Sinus problems increase in autumn and winter and are most often associated with changes in temperature - especially when we leave heated rooms for the outdoors, where the wind and cool air blows in. The ailment is also exacerbated by emerging dampness, when fungi and moulds begin to sprout.
What are sinuses?
The sinuses are a type of air-filled cavities located near the nose and forehead. They protect the brain from injury by creating injury-absorbing voids. They reduce the weight of the skull and make it easier to hold the skull upright and influence voice modulation. This is because, being voids, they resonate sounds. The sinuses are connected to the nasal cavity by means of their mouths.
Among the bays we distinguish:
- Even frontal sinuses - these are located above the eye sockets laterally and upwards from the nasal root,
- Paranasal maxillary sinuses - located under the eye sockets on the sides of the nose,
- The sieve sinuses - these fill the sieve bone,
- cuneiform sinus located inside the cuneiform bone.
How does sinusitis develop?
The sinuses function properly when air flows unobstructed through the ducts, but sometimes they "break down" and lose patency. Deprived of ventilation, they become a breeding ground for microorganisms, which are aggravated by mucus. Under the influence of bacteria, this mucus becomes a thick and difficult-to-remove secretion, and this is how the inflammatory process of the sinuses begins, which in time turns into a chronic form.
Untreated or incorrectly treated sinusitis sometimes leads to dangerous complications. These include meningitis, brain abscess, optic neuritis or ocular inflammation.
The primary symptoms of acute sinusitis are:
- an unremitting runny nose, yellow or green in colour.
- sensation of a blocked nose
- the trickling of secretions down the throat,
- severe headache, cheek pain,
- pain in the eye and forehead, exacerbated by physical exertion,
- cough,
- touch sensitivity,
- fever,
- a feeling of general weakness.
During chronic inflammation, all these symptoms have a markedly reduced intensity and periodically disappear.
Causes of sinusitis
The main causes of sinusitis include:
- various types of infections: viral, bacterial, fungal,
- allergies,
- existing abnormalities of the nasal septum,
- dental diseases, including untreated caries,
- tension in the cranial bones that make up the sinuses.
Sinusitis - treatment
For bacterial and fungal infections of the sinuses, pharmacotherapy usually helps. Inhalations with various herbal preparations and self-induced sinus rinsing are also effective.
In situations of frequently recurring sinusitis, physical therapy and osteopathic therapy can be of great help. The latter is a method of diagnosing and treating with the hands, resulting in activation, loosening of the skull bones and decongestion of blocked sinuses. It includes a number of techniques to activate the lymphatic system and make the secretions flow out. These include gentle techniques in the cranial, abdominal and thoracic areas. Of the physical therapy procedures, the Sollux lamp is the most commonly used in sinusitis.
Iontophoresis, an electrotherapy treatment, is also used in inflammatory conditions of the paranasal sinuses. Under the influence of an electric field, certain medicines can more easily penetrate deeper tissues, which allows a higher concentration of the therapeutic substance in the treated organ. Magnet therapy can also be used in the treatment of sinusitis, which improves treatment results through its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-edema effects. In supporting the treatment of sinusitis, irradiation of the tissues with a weak laser beam is also helpful.
TECAR therapy and INDIBA treatments also have an effective anti-inflammatory effect and facilitate the evacuation of secretions. Therapy INDIBA ACTIVE has an effect on diluting secretions and decongesting the sinuses, with analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. It also stimulates collagen, stimulating cells to detoxify and fully clear the sinuses.
