avoid re-infection.
2. Operation. It is carried out in the surgical department, subject to all conditions of sterile operblocks. Ultrasound removes inflammatory processes, removes the roots that provoked or supports inflammation, removes all inflammatory elements, removes cysts, polyps, mucocele, and foreign bodies.
3. Orthopedics. Temporary crowns or any other orthopedic elements that mask the work performed are fixed. We do our best not to send the patient home without teeth!

We do not welcome radical and punitive surgery ! Rest assured that after the operation we will never detain you in the hospital unless absolutely necessary.

Ultrasound protocol

PiezoSurgery does not affect soft tissues

Rehabilitation in just 1-2 days

Using microcurrent and PRP plasma therapy

Dental microscopy

Optical control of the operating area

Sedation instead of general anesthesia

Easy and quick exit from artificial sleep

Hospitalization

The day hospital at our Center is a postoperative support service for patients.It is necessary if the patient has concomitant cardiac issues, for example, hypertension, arrhythmia, AOSH, etc.

Gentle ultrasound surgical protocols for low-dramatic PiezoSurgery operations in combination with microscopic surgery performed by operating teams of pairs of the most experienced surgeons of our Center allow you to carry out treatment so delicately that you do not need the obligatory hospitalization, which they like to impose in Moscow hospitals.

All operations are carried out only in medication sleep, without pain and nervous overload.

The treatment will be carried out with respect to your personal time, in a short time and at a comfortable time, the operating teams and the anesthesiology department work without weekends and holidays.

Options for ENT operations

Stages of treatment

• Diagnostics

  X-ray 3D examination on a computed tomograph in a special ENT mode to determine the extent of inflammation, localization of foreign bodies, the nature of neoplasms.

• Scheduling

  The maxillary surgeon together with the ENT doctor assesses the situation and makes a diagnosis. Determine the scale, choose the tactics of treatment and the method of performing the operation

• Analyzes

  Appointed individually, depending on the clinical situation – to determine the stage of the inflammatory process, the nature of the neoplasm. For older patients and patients with chronic diseases, an examination is required before sedation (otherwise not required)

• Operation

  Conducted under sedation in medication sleep without general anesthesia according to the selected sinus access protocol

• Postoperative control

  After surgery compulsory X-ray examination to assess the quality of the operation

• Rehabilitation

  Lasts 1-2 days.For accelerated resorption of edema, hematomas, microcurrent and plasma therapy is used. Medication is prescribed, incl. antibiotics. In order to avoid the purchase of counterfeit products by the patient “on the side”, the patient receives the entire package of drugs in the clinic free of charge

• Completion of ENT treatment

  After 10-14 days, the stitches are removed, a control CT scan is taken, the date of the professional examination is set

Doctors

Prices

Consultation of a maxillofacial surgeon

Visual examination, X-ray analysis, diagnosis, treatment plan

Computed tomography in ENT mode

Determines the localization of foreign bodies, the volume of neoplasms, the degree of damage to bone structures in the area of ​​damage to the maxillary sinus

Closure of perforation with lateral access

Operation of reconstruction of the lower border of the maxillary sinus with revision of the maxillary sinus during the closure of the perforation with ultrasound ENT access

Closure of perforation with alveolar access

Operation of reconstruction of the lower border of the maxillary sinus with revision of the maxillary sinus when closing the perforation with alveolar maxillary sinus access

Endoscopic sinusitis

Operation to remove a foreign body with revision of the maxillary sinus with intranasal access using an endoscope

Microhaymorotomy with ENT access of the 1st category of complexity

Operation of removal of a foreign body with revision of the maxillary sinus with ultrasonic ENT access PiezoSurgery of the 1st category of complexity

Microhaymorotomy with ENT access, 2nd category of complexity

Surgery to remove a foreign body with revision of the maxillary sinus with ultrasound ENT access of the 2nd category of complexity

Microsurgical sinusitis of the 1st category of complexity

Operation to remove a foreign body with revision of the maxillary sinus with alveolar maxillary sinus approach, 1st category of complexity

Microsurgical sinusitis, 2nd category of complexity

Operation to remove a foreign body with revision of the maxillary sinus with alveolar maxillary sinus approach, 2nd category of complexity

Removal of neoplasms of the 1st category of complexity, ENT access

Operation of removal of neoplasms with revision of the maxillary sinus with ultrasound ENT access of the 1st category of complexity

Removal of neoplasms of the 2nd category of complexity, ENT access

Operation of removal of neoplasms with revision of the maxillary sinus with ultrasound ENT access of the 2nd category of complexity

Removal of neoplasms of the 1st category of complexity, maxillary access

Operation of removal of neoplasms with revision of the maxillary sinus with alveolar maxillary access of the 1st category of complexity

Removal of neoplasms of the 2nd category of complexity, maxillary access

Operation of removal of neoplasms with revision of the maxillary sinus with alveolar maxillary sinus approach, 2nd category of complexity

Injection preparation D-NUCLEO UNO

1 ampoule, 3 mg

19 200 ₽

Injectable Mesosculpt C71

1 syringe, 1 mg

19 500 ₽

Plasma therapy

1 tube, blood sampling is included in the price

5 650 ₽

Microcurrent therapy

1 session

5 000 ₽

Stationary | Medical center on Kirov