Surely many have ever heard of such a disease as sinusitis. Some people don't know much about him. Before considering what sinusitis is, it is necessary to understand what sinuses are. They are special sinuses in the human skull that perform several functions at once. Due to the malfunction of these sinuses, various pathologies can develop, including sinusitis. X-ray helps to determine exactly what kind of disease or pathological process occurs in the sinuses.
Features of sinusitis
The maxillary sinus is a dense structure lined with the thinnest epithelium and filled with air. The sinus is connected by common bone walls with the orbit of the eyes from above, with the oral cavity - from below, and from the inside - with the nose. Along with the frontal, maxillary sinus, as well as the sphenoid and ethmoid cavities of the nose, they perform several main functions:
- Maintain and normalize pressure in various cranial cavities in relation toexternal atmospheric pressure.
- Finally cleans and drives the incoming air through the nose.
- Shape an individual shade of a person's voice.
The cavities are not separated by a continuous tissue structure, they have small holes for ventilation and cleaning. When there is a blockage of these holes, the functionality of the sinuses deteriorates or is completely lost. At the same time, pathogenic microflora accumulates in the cavities, and the inflammatory process also begins. All this causes the development of sinusitis. X-rays allow a more accurate diagnosis of this disease.
Etiological factors
Such a disease as sinusitis almost always begins to develop as a secondary complication of chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract and even as a result of improper drug therapy. Despite the fact that there are many different causes of the inflammatory process in the maxillary sinuses, the mechanism of the development of the disease is exactly the same in all cases. The main cause of the pathology is the presence of an infectious pathogen belonging to the genus staphylococci, streptococci, fungi, mycoplasmas, gonococci, Haemophilus influenzae, chlamydia. There are also other reasons for the development of sinusitis, which are as follows:
- Chronic pharyngitis and tonsillitis.
- Complications of acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections.
- Severe damage to the teeth, such as inflammation of the bone tissue, pulpitis.
- Too narrow nasal passages, causingis an anatomical feature of the structure.
- Deviated nasal septum, which may be caused by trauma or congenital pathology.
- Protracted allergic rhinitis.
- Some viral diseases like scarlet fever or measles.
- Frequent pressure drops that can occur during a flight, diving or diving.
Chronization of pathological sinusitis, the x-ray of which helps to determine its form, may occur due to incomplete treatment of an acute form, a prolonged course of a cold or SARS, and also due to a weakened immune system. In addition, the risk of developing the disease may increase during the onset of cold weather. The main causes of the disease in children under 7 years of age are based on the physiological infantilism of the nasal cavity, for this reason, along with sinusitis, frontal sinusitis and ethmoiditis can develop.
Classification and varieties of sinusitis
X-ray can determine exactly what type of sinusitis belongs to. As a rule, the modern classification of this disease includes several main criteria based on the nature of the course of this pathology. The disease has an ICD-10 code - J01.0 - J01.9. This classification includes sinusitis of various clinical course.
Localization
According to the location of the inflammatory focus, it is customary to distinguish 2 types of this disease. X-ray of the nose with sinusitis helps to determine which type it belongs to:
- Single-sided.
- Double-sided.
With a long course of the disease with unilateral inflammation, sinusitis almost always begins to spread to the second sinus of the nose. In children, two cavities in the nose quite often become inflamed at once.
Form of disease
Also, sinusitis is usually divided according to the form of this disease. It will be directly based on the duration of the course of the disease, which should also include episodes of exacerbations. X-ray of the nose with sinusitis helps to determine one of the following forms:
- Acute sinusitis, the duration of the course of the disease is from 1.5 to 3 weeks.
- Chronic sinusitis lasting from 1 to 3 months.
- Recurrent sinusitis, exacerbation of which occurs up to 5 times a year, and the remission period is no more than 2 months.
If the course of the acute form of sinusitis is ignored, inadequate therapy is carried out or medical recommendations are not followed, then there is a risk of chronicity of the pathology.
Character of inflammation
In addition, sinusitis is usually divided according to the nature of inflammation. The inflammatory process can develop according to different clinical scenarios:
- Exudative type is a copious amount of mucus and the formation of purulent masses.
- The productive type of sinusitis is the formation of polyps, as well as their smooth growth with thickening of the mucosa.
- Atrophic sinusitis is atrophymucous epithelium inside the sinuses.
- Necrotizing sinusitis is the necrosis of sinus tissue surfaces during an aggressive course of the disease.
Thanks to this qualification, it is possible to clearly characterize the overall picture of the pathology, choose the right therapy tactics, and also make further predictions regarding the patient's recovery. Each case will have its own symptoms and signs. An x-ray of sinusitis will help to attribute it to a particular type of disease.
Signs and symptoms
The main symptom of sinusitis is painful sensations in the paranasal region, which tend to constantly increase. It should be noted that the pain in the morning is less pronounced than in the evening. With the development of pathology, the pain becomes extensive, the head begins to hurt, localization is lost. If the x-ray showed bilateral sinusitis, then the pain will be much stronger than with the unilateral type, since in this case the pain is limited, it is felt only on one side.
With the development of sinusitis, a person's tone of voice begins to change, with all types of the disease, a nasal sound is heard, and nasal congestion is also felt. Patients in this case are forced to constantly breathe through an open mouth. If the x-ray showed sinusitis, then in any of its forms a runny nose appears. The structure of the secret in this case will be different, ranging from transparent mucus to purulent contents with a greenish or yellowish tint. If there is severe nasal congestion, mucous dischargemay be absent altogether.
In parallel with this, the patient's body temperature rises. As a rule, its indicator is about 37.5 degrees. In children, body temperature can rise to 38 degrees or more. In the chronic form of sinusitis, as a rule, the temperature is within the normal range. Other symptoms that indicate the disease:
- Bad appetite.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Memory deterioration.
- Disease and general weakness.
- Nasal congestion.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Pressure at the bridge of the nose, which increases when the head is tilted.
- Chills.
- Coughing fits.
- Chronic rhinitis, nasopharyngitis, tonsillitis.
All of the above symptoms can apply to both chronic and acute sinusitis. Characteristic features of exacerbations in the chronic form of the disease include:
- Failure of conservative treatment and chronic rhinitis.
- Headaches.
- Soreness in the eye sockets.
- Conjunctivitis.
- Chronic cough, when a purulent secret flows down the walls of the throat, irritating the mucous membrane of the larynx.
If you do not do an X-ray of the sinuses in time with sinusitis, this can provoke the development of a serious complication - the disease meningitis. In such situations, secondary signs of a meningeal infection join the main symptoms.
Diagnostic Methods
Diagnosis of this disease first of allinvolves a physical examination of the patient, the study of the clinical history and complaints at the same time as taking urine and blood for analysis. In addition, with sinusitis, an x-ray is taken in the frontal and lateral projection. If necessary, specialists also refer the patient to MRI studies in order to examine sinus tissues in layers. But usually an x-ray of the sinuses of sinusitis is enough to make a definitive diagnosis. After that, the main causes are also identified and possible complications are determined.
You can immediately understand how sinusitis looks on an x-ray, as a result of which a final diagnosis is made. The only disadvantage of this method is the lack of the possibility of accurate visibility and differentiation of purulent contents from the mucous component.
Speaking about what x-ray is done with sinusitis, it should be noted that the pictures are taken in two main projections: frontal and lateral. If circles are found in the sinuses, then this may indicate cystic components or neoplasms.
In the photo below you can see the darkening of the sinuses with sinusitis.
Answering the question of how often an x-ray can be done with sinusitis, we note that there will be no exact answer here. In some cases, you have to resort to this procedure several times a month.
Features of treatment
Treatment of sinusitis can only be prescribed by a specialist, after a thorough examination of the patient. As a rule, the principles of the treatment regimen for inflammationmaxillary sinuses are based on two types: surgical and conservative treatment.
Drug therapy
A conservative method of therapy is aimed at preventing the appearance of purulent contents in the maxillary sinuses. The main drugs that a specialist can prescribe for the treatment of sinusitis are the following:
- Antibiotics: Supraks, Amoxiclav, Ceftriaxone, Augmentin, Cefotaxime.
- Desensitizing agents: Suprastin, Loratadin.
- Enriched dietary supplements and various vitamins: "Supradin", "Vitrum", "Mer", "Alphabet."
- Painkillers: Ibuprofen, Nurofen, Ketoprofen, Mig.
Taking into account the fact that sinusitis rarely causes fever, additional drugs to reduce fever are not prescribed. Ibuprofen or paracetamol products can work well with this. All systemic drugs in combination can prevent the course of inflammation, create immune protection, and also contribute to the patient's speedy recovery.
In addition, topical preparations can be prescribed for the treatment of sinusitis:
- Special antibacterial drops to combat sinusitis: Polydex, Bioparox, Isofra.
- Vasoconstrictive decongestant drops: "Oxymetazoline",Naphthyzin, Galazolin.
- Preparations for frequent nasal lavage: Saline, Aquamaris, Dolphin.
If conservative treatment is ineffective, the specialist may prescribe a puncture, which is a puncture of the sinuses.
Surgery
If there is already a long course of the disease, improper therapy has been provided, or the inflammatory process develops very rapidly, then this is the reason for the operation. Such an operation involves taking a puncture, which is a puncture of the walls of the nasal cavity in order to sanitize the mucous membranes and evacuate purulent contents.
As a rule, a sinus puncture is performed under local anesthesia, however, despite anesthesia, the patient may experience discomfort. In this case, lidocaine solution is used as an anesthetic. A puncture is made along the lower edge of the nasal passage, after which a syringe is attached to the needle, which sucks all the pathological contents out of the nasal cavity. After this procedure, washing is carried out with the help of antiseptics and disinfectants. Upon completion of such a surgical operation, breathing immediately normalizes, the patient has a positive trend in relation to general well-being.
After that, special drug therapy may also be prescribed, which is aimed at preventing possible complications.
Recommendations from experts
Any disease that affects the jaw bones, caused by inflammation and accumulation of purulent contents, is a particular danger to the he alth and life of the patient. When pus goes beyond the location, it can lead to damage to the central nervous system and brain. Therefore, experts recommend timely and adequate treatment of a runny nose, colds, and also constantly support your immune system.
