05/04/2022
WHAT IS SINUSITIS?
Sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses) are hollow, air-filled cavities located behind the cheekbones and forehead. Sinusitis has 4 types: frontal sinus, ethmoid sinus, sphenoid sinus, and maxillary sinus. All of these sinuses are lined by mucosa (soft tissue). Sinusitis is an inflammation of the lining of the paranasal sinuses, causing a buildup of fluid or mucus inside. This is considered a favorable environment for the growth of bacteria, thereby progressing to infection.
Classification of sinusitis
1. Classification based on disease severity
1.1 Acute sinusitis
Acute sinusitis is caused by an upper respiratory tract infection with cold-like symptoms (headache, runny/stuffy nose, fever, decreased sense of smell, bad breath, pain around the eyes, nose and cheeks…). There are two types of acute sinusitis: bacterial rhinosinusitis and acute viral rhinosinusitis. More common is viral nasopharyngitis. The disease usually clears up within 1 to 4 weeks. (first)
1.2 Subacute sinusitis
If the above symptoms persist for 4-12 weeks, you may have entered the stage of subacute sinusitis. Compared with acute sinusitis, the symptoms of subacute sinusitis are usually less severe but are considered a transitional phase between acute and chronic sinusitis.
1.3 Chronic sinusitis
Sinusitis lasts more than 12 weeks, which means that the patient has progressed to chronic sinusitis (chronic sinusitis). It can be caused by an infection, but mainly comes from nasal polyps (tumors with soft stalks that form in the lining of the lining) and a deviated nasal septum.
An allergy to certain fungi, or a fungal sinus infection, is also thought to be a cause of chronic sinusitis. Chronic sinusitis is divided into 3 types: chronic rhinosinusitis without polyps, chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps and allergic fungal rhinitis. The most common is chronic nasopharyngitis without polyps. Symptoms are similar to acute sinusitis.
1.4 Recurrent sinusitis
A condition in which the patient experiences repeated episodes of acute sinusitis within a year. It is common in people with allergies and asthma.
2. Classification based on the site of inflammation
Based on the location of the sinus, it is classified into the following pathologies:
2.1 Maxillary sinusitis
The maxillary sinuses are located behind the cheekbones and are the largest paranasal sinuses of the facial sinuses. Symptoms include facial pain, swelling around the eyes and cheeks, and sometimes a headache.
2.2 Sinusitis ethmoid
The ethmoid sinus is located deep in the nasal cavity, behind the face, so the inflammatory manifestations are not clear. Patients often feel headache in the nape of the neck, pus discharge and prolonged cough.
2.3 Frontal sinusitis
Located in the forehead area, when infected or swollen, the frontal sinus will cause pain in the middle of the forehead that spreads to the temples. In the severe stage, there is pain in the eye socket.
2.4 Sphenoid sinusitis
The sphenoid sinus is located in the body of the sphenoid bone, consisting of 6 walls: anterior wall, posterior wall, superior wall, inferior wall and two lateral walls. Symptoms when sphenoid sinusitis progresses rapidly, including high fever, chills, headache, neck pain, and fluid running down the nose and throat. Spread quickly to the eyes and cause a very high mortality rate.
2.5 Polymyositis
Polysinusitis is a process of mucosal inflammation of one or more sinuses at the same time due to bacterial infection from one sinus to other sinuses, allergies, polluted environment, abnormal anatomical structure, reduced body resistance...