What are the symptoms of sinusitis?

Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
Updated on September 25, 2024
00:00
00:00

The symptoms of sinusitis vary significantly between individuals. In cases of mild inflammation, there may be no symptoms, and the condition might only be discovered during a physical examination or through a head or sinus CT scan. However, in some patients with more severe inflammatory reactions, clinical symptoms can occur. Common clinical symptoms include nasal congestion, thick nasal discharge, reduced sense of smell, headache, dizziness, as well as potential facial pain, numbness, and vertigo. Some individuals may also experience changes in vision or field of vision. Generally, sinusitis is a common disease. Usually, it can be diagnosed based on clinical symptoms and examination of the nasal cavity. Some patients may need to undergo a CT scan, and in severe cases, surgery might be considered necessary.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
46sec home-news-image

Should sinusitis use hot compress or cold compress?

Generally speaking, neither cold nor hot compresses are necessary for sinusitis, because sinusitis is mainly an acute or chronic bacterial infection of the sinuses. Common symptoms include nasal congestion, purulent nasal discharge, and reduced sense of smell. Some people may also experience headaches and dizziness. The main treatment is still medication, and it is also possible to consider rinsing the nasal cavity with saline solution, regular follow-ups, and if the inflammation is severe, sinus opening surgery may need to be considered, which currently mainly involves endoscopic sinus surgery. Overall, neither hot nor cold compresses have a therapeutic effect on sinusitis, so they are not recommended.

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

What is acute sinusitis?

Acute sinusitis is an acute inflammatory response of the sinuses caused by a sudden bacterial infection. Clinically, the most common sites of lesion are the maxillary sinuses and ethmoid sinuses, though some patients may also experience inflammation in the frontal sinuses or sphenoid sinuses. The main symptoms include sudden nasal congestion, purulent nasal discharge, headaches, dizziness, and reduced sense of smell. If the inflammatory response is particularly severe, it may also affect vision or cause fever and a feeling of heaviness in the head. Overall, it is considered to be an acute inflammatory response, primarily treated clinically with antibiotics to counter the infection, along with the use of nasal sprays and nasal irrigation, typically with saline solution. Regular follow-up checks are required, and the recovery period generally lasts about one to two weeks. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor based on specific circumstances.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Mao Cai
Otolaryngology
1min 21sec home-news-image

How should sinusitis be treated?

The treatment of sinusitis should be based on the specific conditions of each patient, and different treatment plans can generally be divided into two categories. The first is conservative treatment. Conservative treatment mainly includes medication and some local nasal irrigation or puncture methods. This type of conservative treatment generally has good effects, and can relieve the pain and alleviate the symptoms of most patients with sinusitis. Apart from conservative treatment, The second method is surgical treatment. Surgical treatment now involves the reconstruction of nasal and sinus function under endoscopy. This type of surgical treatment can also be considered a minimally invasive and precise treatment plan. However, despite being minimally invasive and precise, it is still a surgery and does involve some trauma. Therefore, surgical treatment is only considered when conservative treatment is ineffective. Surgical treatment is just the beginning of a systematic approach to treating sinusitis. It can be understood this way: after the surgery, the follow-up medication treatment, which is a set of conservative treatment plans, and regular check-ups need to be promptly followed up. Reliance solely on surgical treatment may not achieve particularly ideal long-term effects.

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.)

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.