Sinusitis

What is sinusitis?

Our sinuses are small, air filled spaces within the skull, located in your forehead, behind the nose and in your cheekbones. They connect to the inside of the nose. The lining of your sinuses make mucus, which drains away through your nose and throat.

When we suffer from sinusitis, these spaces can swell and become inflamed, which stops the mucus draining. This causes them to become blocked and fill up with fluid, which can lead to a blocked nose and pain in the face.

Without treatment, sinusitis will normally get better within 4 weeks.^[1]

Who gets sinusitis?

Sinusitis can happen to anyone. But it’s less common in younger children, and the sinuses usually haven’t developed enough to get infected until your early teen years.

Most sinus infections are viral, and just a small number of them become a secondary bacterial infection.^[2] Viral sinusitis is usually accompanied by a common cold or flu. Bacterial sinusitis is a secondary infection triggered by bacteria getting stuck in the sinuses when you have a cold.

Having conditions such as asthma, nasal and seasonal allergies, nasal polyps (soft painless growths inside the nose) or an abnormal nose structure can also make you more prone.

Smoking can also negatively affect your sinuses. Chemicals found in cigarettes can sometimes irritate them, leading to inflammation and subsequently infection.

How common is sinusitis?

Most people at one time or another will suffer from some form of sinusitis, especially during the flu season, whether relatively short term (acute) or more prolonged (chronic). Chronic (lasting more than 3 months) sinusitis is a relatively common condition in the UK.

What causes sinusitis?

Acute sinusitis (when you’ve had it for less than three months, typically less than four weeks) is usually triggered by viral infections of the upper respiratory tract, which can then often lead to secondary bacterial infections.^[1]

Chronic sinusitis can have many possible contributing factors, including:

• Asthma;
• Aspirin sensitivity – often associated with nasal polyps;
• Dysfunction of the immune system;
• Genetic factors such as nasal polyps;
• Smoking;
• Ciliary impairment – where the cilia doesn’t transport mucus as it should (associated in conditions such as cystic fibrosis;
• Sinus surgery.

What are the symptoms of sinusitis

There are numerous symptoms of sinusitis. You may experience some or all of them, depending on the individual and the severity of symptoms. Some of the more common signs of sinusitis can include:

• Pain, swelling and tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead;
• A blocked nose;
• A reduced sense of smell;
• Green or yellow mucus from your nose;
• Mucus dripping down the throat;
• A sinus headache;
• A high temperature;
• Toothache;
• Bad breath;
• Fatigue;
• A cough (occasionally).

Can sinusitis lead to other problems?

As with any illness, this can affect the general well-being for those concerned. For example, making sleeping difficult, leading to chronic fatigue impacting on both work and social activities. In severe cases this can even lead to depression. However, as a rule sinusitis doesn’t typically lead to other physical health problems. One of the main concerns is that acute (short term) sinusitis if left untreated can lead to chronic (long term) sinusitis, therefore early treatment is best applied sooner rather than later.