Sinusitis

Overview
Do you feel like you have a sinus infection all the time and nothing seems to help? Well, you are not alone. Though very common, treating sinusitis is one of the least straightforward things we do in medicine. Sometimes the symptoms you have don’t actually match what is going on in the sinuses. Sinusitis is also one of the most common conditions seen by primary physicians, and is something which can markedly impact on quality of life.

What is sinusitis?
Sinusitis is inflammation in the lining of the air pockets inside the skull. This inflammation may come from sinus infection or from over activity of the immune system to something in the air. Sometimes, there is an abnormal shape of the bones.



Symptoms
Symptoms in sinusitis are variable. Often people have runny nose, nasal congestion, or a "cold that won’t go away". In chronic sinusitis the sense of smell may be reduced. Sometimes, people with sinusitis also have asthma.



Diagnosis
This can be a hard question, even for doctors. Your doctor will listen to your symptoms and possibly look inside your nose with a fiber optic scope, or with a CT scan. Many people are surprised after evaluation that what they thought was sinusitis is actually something else. Also, many people have sinusitis and never knew it.



Treatment
The treatment of sinusitis depends on the cause of your sinusitis. We use a combination of medicated and non-medicated nose sprays, as well as pills. Some people do benefit from referral to a surgeon, but this is not always required.