What is pansinusitis?
Pansinusitis is an inflammatory condition associated with sinus cavities. In human body, four sinus cavities, termed as maxillary, frontal, ethmoid and sphenoid are filled with air and located around the eye orbital. A pair of bigger cavities present below the eyes orbital and other pair of small sinus cavities is present between the eyes orbital. All these sinus cavities are interconnected with nose and extended up to skull. When all these four sinus cavities are inflamed and irritated, the condition is termed as pansinusitis.
Image 1: Anatomy of four sinuses
Pansinusitis need immediate medical care, as it is very painful and serious medical condition. It is not similar to usual sinusitis, though the symptoms are almost similar. In sinusitis usually one or two cavities are inflamed due to infection, but in pansinusitis, all the four cavities are infected and inflamed and delayed recovery turned it chronic condition. Usually pansinusitis is not responding to usual treatment.
The symptoms are quite similar with other infectious disease, especially with sinusitis. In the first instant, symptomatic approaches are not helping to accurately diagnose the pansinusitis, as complaints of the patient are similar like flu, or tooth infection. Progression of infection arises some specific symptoms which help to determine the pansinusitis incidence.
Image 2: Mucous in sinus glands
Initial symptoms included the following:
- Head ache
- Mild fever, temperature ranges from 38 to 390 c.
- Clod like symptoms which is not recover with usual treatment
- Nasal congestion
- Breathing difficulty
- General malaise
- Coughing at night
- Tooth ache
Following are the pansinusitis specific symptoms which may sustain for twelve weeks or more at a time and condition is not become well with usual treatment.
- Yellow- greenish thick nasal discharge
- Puffiness of face
- Bulge of the eyelids
- Frontal lobe of the head has ache which become severely sensitive even to a simple touch
- Pain in facial region including above the eyebrows, around the eyes, teeth, and behind the ear.
- Bad breath
Bacterial, fungal, viral infection and even allergic attack can initiate the acute sinusitis. Prolong untreated condition or inadequate treatment can cause a chronic inflammatory condition which leads to pansinusitis.
Bacterial infections which can lead to pansinusitis are:
- Streptococcus pneumonia
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Moraxella catarrhalis
- Haemophilus influenza
- Other anaerobic bacteria
Immune suppressive diseases like diabetes, leukaemia, HIV positive patient can frequently affect with viral and fungal infection mainly at the upper respiratory tract which in advanced stage turned to pansinusitis.
Allergen sensitive individuals also get affected with pansinusitis.
Factors which triggering pansinusitis are:
- Frequent incidence of upper respiratory tract infection
- Active or passive smoking
- Adult age people are mostly affected and incidence of pansinusitis occurs after age of 12 years. Sinus cavities become developed during the early age (before 12 years), so the chances of development of pansinusitis in infants and early childhood are rare.
- Medical history of sinusitis
- Congenital disorder in the nasal or sinus cavities which latter obstructs the air passage due to deviated nasal septum.
- Nasal polyps
- Cystic fibrosis
If the nasal discharges, nasal congestion is frequent and associated with headache and facial pain, then better to consult with a doctor as early as possible. Doctors may conduct some diagnostic tests to confirm the underlying cause of chronic condition which include X-ray, CT scan or MRI of the paranasal sinuses. Early diagnosis helps to lessen the symptoms and immediate medical attention beneficial for stopping the progression of infection and heal the pansinusitis quickly.
Initially doctors prescribed antibiotics in case bacterial infection to kill or static the growth of the bacteria. For gain the knowledge about the affected microorganism, the doctor may prescribe to conduct microbiological test of blood, sputum and nasal discharge which helps to select right anti-microbial therapy. It is suggested that total antibiotic course should be followed accordingly, even if the condition become improved, otherwise incomplete therapy may lead to secondary infection or recurrence of the pansinusitis.
Frequent recurrence of the pansinusitis causes treatment resistance and need strong and high dose therapy. Doctors also often prescribed steroidal drugs to control the inflammation.
In case of nasal polyp or deviated nasal septum (DNS), surgical intervention for removing the nasal polyp or correct the DNS can restore the normal passage of nasal discharge.
Other than these medical approaches, some natural home remedies can prevent the worsening of the condition which includes:
- Steam inhalation, which helps to clear the nasal discharge.
- Increase fluid intake prevents thickening of the nasal mucus.
- Instillation of normal saline in the nose helps to relieve nasal congestion
- Fresh vegetables, fruits and green tea intake provide better immunity, as they are the richest source of antioxidants which prevent frequent infection incidence.
- Pansinusitis Causes, Symptoms and Treatments at http://www.doctoe.com/guides/pansinusitis-causes-symptoms-and-treatments-2014081471/
- What Is Pansinusitis And What Are Its Causes, Symptoms at http://www.simple-remedies.com/health-tips-6/pansinusitis-causes-remedies.html
- Symptoms and Treatment of Pan Sinusitis at http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/111611/ear_nose_and_throat/symptoms_and_treatment_of_pan_sinusitis.html