Sinusitis or Bacterial Sinus Infection
Posted: Saturday, March 06, 2010
by Jillian Phillips
Sinus Dynamics
The sinuses are small empty caverns in the bony skull. They are lined by mucus membranes and connect with the nasal passages. Some sinuses are present at birth; others continue to grow and develop for the first 20 years of life. Sinusitis is the name given when the lining of one or more of these sinuses is red, swollen, and tender, the opening is blocked, and the sinus is at least partially filled with fluid (mucus and/or pus). Technically, every cold is also a case of viral sinusitis. However, when doctors use the term sinusitis they are usually referring to a bacterial sinus infection.
Bacterial sinus infections frequently occur after a viral infection such as a cold or flu. The infection is classified based on how long the symptoms last. The classifications are acute, subacute, chronic, and recurrent. When your runny nose or cough refuses to go away, your sense of smell and taste are bad, when you have bad headaches, you could be suffering from sinusitis. Ninety percent of all cases of sinusitis are caused due to bacteria. The membrane of the sinus cavity becomes red, tender or inflamed. Bacterial sinus infection symptoms vary from fever to facial pain and tenderness. Whenever a person has a cold or fever i.e. a viral infection, the membrane of the sinus cavity becomes inflamed. This blocks the passage of mucous from the sinus membrane to the nasal cavity. A mucous filled sinus cavity is an ideal ground for bacteria to breed.
In the beginning, bacterial sinus infection symptoms are very similar to those of a common cold. If they continue for over five to seven days, a doctor should be consulted. Though sinusitis is easy to diagnose, some doctors also use CT Scans or X-Rays to confirm the occurrence of sinus infection.
Bacterial sinus infection symptoms normally last for about seven to ten days. They can go up to three months if it turns chronic. Sinusitis is very common in children. Children who have greenish nasal discharge are often suspected to have sinusitis. People with allergies are also prone to sinusitis. Though sinusitis can easily be cured with the usage of medicines such as decongestants and anti- inflammatory drugs, a surgery may also be required at times. Bacterial sinus infection symptoms may also include temporary blindness, double or blurred vision.
There are several ways of preventing sinus infection. UCleaning the nose properly can prevent this disease. People who are prone to allergies should make sure that they take medication as soon as the allergy occurs. Decongestants should be used in case of colds. It has been observed that people who smoke or live in smoky environments have greater chances of contracting sinus infection than people living in a smoke free environment. Bacterial sinus infection symptoms should never be ignored. Medical help should be taken at the first sign of such symptoms.
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