Free breathing is often perceived as something natural. Only with the appearance of nasal congestion does a person begin to experience discomfort and think about the he alth of the sinuses. Pneumatization is an important indicator in medicine. This characteristic allows you to determine the presence of pathologies in the respiratory area.
What is sinus pneumatization?
The bone structure of the human face is formed in such a way that it has many sinuses, that is, cavities that are located in a very specific way and play an important role in a person's daily life. These cavities vary in size as well as shape.
An important feature is that these cavities surround the human nose, in such sinuses the air inhaled by a person is warmed, moistened, cleaned of dust, and only then enters the respiratory system.
These sinuses are also called "sinuses". Pneumatization of the sinuses is a term used in medicine. It means a constant process of filling the sinuses with air, which should fill them completely. The sinuses are connected tonasal cavity, and the air circulates in them continuously.
If there is a violation of pneumatization, then this is a signal for the doctor when making the correct diagnosis. It is important to understand that such a complex structure ensures that a person receives normal air into the respiratory tract. At the same time, the work of the sinuses affects the timbre of the human voice.
What affects pneumatization?
Medical studies have proven that the structure and volume of the sinuses are strictly individual. The volume of air that enters the person depends on this, this aspect also depends on the structure of the bone structure of the face.
Pneumatization of the sinuses is not characterized by the volume of air that passes through the sinuses. Doctors examine the quality of the mucous membrane of the surfaces of the sinuses, as well as the presence of third-party neoplasms that may interfere with stable work or provoke changes in the bone structure.
Changes and failures in pneumatization occur under the influence of infections, bacteria or injuries. Inflammation of the mucous membranes leads to the formation of edema, which interferes with the normal passage of air. Mucus and pus form in the sinuses, which require cleansing. A person inevitably feels difficulty with nasal breathing, there is a feeling of fullness around the nose.
Swelling may be the result of an allergic reaction to external stimuli. At the same time, a lot of mucus is released, pus does not accumulate during allergies if there is no bacterial, infectious nature of the lesion.
Degree of pneumatizationsinuses directly depends on the age of the person. In children, only by the age of 10-12, the structure of the sinuses develops to the state of an adult, before that the process of air circulation is different, we can say that it does not work in full.
Reducing pneumatization
In medical practice, a decrease in the pneumatization of the sinuses is most often observed. Such a phenomenon can hardly occur imperceptibly to a person, as it is accompanied by difficulty in breathing. This phenomenon develops against the background of chronic or acute inflammation.
Depending on the sinuses that have been affected, the following causes of worsening pneumatization are distinguished:
- Sinusitis. When the focus of inflammation is located in the maxillary sinuses.
- Frontit. This is if the disease develops in the frontal regions.
- Etmoiditis. Affects the lattice cavity.
- Sphenoiditis. Characterized by inflammation in the sphenoid sinus.
- Pansinusitis. Inflammation affects all paranasal appendages.
Separately, it is necessary to highlight such a term as "sinusitis". What is it? This is the name of the process of inflammation of the sinuses, regardless of their location and name. It is characterized by an inflammatory process of the mucous membrane.
The pathologies mentioned above are related to diseases of the nose, but in some cases, a decrease in pneumatization occurs against the background of dental diseases. Obviously, this is a sinusitis of the maxillary sinuses. The correct diagnosis is established by the doctor on the basis of the examination.
Increased pneumatization
Increased pneumatization of the sinuses is much less common in medical practice. Most often this is due to anomalies in the structure of the bone frame of the face. In individual cases, such a symptom may indicate a disruption in the endocrine system.
Although such deviations are detected by an ENT doctor, the treatment is carried out by a specialist of a different narrow profile.
What cases require a visit to the doctor?
How to determine that it is time to see a specialist and undergo a course of treatment? Doctors recommend not neglecting the body's signals and carefully monitoring unwanted symptoms.
If the pneumatization of the sinuses is not disturbed, then the breathing process will not cause any discomfort in a person. Most likely, the nasal area will not attract attention at all. Otherwise, signs of disease will be:
- Pain syndrome that occurs with a sharp turn of the head, tilting it forward.
- Feeling full from prolonged nasal congestion.
- The presence of purulent and mucous discharge, which is commonly called a runny nose.
- Increased body temperature.
- Foul smell from the nose.
- A general feeling of weakness and fatigue in a person.
- Appearance of lacrimation.
All of the above factors may indicate that inflammation of the mucous membrane occurs in the sinuses of the nose. You should not wait until the intensity of the symptoms becomes unbearable, an early visit to the doctor -This is the key to a speedy recovery. Most of the pathologies that violate the pneumatization of the sinuses are treatable, the main thing is to detect them in time and prevent complications.
Diagnosis and treatment of abnormalities
When going to the doctor, it is important not to hide any symptoms. At the first appointment, it is very important to describe the condition to the specialist, which will allow him to draw up a preliminary picture of the disease and choose the direction of diagnosis.
The main diagnostic measures are as follows:
- Oral patient interview.
- Initial examination with ENT instruments.
- X-ray examination, on the basis of which the degree of pneumatization of the sinuses is determined.
Based on the data received, the doctor determines the need for treatment and chooses the appropriate method. To eliminate problems with pneumatization, they resort to drug therapy, which can vary as follows:
- Taking antibiotics. Appointed if the cause of deviations was an infection.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs. They are used to eliminate or reduce swelling, often hormonal agents are used.
- Vasoconstrictors. These drugs fight the manifestations of nasal congestion.
Doctors do not recommend self-medication to prevent complications. Which drugs, in what quantity and combination to use, should be determined by the attending physician.
Possible Complications
Prolonged uncontrolledthe development of inflammation in the sinuses of the nose leads to the development of complications that can not only impair he alth, but also threaten life. This is because the sinuses are located close to other vital organs.
The most dangerous complications:
- The transition of the inflammatory process to the meninges (meningitis).
- The spread of the purulent process to the orbital region, which threatens with loss of vision.
- Development of otitis media (inflammation of the ear), which can impair the quality of the patient's hearing.
- The entry of pathogenic organisms into the bronchi leads to the development of bronchitis.
- If the infection enters the blood, then sepsis develops, which threatens a person's life.
All of these complications develop if a person has not consulted a doctor for a long time, ignoring the symptoms sent by the body.
He alth prevention
The main prevention of the he alth of the nasal area is the general measures to strengthen the immune system. If you constantly keep the body in good shape, then it will be less susceptible to the influence of pathogenic bacteria.
Another condition for good he alth is the timely visit to the doctor. Early diagnosis and proper treatment will allow you to quickly forget about unpleasant deviations in he alth.
