SINUSITIS is an infection of the nasal sinuses and occurs when there is an undrained collection of fluid. These undrained fluids can build up causing pressure and pain. Sinusitis is now more commonly diagnosed as rhinosinusitis, as sinusitis usually occurs with an inflammation of the nose (rhinitis).
Common causes of sinusitis include:
- allergic rhinitis (hayfever)
- viral upper respiratory infections which cause swelling of the membranes that block the normal drainage mechanism of the sinuses
- smoking
- swimming
- diving and
- dental infections.
ACUTE rhinosinusitis is usually bacterial, but CHRONIC rhinosinusitis occurs due to persistent inflammation of the mucous membranes of the sinuses and mucous lining of the nose. This can exhibit in symptoms for more than 8-12 weeks or more than 3-4 acute episodes a year, each lasting 10 days). In addition, reduced blood flow contributes to the severity of rhinosinusitis.
Symptoms of sinusitis include:
- headache (in the front of the head or around the eyes)
- facial pain/pressure around the eyes or in the forehead or cheeks
- pain in the roof of the mouth or teeth
- excessive nasal drainage
- fever and chills and occasionally facial swelling around the eyes
- nasal blockage
- discoloured posterior nasal mucous
- hyposmia (smell disturbance)
- halitosis (bad breath)
- fatigue, coughing and ear pain.
The main symptoms include nasal obstruction and posterior nasal drip, commonly known as postnasal drip.
We recommended that you first seek medical or conservative treatments/therapy before attempting surgical treatments. If polyps are present, this does not necessarily mean a poor prognosis for an effective treatment outcome.
Physiotherapy is able to assist the drainage of the sinuses through various treatment techniques, including:
- Nebulisation
- Ultrasound therapy
- Manual massage and drainage
- Dry needling
- Tips on how to reduce your exposure to environmental factors, eg pollens, and poor posture.
Contact your closest Lamberti Physiotherapy Practice for an appointment to discuss how this kind of therapy can assist with alleviating your symptoms by using the online appointment form.