Is sinusitis the same as rhinitis?

Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
Updated on September 22, 2024
00:00
00:00

There are differences between rhinitis and sinusitis. Rhinitis is mainly the inflammation of the nasal mucosa, while sinusitis is the inflammation of the sinus cavity mucosa. The main clinical symptoms of rhinitis are nasal congestion and a runny nose. This runny nose is mostly mucous or watery, which is typically seen in allergic rhinitis. The runny nose in sinusitis, on the other hand, is often a thick yellow discharge caused by a bacterial infection, so there is a distinction between the two. Patients with sinusitis often have rhinitis, but those with rhinitis do not necessarily have sinusitis. Rhinitis is primarily treated with medications and rarely with surgery. For sinusitis, treatment also begins with medications; however, if the response to medical therapy is poor or the condition is severe, surgery is often considered. The likelihood of undergoing surgical intervention is generally higher for sinusitis than for rhinitis.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
1min 4sec home-news-image

What is the best treatment for sinusitis?

The treatment of sinusitis is currently divided into two main categories: conservative treatment and surgical treatment. The specific choice of treatment mainly depends on the severity and type of sinusitis. For fungal sinusitis, conservative treatment generally does not yield good results. If the patient's condition permits and their physical health can tolerate surgery, it is generally recommended to perform sinus opening surgery under endoscopy. For bacterial sinusitis with mild inflammation, unclear symptoms, or relatively mild symptoms, conservative drug treatment can be considered. This usually involves oral medications and nasal sprays, and saline nasal irrigation can also be considered. If the inflammatory response is more severe and the symptoms are typical, and conservative treatment is ineffective, sinus opening surgery should be considered. Currently, minimally invasive surgery under endoscopy is employed, which generally yields precise results, causes less damage, and allows for a quicker recovery.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
1min 9sec home-news-image

Can sinusitis cause a fever?

Sinusitis may cause fever, but this is mainly seen in acute sinusitis or during the acute flare-ups of chronic sinusitis, which relatively tends to provoke a fever. If it is just a mild case of sinusitis or plain chronic sinusitis, most patients do not experience significant fever changes, but they might have symptoms like nasal congestion, runny nose, headaches, dizziness, and a decrease in the sense of smell. When experiencing a fever, it is important to visit an otolaryngology department as soon as possible where you might consider undergoing a routine blood test to check the extent of the inflammatory response. Most patients will need to consider antibiotic treatment for the infection. If the body temperature exceeds 38.5 degrees Celsius, there may be a need to consider antipyretic medications. If the fever is below 38.5 degrees, physical cooling measures are generally recommended, but it is necessary to regularly reassess and monitor the temperature, selecting targeted treatments based on the fluctuations of the condition. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
48sec home-news-image

Does sinusitis affect the eyes?

Sinusitis is a relatively common otorhinolaryngological disease. A small percentage of patients may experience effects on their eyes, leading to decreased vision, orbital abscesses, eye swelling and pain, or visual field defects. There is significant individual variation in clinical symptoms. After the onset of the disease, it is necessary to visit the otorhinolaryngology and ophthalmology departments to assess the severity of the condition. In terms of treatment, some patients may opt for conservative medical treatment. However, for others with more severe conditions where conservative medical treatment proves ineffective, surgical treatment should be considered, followed by regular follow-up exams to observe the outcomes of the surgery.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Mao Cai
Otolaryngology
1min 6sec home-news-image

Symptoms of recurrent sinusitis

The symptoms of recurrent sinusitis are essentially the same as those of sinusitis itself. Symptoms can be divided into local symptoms, which are those of the nasal cavity, as well as some systemic symptoms, because the recurrence of sinusitis often follows a cold that leads to an acute recurrence. The nasal symptoms mainly include nasal discharge, primarily consisting of yellow pus-like mucus. There may also be nasal congestion or a sensation of the nose being blocked, as well as headaches. The location and severity of the headache depend on which sinus is more severely inflamed, which also affects where the headache is felt. Additionally, there may be a disturbance in the sense of smell, which refers to a reduced sensitivity to smells, or a reduced ability to smell or weak sense of smell. Systemic symptoms mainly include lethargy, feelings of headache and weakness, lack of concentration, and a general lack of energy. Overall, the symptoms of recurrent sinusitis are similar to those of initial sinusitis, with most being the same.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
49sec home-news-image

What IV fluids are used for sinusitis?

Sinusitis, which we now clinically refer to as sinusitis. When sinusitis acutely flares up, our main treatment is to administer anti-infection medications and corticosteroid drugs. This includes oral medication treatment or intravenous infusion therapy. Clinically, our main approach is the aforementioned medication treatment, and we also conduct CT scans and surgical treatments based on the patient's condition, of course, assessing symptoms before proceeding. Before surgery, preoperative medication preparation is also needed, which involves some infusion therapy, using these medications, including cephalosporin antibiotics and corticosteroid drugs. (The use of medications should be carried out under the guidance of a professional doctor.)