Sinusitis:
How Serious is it?
Author: Viojieley
Gurrobat
It's
winter again. The cold whether will surely bring different kinds
of health problems such as colds, fever and sinusitis among others.
When you have a nasty cold and stuffy nose that won't subside
for a couple of weeks, you must never take it for granted and
dismiss it as a simple case of cold gone wrong. You can have something
more than colds that could lead to sinusitis.
Common
signs of sinusitis include cough, feeling of facial swelling,
occasional fever, and headache, plugged up nose, toothache and
abundant thick yellow discharge from the nose. If sinusitis is
left untreated, it can cause further complications to the nose,
middle ear, and eyes that can last for months or even years. Examples
of these complications include infection of the eye socket that
may cause the eyelid to swell and become droopy. A person whose
eye has been affected by sinusitis may lose the ability to move
the eye that may result to permanent blindness. Frontal sinusitis
may also cause blood clot in the sinus area. If a person with
sinusitis experiences headache, visual problems, seizures, and
mild personality changes it may be possible that the infection
have spread to the brain. This may lead to coma or even death.
But
what really causes sinusitis? Basically, there are two types of
sinusitis namely acute and chronic sinusitis. Acute sinusitis
meaning the condition is temporary usually lasting for not more
than thirty days. The symptoms of acute sinusitis are virus, fungus,
bacteria, scuba diving, nose blowing, medications and foreign
objects. Acute sinusitis usually results from a cold that remains
on too long and eventually becomes an infection. It is, therefore,
important to treat acute sinusitis as soon as possible to prevent
any infection from spreading.
Chronic
sinusitis, on the other hand, refers to symptoms of sinusitis
occurring frequently or for longer periods of time. Causes of
this type of sinusitis includes allergies, temperature and humidity,
asthma, defective mucous membrane, narrow sinuses, poor air quality,
dehydration, weak immune system, stress and tumors.
Although
serious cases of sinusitis are rare because of modern antibiotic
treatments available today, it is still important that proper
care and treatment should be exercised. Steps should be taken
to prevent it from becoming chronic. Understand that sinusitis
left untreated can cause serious infections so always take the
necessary precautions and live a healthy balanced life.
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