Sinusitis

Sinusitis inflammation of one or more paranasal sinuses. It often follows upper respiratory tract infection or chronic allergic rhinitis. Symptoms of sinusitis are heaviness in the head, headache, facial pain, and tenderness. Since it is often associated with nasal discharge, it could be mistaken for common cold. Diagnosis is confirmed by X-ray of paranasal sinuses which may show thickening of mucus and haziness of the maxillary or frontal sinuses. Sinusitis is a fairly common disease in Bangladesh and more frequently affects younger people. Both sexes are equally affected. It is more frequent in the winter and rainy seasons. Sinusitis is not a very serious disease but it causes lot of discomfort to the patient. The headache caused by sinusitis is often accentuated by tension. Increasing air pollution with consequence of higher respiratory infection may pose health problem in Bangladesh including sinusitis.

The treatment of sinusitis includes the use of appropriate antibiotic to control the infection and use of decongestant to relieve sinus blockage. Nasal spray with decongestant or anti-inflammatory agent like corticosteroids are often very useful. Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) is a current treatment of choice for chronic sinusitis. The procedure is now available in few hospitals of Bangladesh. [Md Serajul Islam]