Have you been living with nasal congestion for months? Then you may have rhinosinusitis. It is a chronic disease that is caused by inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. These are the cavities located within the cheek bones around the nose that are responsible for filtering infectious agents, so any obstruction will cause poor drainage of these.
When rhinosinusitis lasts more than three months, it is considered a chronic infection. Although the symptoms are usually milder, the disease can damage the sinuses and paranasal passages, as well as other nearby tissues such as the eyes or middle ear. In addition, rhinosinusitis can cause a serious deterioration in the quality of life of patients.
Any process that causes retention of secretions favors the development of chronic rhinosinusitis, from adenoid hypertrophy to allergic factors. They can also be catarrhal processes or untreated bacterial infections. Structural problems in the nasal cavity, such as narrowing of the drainage ducts, or obstruction by polyps, can also be determining factors.
Gastroesophageal reflux has a high incidence in rhinosinusitis due to the irritating effect it causes on the mucosa. Whatever the cause, chronic infections of this type eventually cure, although they usually require prolonged treatment.
The inflammatory condition of chronic rhinosinusitis, although it does not usually suffer from serious complications, causes a wide variety of painful and uncomfortable symptoms that cloud the quality of life of patients:
In order to prevent these symptoms from generating more serious complications, the doctor will prescribe the most appropriate treatment according to the diagnosis and the patient's medical history. In the pharmacological route, oral decongestants and corticosteroids are usually prescribed to improve drainage of the paranasal sinuses. Other common medications are mucolytics to facilitate secretion, analgesics to relieve pain, and antihistamines to reduce sneezing in cases related to allergies or antibiotics, if the origin of the infection is bacterial.
Only when the cause of rhinosinusitis is anatomical and if pharmacological treatment is not successful, endoscopic nasal surgery could be performed.
Maintaining good nasal hygiene is essential to relieve symptoms and that is why washing with saline solution or seawater is usually recommended. Other habits that will help the patient prevent rhinosinusitis are avoiding tobacco, increasing fluid consumption and eliminating fried foods or carbonated drinks from the diet in case the condition is caused by gastroesophageal reflux.
