Inflammation in babies of the maxillary sinuses usually occurs at the age of four years and older. Until that time, due to the structure of the sinuses and their small size, such a disease is diagnosed very rarely. Bilateral sinusitis in children is much more severe than unilateral, since the focus of infection is formed immediately on both sides. Next, we will find out how the bilateral form of this disease manifests itself, consider the treatment, signs and causes that cause it.
Main reasons
The main factor provoking the appearance of bilateral sinusitis in children are bacteria and viral infections, as a result of their vital activity, pus accumulates in the maxillary sinuses. Harmful microscopic organisms penetrate them due to untreated influenza, SARS, scarlet fever, measles and other infectious diseases, as well as in the event of caries, stomatitis, and so on. Statistics show that in five percent of cases, colds in childhood lead to just such a process.inflammation. Now let's see how this condition manifests itself in children.
Symptoms in children
Recognizing bilateral sinusitis in children is not at all difficult, since all the signs are pronounced and manifest themselves immediately:
- Presence of temperature and congestion in both nasal passages, combined with difficulty in breathing.
- The mucous discharge from the nose is clear or has a greenish tinge.
- Presence of pain in the area of the cheeks, pain when tilting the head and in the ears.
- Loss of smell and appetite along with weakness, lethargy. Toddlers are very naughty.
It happens that the symptoms of sinusitis without fever appear. If there are at least a few of these signs, you should not hesitate, you need to contact an otorhinolaryngologist. Untimely treatment for bilateral sinusitis in a child at 3 years old, and at any other age, is fraught with serious and sometimes dangerous complications like purulent otitis media, meningitis or meningoencephalitis.
Varieties of this pathology in children
There is an acute and chronic form of bilateral sinusitis in children. In an acute course, all the symptoms of the disease are pronounced and cause serious discomfort to the baby. In the event that measures are not taken in time, the disease can become chronic, against which the manifestations become weaker, but the disease itself does not recede. For some time, the state of the body may improve, but after a certain period there will be an exacerbation, and so it will be.take place in a circle. Such a "cycle" is very exhausting for small patients, reducing their immunity.
According to the nature of the inflammation, catarrhal and purulent forms of the disease are distinguished. The difference of the first type is in the complete absence of pus in the sinuses, and the pathology is acute. In the second form of the disease, a purulent mass is released from the nose.
How to quickly cure sinusitis? This will depend on timely diagnosis.
Diagnosis
It will be possible to reliably find out if a child has bilateral sinusitis or is it a symptom of other diseases by conducting an X-ray examination of the sinuses. You can also do a CT scan, but this is an expensive way. As a rule, an x-ray is enough for a correct diagnosis in most cases.
With bilateral catarrhal sinusitis in a child, leukocytosis can be observed directly in the blood along with an increase in the number of neutrophils, which are one of the forms of leukocytes. All this is determined in the general analysis of the biomaterial. Now let's find out what methods exist today to get rid of the disease in question. How to cure sinusitis at home, we will tell below.
Treatments
In the event that the child is diagnosed with "bilateral sinusitis", therapy can be carried out at home and on an outpatient basis, but always under the supervision of an otorhinolaryngologist. It is necessary to strictly follow the schedule for visiting the ENT, following all its instructions. What is the fastesthow to treat sinusitis? To date, conservative therapies are used, involving the use of antibiotics to destroy the infection, vasoconstrictor drugs are prescribed to relieve congestion, along with painkillers, sinus lavage and physiological procedures that strengthen the anti-inflammatory effect.
Washing with sinusitis is best done under the guidance of a competent otorhinolaryngologist, as inept manipulations can lead to the penetration of an antiseptic into the ear and provoke otitis media. Sinus lavage is named after the American doctor Arthur Proetz, who first applied this technique. But today the people call it "cuckoo". Its essence is as follows: an antiseptic solution is poured into one nostril, while pathogenic contents are pulled out of the other under pressure. During such a manipulation, it is required to pronounce "ku-ku" so that the solution does not accidentally fall into the throat and the little patient does not inadvertently choke. This procedure is completely safe for babies and greatly facilitates the condition.
How to quickly cure sinusitis, the doctor will tell. When conservative methods are not enough, the doctor will offer to puncture the sinus to cleanse its contents. Next, an antiseptic is placed inside. Such a measure is rarely used, but in a good clinic, the procedure for babies is quick and almost painless.
An alternative to the puncture is the use of YAMIK-catheter with two balloons. It is injected into the nostril under local anesthesia. Both balloons are inflated at the same time: the anterior one is in the nostril, the posterior one is in the nasopharynx. With the help of a syringe, air is pumped out of the cavity. The vacuum created opens the sinuses and the purulent contents are sucked out into the syringe.
In any case, treatment in children of any form of sinusitis, including bilateral, is required to be carried out comprehensively, using medications and physiological procedures. In the event that the baby gets better, you should not stop the course of therapy recommended by the doctor. It is necessary to complete all appointments, securing a positive effect. With a timely visit to the doctor, as well as subject to the recommendations, it will not be possible to cure the bilateral form of the labor disease.
Are antibiotics needed?
The most adequate and reasonable method of treatment in this case is precisely antimicrobial therapy. Therefore, most often such drugs are prescribed in the process of fighting the disease. But we must not forget that it is not parents or relatives with neighbors who have the right to prescribe antibiotics, but qualified doctors. Unfortunately, the doses of antibacterial drugs during the treatment of bilateral sinusitis in children are large, and the course is not seven days, but at least ten.
The fact is that in order to achieve effective treatment of this disease, it is necessary that a sufficient concentration of the antibacterial agent accumulate not in the blood, but directly in the mucous membrane of the maxillary sinuses themselves. In this regard, if treatment with a course of antimicrobials is started, it should not be interrupted,even if the child shows a marked improvement in the condition.
What antibiotics to drink for sinusitis in children?
At the very initial stage of the disease, the child is prescribed antibiotics related to the penicillin series. They act on the body much softer than the others, causing fewer side effects, we are talking about Amoxiclav, Ampicillin and Amoxicillin.
In the event that the penicillins did not cope with their task and it was not possible to cure the baby, or the small patient has recently taken antibiotics of this group, then the doctor prescribes macrolides like Roxithromycin, Clarithromycin, Azithromycin or Sumameda.”
If the macrolides are not given the proper effect or the crumbs have an advanced stage of the disease, the doctor will prescribe one of the cephalosporin drugs. The baby will have to take heavier, but at the same time the most effective drugs, such as Ceftriaxone along with Cefuroxime or Cedex.
And very rarely, in the treatment of chronic sinusitis in a child, doctors use fluoroquinolones. These are not children's antibiotics at all, but sometimes they are still prescribed to babies after five years to eliminate severe forms caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Cifran, Ciprofloxacin, Lomefloxacin. Next, we will learn about folk methods of therapy.
Treating a child at home
So, let's find out how to cure sinusitis at home. The following options can help young patients breathe calmly:
- Performing acupressure –pressure on certain points. Such manipulation quite effectively helps the crumbs by clearing their nose. The impact point is located between the eyebrows, slightly above the root of the nose. You need to press with your index or thumb for thirty seconds. The pressure should be moderately strong so that the baby does not hurt.
- Homemade drops made from chamomile and sugar also help to free the nose. Two tablespoons of the main ingredient are added to the cup. The resulting product relieves congestion, and the child can breathe normally.
- Inhalation is another method of effective treatment of sinusitis at home. Add ten drops of bronchial balm to boiling water (liquid volume - 1 liter). Wait a few minutes to allow the medicinal composition to cool slightly. Cover the baby's head with a towel and ask him to lean over the dishes. During this procedure, you must be careful not to burn yourself.
- A product such as honey can come to the rescue. It is placed in the nose. Due to body temperature, it begins to melt and spreads throughout the nostril.
- Royal jelly can help just as effectively. It is sold in the form of lozenges.
In most children, bilateral sinusitis is caused by an infection. Treatment at home with the help of folk remedies is undoubtedly a safe way, but not everyone achieves a quick result. Therapy is carried out symptomatically, in connection with this, drugs against pain and inflammation are mainly offered. Antibiotics giveonly if there are clear signs of bacterial infection or when previous therapy does not help and the disease worsens.
Features of sinus lavage for children depending on age
This technology depends on how old the little patient is. Washing is carried out, as a rule, with sterile saline or boiled water. Sea s alt solution is also used.
For babies and children under two years old, the following method is used. The child is laid on his back and his nose is carefully cleaned with cotton flagella moistened with boiled water. Then gently instill one drop of sea s alt solution into each nostril. Wait a few minutes, during which time the fluid in the depths of the nose should completely dissolve the crusts. Then the contents are drawn out with an aspirator, which is a special pear that can be bought at a pharmacy.
For babies, it is allowed to use drops or sprays, which are based on natural sea water. It is desirable that they be equipped with a restrictive special nozzle to prevent deep insertion of the tip into the nose and have a soft type of spray. Such funds include, for example, the drug "Rinostop Aqua Baby".
Washing the nose with sinusitis in a child from two years old is different. The baby is asked to tilt his head slightly to one side. A solution for washing is collected in a pear. Insert its tip into the nostril shallowly and begin the procedure. Then repeat the same from the second nostril,while tilting the head of the crumbs to the other side. After the manipulation, the little patient is asked to blow his nose. This must be done using the correct technique: opening your mouth, pinching one nostril in turn, blowing out the other.
In the case of a sharp blowing of the nose, mucus can enter the inner ear and provoke otitis media. The most convenient alternative is to use a ready-made spray based on natural sea water, which is sold in a pharmacy. In this case, the procedure will be less unpleasant and faster. For any child, this is a significant plus.
Rinse the nose of schoolchildren is also performed somewhat differently. At this age, it is already possible to explain to children the importance of the procedure, and they can carry it out on their own, of course, under the supervision of adults. This method is not particularly different from the technique that is used for children over two years old. Instead of a pear, you can use a special rubber teapot, which is a container with a curved long nose.
You can also use an alternative technique, in which you need to tilt your body over the tub or sink, inhaling and holding your breath. At the same time, a spray nozzle or irrigation containers are inserted into the nostril. The solution is fed into the nasal cavity, in the process, the holes of the organ are washed and the liquid exits the second nostril.
Complications
With improper therapy or lack of treatment, both local and general complications can develop, like a chronic process, that is, the formation of chronic sinusitis. In addition, the following negativeconsequences:
- The occurrence of an abscess or phlegmon of the orbit.
- Appearance of meningitis and sepsis.
Should I remind you that delaying the visit to the doctor, as well as inadequate self-treatment, can lead to disastrous results.
Prevention
For this, standard methods are used, as with any other infections. It is necessary to prevent influenza and otolaryngological pathologies, general strengthening of the body, plus timely elimination of infectious diseases, especially those associated with pathologies of the respiratory organs.
As part of specific prevention against the background of frequent sinusitis, it is necessary to more carefully approach the detection of an anatomical defect in the nasal cavity and correct it (including surgically).
