Sinusitis is a disease that many of us are familiar with and those who have endured the onset of sinusitis are well aware of the debilitating impact that it can have on a person's daily existence.
Sinusitis is caused by a variety of reasons, ranging from changing weather patterns to allergens and pathogens.
Whatever the trigger may be, it involves the inflammation of the tissues lining the sinus cavities, located in the skull around the nose and eyes.
This inflammation results in the blocking of the nasal passages, thereby resulting in the accumulation of mucus, which causes bacteria to develop in the sinus region and infect it, resulting in symptoms, which include - * Facial Pain * Facial Pressure * Facial swelling * Headaches * Impaired smell * Impaired vision * Colored nasal discharge Usually sinusitis is considered as an uncomfortable, sometimes painful but ultimately harmless experience with severe symptoms, which are eliminated with the use of antibiotics and other medication.
However, there are cases and times where sinusitis can develop into more serious complications.
Some of these complications include - * Eye socket infection - Also known as an orbital infection, the infection which causes sinusitis can also result in swelling, as well as the drooping of the eyelids.
Although it is fairly rare in occurrence, but it is nonetheless a very serious complication related to the ethmoid sinus cavity.
In severe cases it may cause patients to lose mobility of the affected eye.
Increased severity of the symptoms means increasing pressure being applied to the optic nerve, which can ultimately lead to loss of vision as well.
* Brain Infection - Given its proximity to the sinus cavities, especially the frontal and sphenoid sinus cavities, anaerobic bacteria can spread the sinus infection through the bones or various blood vessels into the brain.
This may result in the formation of abscesses or even other life-threatening complications, like meningitis.
In severe cases of infection, there may be headaches, visual impairments, slight personality changes, altered streams of consciousness, seizures, slippage into a coma, and even in some cases, death.
* Osteomyelitis - Also called Pott's puffy tumor, this results from the sinusitis infection spreading to the bones surrounding the affected sinus cavity.
This is fairly frequent in adolescent males who have developed acute frontal sinusitis.
This complication gives the patient severe headaches, combined with fever and the swelling of the bone known over the infected sinus.
The onset of sinusitis is something which many have experienced, but in a few cases, it can turn into something much worse.
In case you experience any symptom of sinusitis, then contact your ENT specialist as soon as possible to rule out the development of any such dangerous complications.
Sinusitis is caused by a variety of reasons, ranging from changing weather patterns to allergens and pathogens.
Whatever the trigger may be, it involves the inflammation of the tissues lining the sinus cavities, located in the skull around the nose and eyes.
This inflammation results in the blocking of the nasal passages, thereby resulting in the accumulation of mucus, which causes bacteria to develop in the sinus region and infect it, resulting in symptoms, which include - * Facial Pain * Facial Pressure * Facial swelling * Headaches * Impaired smell * Impaired vision * Colored nasal discharge Usually sinusitis is considered as an uncomfortable, sometimes painful but ultimately harmless experience with severe symptoms, which are eliminated with the use of antibiotics and other medication.
However, there are cases and times where sinusitis can develop into more serious complications.
Some of these complications include - * Eye socket infection - Also known as an orbital infection, the infection which causes sinusitis can also result in swelling, as well as the drooping of the eyelids.
Although it is fairly rare in occurrence, but it is nonetheless a very serious complication related to the ethmoid sinus cavity.
In severe cases it may cause patients to lose mobility of the affected eye.
Increased severity of the symptoms means increasing pressure being applied to the optic nerve, which can ultimately lead to loss of vision as well.
* Brain Infection - Given its proximity to the sinus cavities, especially the frontal and sphenoid sinus cavities, anaerobic bacteria can spread the sinus infection through the bones or various blood vessels into the brain.
This may result in the formation of abscesses or even other life-threatening complications, like meningitis.
In severe cases of infection, there may be headaches, visual impairments, slight personality changes, altered streams of consciousness, seizures, slippage into a coma, and even in some cases, death.
* Osteomyelitis - Also called Pott's puffy tumor, this results from the sinusitis infection spreading to the bones surrounding the affected sinus cavity.
This is fairly frequent in adolescent males who have developed acute frontal sinusitis.
This complication gives the patient severe headaches, combined with fever and the swelling of the bone known over the infected sinus.
The onset of sinusitis is something which many have experienced, but in a few cases, it can turn into something much worse.
In case you experience any symptom of sinusitis, then contact your ENT specialist as soon as possible to rule out the development of any such dangerous complications.