Sinusitis (sinus infection)

Sinusitis is swelling of the sinuses, usually caused by an infection. It’s common and usually clears up on its own within 2 to 3 weeks.

Symptoms of sinusitis 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
• a sinus headache
• a high temperature
• toothache
• bad breath

Signs of sinusitis in young children may also include irritability, difficulty feeding, and breathing through their mouth.

About sinuses

The sinuses are a combination of large and small air pockets in the face. They are connected to the inside of the nose through small openings called ostea. They help to optimise the temperature and humidity of the air reaching the lungs. The sinuses can become infected due to a variety of reasons. The symptoms usually associated are nasal obstruction, facial congestion, headaches, excessive catarrh, disturbance in the sense of smell and toothache.

Treatment of sinusitis

In most cases sinusitis can be treated effectively by medications and correcting any underlying cause such as allergies. If conservative treatment fails then surgery may be considered.

Surgical treatment of sinusitis

There has been great improvement in the surgical treatment over the last few years. The main principal of surgery now is conserving as much as possible the normal lining of the nose and sinuses, which is achievable thanks to the new surgical techniques. Minimally invasive surgery is now the standard of care and the aim is to restore the normal mucus flow between the sinuses and the nose by adjusting the anatomy of the affected area. Modern techniques include the use of balloon sinuplasty, which reduces further any damage to the lining of the nose, thus making healing faster and more effective.