One of the varieties of sinusitis, characterized by an inflammatory process in the maxillary sinus, is sinusitis. In a child, the symptoms of such a disease depend on its form, acute or chronic. In the first case, inflammation occurs mainly in epithelial cells, underlying tissues and blood vessels. In the second case, the pathological process extends to the bone walls of the sinuses and the submucosa. The disease can develop in one sinus (unilateral sinusitis) or in both at once (bilateral sinusitis). In a child, inflammation begins after any colds. Also, diseases of the teeth and oral cavity can serve as the beginning of the pathological process.
Acute sinusitis: symptoms and treatment
The main clinical signs are discomfort in the area of the affected sinus, which increase over time. In the morning, the pain is less pronounced, and in the evening it begins to intensify. Gradually, the child ceases to feel pain in a certain place, he begins toheadache in general. This is due to the accumulation of pus in the inflamed sinus. In this case, the pain in the head has a pressing character, often it is deployed in the forehead area. If you press on the area under the eyes or lift the eyelids, the pain may increase. Unilateral sinusitis in a child causes symptoms on one half of the front surface, with bilateral sinusitis, the entire face suffers.
Toothache can be added to the listed signs of the disease, it intensifies when chewing. Nasal breathing is disturbed, which is observed constantly and is manifested by partial or complete congestion of both sinuses, or first one, then the other (alternately). There is a discharge from the nose of mucous or purulent contents, in cases of severe congestion, a runny nose may not be due to difficulty in the outflow of fluid from the sinuses. By the nature of the discharge, you can understand the cause of inflammation. So, if the separated liquid has a greenish-yellowish color, then, most likely, the pathological process is caused by a bacterial infection. In this case, it is very important to thoroughly clear the nose of mucus in order to prevent the accumulation of many bacteria in the maxillary sinuses. At the same time, vasoconstrictive drops should not be used, as they weaken the motility of the mucosa and impair blood circulation, which does not allow the nose to self-cleanse. As a result of a runny nose, the voice becomes nasal.
Acute sinusitis in a child also causes symptoms such as fever, general malaise (chills, sleep disturbance, weakness, refusal to eat), less oftenthere are lacrimation, decreased sense of smell, photophobia, redness of the eyelids. As a rule, signs of the disease persist for 2-3 weeks, after which recovery occurs.
Chronic sinusitis in a child
Symptoms in this form of the disease are mild, which leads to difficulty in diagnosis. The main symptom is a chronic runny nose that is not amenable to traditional treatment. It can be supplemented by headaches that stop in the supine position. In the morning, there may be swelling of the eyelids. In addition, as a result of the irritating effect of pus that enters the wall of the pharynx from the affected sinus, a cough may appear.
