Sinusitis is a rather serious illness. Most often, it is a complication of a previous infectious disease of the respiratory tract. It requires urgent treatment. The danger of the disease lies in the fact that its neglected form will certainly cause complications.
If the human immune system is strong, then it will successfully cope with sinusitis. With a general weakness of the body, it is extremely difficult to predict the further course of the disease. If you do not treat sinusitis, then its acute stage will quickly turn into a chronic form. Chronic sinusitis, whose complications are insidious, is a difficult disease to treat.
What is sinusitis and what are its complications?
The basis for the occurrence of sinusitis is the introduction of pathogenic microbes into the mucous membrane of the maxillary sinus (hence the name of the disease).
What are the complications of sinusitis? Symptoms of pathological phenomena caused by the disease are varied. It all depends on the area of the lesion and its degree.
When sinusitis disturbed nasal breathing and separation of mucus from the cavities in the upper jaw. Accumulating, it promotes the growth of bacteria, which causes morea more extensive inflammatory process in the maxillary sinuses. This forms a closed chain with further development of complications.
What types of complications are distinguished
Complications of sinusitis are divided into two conditional groups. The first includes negative consequences affecting the state of the respiratory system.
Among them should be highlighted:
- transition of sinusitis from acute to chronic stage;
- the occurrence of an inflammatory process in the pharynx and tonsils;
- development of bronchitis and pneumonia;
- spread of sinusitis to other sinuses;
- the occurrence of an inflammatory process in the middle ear (otitis media).
Complications of sinusitis in adults, belonging to the second group, go beyond the defeat of the respiratory system. In this case, many systems of the body can take a hit on oneself.
Complications include:
- inflammatory process in the meninges with meningitis and encephalitis;
- heart disease (myocarditis);
- joint inflammation (rheumatoid arthritis);
- impaired kidney function (nephritis);
- blood poisoning (sepsis).
Main symptoms of sinusitis
The transition of the disease from the acute to the chronic stage is difficult to establish, since the list of symptoms of the disease is quite extensive.
Chronic manifestations include:
- asthenia;
- continuous runny nose;
- persistent migraines;
- nasal dischargepurulent mucus, often they have an unpleasant odor.
Chronic sinusitis can be confused with a simple cold or overwork. One of the clearest manifestations of the disease is unilateral nasal congestion. This is due to the inflammatory process occurring in one maxillary sinus. After a certain period of time, nasal congestion can spread to the other side due to the fact that inflammation has captured the adjacent cavity.
Conditions under which acute sinusitis becomes chronic
Sinusitis becomes chronic due to various reasons, among which are:
- untimely relief of the disease;
- failure to follow doctor's recommendations;
- lowered immunity;
- presence of concomitant respiratory diseases.
The transition of sinusitis into a chronic form can be caused by the presence of a severe pathology of the cardiovascular system or the respiratory system. Under these conditions, the patient may complain of lack of air.
In chronic sinusitis, the mucous membrane of the nose and maxillary sinuses thickens and becomes inflamed. The person begins to breathe through the mouth, which contributes to the spread of infection to new areas.
The negative impact of mouth breathing lies in the inactivity of the nose and nasopharynx during the respiratory process. Dry, not moistened with mucus, the air is full of pathogenic microbes. They enter the pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs. Thus, sinusitis contributes to the entry of microbes through the mouth and inflamed maxillary sinuses.
Visual impairment with sinusitis
Complications of sinusitis can hardly be called typical. No one knows which organ or system it will affect. It happens that the intensive use of antibiotics contributes to a decrease in resistance to them. Due to improper treatment of the disease, visual impairment may occur. For example, sinusitis can cause swelling of the eye tissue, retrobulbar inflammation, or orbital vein thrombosis.
In case of visual impairment, you should immediately seek help from a specialist.
Bone damage
If the inflammatory process has spread to the bone tissue, then this causes osteoperiostitis. The disease can have both simple and purulent course. This is a very serious complication with a severe clinic.
Therapy is based on the use of antibiotics. At the same time, not only drugs of general action are prescribed. Certain drugs are injected into the area of inflammation. Sometimes such a disease requires surgery.
Trigeminal neuritis
Complications after sinusitis are very diverse. Quite often, the disease causes inflammation of the trigeminal nerve. In this condition, the nerve endings adjacent to the cerebellum swell and become inflamed, which causes acute pain. The disease is difficult to treat.
Impaired breathing
As a rule, a person does not attach importance to the fact that with sinusitis a runny nose and discharge appear. In fact, the condition of the maxillary sinuses greatly affects the entire body. For example, difficultybreathing through the nose can cause insomnia, which will lead to a drop in performance, an asthenic condition and an increase in blood pressure. As a result, sleep apnea syndrome (stopping breathing during a night's sleep) may appear.
Tonsillitis and adenoids
Complications of acute sinusitis suggest the development of pathological processes in the area of the nose and pharynx. With sinusitis, it is these areas that take the brunt of the blow. Inflammation of the maxillary sinuses causes hypertrophy of their mucous membrane. Over time, on the inflamed surface, benign neoplasms - polyps can occur. They greatly contribute to the difficulty of nasal breathing and cause even more swelling of the mucous membrane.
In the pharynx, the tonsils are susceptible to infection. They are based on lymphoid tissue. Tonsils have a complex branched structure. Thanks to this structure, the infection in them easily takes root and multiplies quickly.
The inflammatory process in the tonsils is called angina. With the defeat of the tonsils, adenoids are formed, which are somewhat reminiscent of polyps. But the place from the localization is the pharynx.
Loss of bronchi and lungs
As a result of the fact that the infection spreads from the maxillary sinuses down, it can affect the bronchi and lungs. As a result, bronchitis or pneumonia may develop.
Pneumonia is a serious disease. And if it was preceded by sinusitis, then the symptoms of intoxication of the respiratory tract will be more pronounced. Frequently recurring bronchitis can provokedevelopment of bronchial asthma.
Sinusitis
All paranasal sinuses, frontal, ethmoid and maxillary, have a message between them. Therefore, when bacteria is localized in one of them, inflammation may begin in other areas.
As a rule, the frontal sinuses are the first to react to inflammation of the maxillary sinuses, which causes frontal sinusitis. In especially severe cases, the pathological process can spread to all sinuses. This condition is called pansinusitis. Its course is severe. The disease is accompanied by high fever and severe intoxication of the whole organism.
Occurrence of otitis media
Very often, the inflammatory process, localized in the maxillary sinuses, spreads to the ears. As you know, the pharynx communicates with the middle ear through a canal located in the temple area. This cavity is called the Eustachian tube.
The infection process from the maxillary sinuses spreads to the pharynx, and from there to the auditory tube. The penetration of microbes is facilitated by blowing the nose, which creates increased pressure in the pharynx. The mucus infection enters the ear. This provokes the occurrence of otitis media.
The patient complains of stuffiness in the ear, then there are pain sensations that disturb the patient at night. The pain is accompanied by the release of pus from the external auditory canal.
Meningoencephalitis
Otitis is terrible not only with the appearance of pain and pus. The middle and inner part of the ear is located near the meninges. The purulent process can easily spread to this area. Developingmeningitis, which can be fatal.
At first, the patient complains of a severe migraine and a sharp rise in temperature. Further, specific neurological symptoms appear, characterized by partial or complete loss of consciousness. The inflammatory process can affect the substance of the brain, and meningitis will be aggravated by encephalitis.
Influence of sinusitis on internal organs
The maxillary sinuses, filled with pus, are the focus of infection. Blood and lymph can carry it to all organs. In this case, complications of sinusitis are possible, such as damage to the myocardium, kidneys and joints.
When exposed to the myocardium, the connective tissue structures of the heart valves are destroyed. When the joints are affected, cartilage degeneration occurs. Infection in the kidneys causes such a complication as nephritis. This ailment, in turn, provokes kidney failure.
Occurrence of sepsis
The most severe complication of sinusitis is blood poisoning. The development of sepsis is facilitated by weak immunity and the primary purulent focus. In this case, it is represented by the maxillary sinuses.
With the blood, bacteria are carried to all organs in which secondary foci of inflammation occur.
Sinusitis in children
Children are more likely than adults to suffer from infectious and colds. Infections that are not completely cured can be complicated by sinusitis.
Children in infancy are not affected, since their maxillary sinuses are undeveloped. Children older than 4 years old can get sinusitis. Due to smallthe size of the sinuses, the symptoms may not be so pronounced.
Complications of sinusitis in children
The main complication of sinusitis in children is otitis media. Unlike adults, children's ears become inflamed much more often. Therefore, the treatment of sinusitis should be carried out as soon as possible. You should pay attention to a prolonged runny nose in a child. If you notice that the discharge has turned yellowish green and has a putrid odor, then this is a reason to visit the doctor's office.
In children, sinusitis does not always cause pain and fever.
Complications of sinusitis in children are as follows:
- inflammation of the bronchi or lungs;
- appearance of otitis media, ethmoiditis or frontal sinusitis.
In addition to these diseases, sepsis, disruption of the kidneys and heart, inflammation of the joints can occur.
General recommendations
How to prevent complications of sinusitis from developing? First of all, the disease should be treated in a timely manner. Complex therapy involves taking drugs that have anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects. Antibiotics are also used.
Treatment of complications of sinusitis is sometimes difficult. It all depends on the area of localization of the pathological process and the extent of inflammation.
Medications against germs for sinusitis (antiseptics) are used topically in the form of rinses, drops or irrigations.
Folk methods have a good effect. But thesefunds should be used in combination with drugs prescribed by a doctor.
Hygiene is very important. The blowing process should not be intense. It is advisable to keep your mouth open so that the mucus does not penetrate the Eustachian tube.
It should be remembered about general strengthening methods based on the use of multivitamins and immune system stimulants. Nutrition should be complete, and the situation at work and at home should be optimal.
At the first suspicion of the development of sinusitis, you should immediately contact a laryngologist.
