What is sinusitis?
Sinusitis is a condition that causes your sinuses to become inflamed and swollen. Although the severity of your condition can vary, most cases of sinusitis clear up on their own. If your symptoms persist for longer than a week, then it’s best to seek medical attention to determine the underlying cause of your condition.
What are the symptoms of sinusitis?
The symptoms of sinusitis can impact your ear, nose, and throat passages. Symptoms include:
- Discolored discharge down the back throat
- Nasal congestion
- Loss of smell (anosmia)
- Difficulty breathing through the nose
- Pain and tenderness in the face
- Throbbing in the face
Sinusitis is often accompanied by other symptoms like a fever, cough, or fatigue. These symptoms signal are caused by the underlying condition triggering your sinusitis.
The symptoms of chronic and acute sinusitis are the same. Patients are diagnosed with chronic sinusitis when their symptoms persist for 12 or more weeks.
What causes sinusitis?
Sinusitis is most commonly caused by viral and bacterial infections like the cold and flu. The symptoms of these infections can irritate the sinuses causing them to become inflamed and swollen. Allergy symptoms can also trigger sinusitis.
Patients with chronic sinusitis often experience issues like nasal polyps, deviated nasal septum, and respiratory tract infections that cause prolonged irritation to the sinuses.
How is sinusitis diagnosed?
Before you begin treatment, Dr. Berg has to determine the cause of your condition. The first step in your diagnosis is a discussion of your symptoms and physical exam. Dr. Berg feels for tenderness around your sinuses. Depending on his findings, additional evaluations like allergy testing, tissue samples, and endoscopy.
How is sinusitis treated?
Treatment depends on the cause of your condition. If your sinusitis is caused by a viral infection, it’s likely that your symptoms will clear up in about 10 days. Additional treatments include:
- Antibiotics for bacterial infections
- Immunotherapy for allergies
- Decongestants
- Saline nasal sprays
If your condition is chronic or caused by some type of obstruction to the sinuses, Dr. Berg specializes in minimally invasive endoscopic sinus surgery. The procedure is performed using an endoscope, a small camera attached to a thin tube, to guide specialized instruments in removing blockages from your sinuses.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of sinusitis, call the office, or book an appointment with Dr. Berg online.
