Treatment of Chronic Rhinitis and Sinusitis

Written by Zhang Jun
Otolaryngology
Updated on December 02, 2024
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Chronic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis are due to persistent inflammation following acute inflammatory stimuli or recurrent attacks, leading to nasal and systemic symptoms. Patients may experience facial swelling and pain, headaches, and nasal congestion, generally bilateral and progressively worsening. Additionally, there may be yellow purulent discharge from the nasal cavity, sometimes accompanied by an odor. The examination can reveal congested and edematous bilateral nasal turbinates and abnormal secretions in the nasal cavity. For treatment, patients initially need a sinus CT scan; if sinusitis is confirmed, symptomatic anti-inflammatory treatment is necessary, including oral antibiotics, such as cephalosporins, which are relatively effective. Saline nasal irrigation is also required. If conservative treatment fails, the patient may need endoscopic sinus surgery and partial resection of the bilateral inferior turbinates to recover.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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Is sinusitis contagious?

Sinusitis is not a contagious disease and does not have definite transmissibility, as sinusitis is mainly due to acute or chronic bacterial infections. A small portion of patients suffer from fungal sinusitis caused by fungal infections. Generally speaking, sinusitis is an inflammatory response and is not contagious, so it does not qualify as a communicable disease. In terms of treatment, conservative drug treatment is the primary approach, with oral medications and nasal sprays being the first choice, along with the use of saline or separated seawater for irrigation. Generally, conditions can be effectively controlled with medication. For cases of fungal infection, or chronic sinusitis where conservative drug treatment is ineffective, it may be advisable to consider endoscopic sinus surgery, which generally involves minimally invasive procedures with relatively minimal trauma and good outcomes.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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Can sinusitis heal on its own?

Sinusitis may recover on its own. This primarily depends on the extent of the specific inflammatory responses, as well as clinical symptoms and the patient's own immunity. If the sinusitis is very mild, the clinical symptoms are not severe, and the patient's immunity is relatively strong, recovery is indeed possible. Additionally, with acute sinusitis, some patients naturally tend to recover on their own. However, in cases of chronic sinusitis or severe inflammatory responses in acute sinusitis, where symptoms like nasal congestion, purulent nasal discharge, headaches, and dizziness are more pronounced, it is generally advisable to consider timely medical treatment. It may also be beneficial to incorporate saline nasal washes and schedule regular follow-up examinations to observe effects.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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Is hot compress useful for sinusitis?

Sinusitis is a relatively common otolaryngological disease. Hot compresses do not have a clear therapeutic effect on the condition itself, but they may help relieve symptoms of nasal congestion and runny nose. Patients with sinusitis should visit an otolaryngology clinic after the onset of symptoms for examinations such as nasal endoscopy and sinus CT scans to assess the severity of the disease. Most patients need to consider treatment with oral medications and nasal sprays. During the treatment process, it is necessary to have regular follow-ups to observe the effectiveness of the treatment. If the results of standardized medication treatment are not satisfactory and the clinical symptoms are severe, then surgical treatment should be considered. After surgery, regular follow-up visits are also necessary to monitor for any recurrence.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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Does sinusitis require surgery?

Sinusitis refers to inflammation of the sinus, clinically mainly bacterial inflammation, as well as fungal inflammation. Whether sinusitis requires surgery depends on the specific condition of the patient. Endoscopic examination of the nose and sinus CT scans can be carried out to assess the condition of the sinus lesions. If there is a lot of sinus secretion and the sinus cavity is congested, and there is polypoid changes in the overall nasal passage, surgical treatment may be considered. For the vast majority of sinusitis patients, the current viewpoint is that treatment is mainly through medication, and only a small part needs surgical treatment after assessment. Therefore, sinusitis does not necessarily require surgery. Start with medication treatment; if the effect is not good, or there are other concurrent issues, consider surgical treatment after assessment.

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Written by Zhang Jun
Otolaryngology
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What medicine is good for sinusitis?

Sinusitis is mainly caused by acute inflammatory infections, such as Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes. When a patient's immunity and resistance are low, these bacteria can invade the sinuses through the sinus openings, leading to congestion, swelling, proliferation, and exudation of the sinus mucosa. Patients will experience persistent nasal congestion and discharge of yellow purulent secretions from the nasal cavity. Additionally, patients may also experience fever, facial swelling and pain, headaches, dry mouth, coughing, and other related symptoms. Upon examination, bilateral nasal turbinate mucosal congestion and swelling can be found, and yellow secretions may be seen adhering in the middle nasal meatus or common nasal passage. In terms of treatment, as it is a bacterial infection, patients firstly need symptomatic anti-inflammatory treatment. Oral cephalosporin antibiotics are effective. Moreover, using saline to rinse the nasal cavity also provides very good results. If necessary, patients may require endoscopic sinus surgery for recovery. (Please use medication under the guidance of a professional physician.)