 |
print the page |  |
email the page |  |
|
- What is sinusitis?
- Symptoms of sinusitis
- Causes of sinusitis
- Prevention of sinusitis
- Risk factors for sinusitis
- Complications of sinusitis
- When to see a doctor about sinusitis
- Diagnosis of sinusitis
- Conventional treatment of sinusitis
- Alternative/complementary treatment of sinusitis
- Living with sinusitis
- Caring for someone with sinusitis
There are a number of complications that can occur due to both acute and chronic sinusitis:
- Abscesses - a common complication of sinusitis is the development of an abscess, due to the bacterial infection spreading. An abscess is a fluid filled sac that contain pus, infected material and if it bursts, it can infect the whole area in its surrounding and this can be potentially fatal
- Cellulitis - the eye is most commonly affected with cellulitis, an acute infection of the eye socket area that causes inflammation and requires emergency treatment (usually antibiotics intravenously) as it can worsen very quickly. The infection spreads to the eye from the nasopharynx or from the frontal, maxillary or ethmoidal sinuses
- Empyema (epidural and subdural) - empyema occurs when there is pus in the lining between the brain the skull bone and occurs as a result of intracranial complications of the frontal osteomyelitis
Advertisement
- Frontal bone osteomyelitis - this condition is also known as Potty's puffy tumor and is a very rare complication of frontal sinusitis. It is characterised by abscesses and osteomyelitis of the frontal bone. The frontal sinuses appear very swollen. Frontal bone osteomyelitis needs to be treated with draining of the abscess(es) and a course of antibiotics for several weeks to prevent even further complications. Brain abscess is the common complication of skull osteomyelitis
- Meningitis - the meninges, which is the tissue surrounding the brain between the brain and the skull can become infected and inflamed which is know as meningitis. This very serious bacterial infection can occur when there is a very serious sinusitis infection that has resulted in abscesses forming and/or frontal bone osteomyelitis
- Nasal polyps - a very common complication of chronic sinusitis are nasal polyps, which are usually benign growths within the sinus passages and which can block the sinus cavities and obstruct breathing, especially at night and result in obstructive sleep apnoea, which is a condition where breathing stops and starts
- Paranasal mucocele - this rare complication is a chronic, cystic lesions in the paranasal sinuses which cause swelling and inflammation of the bone within the sinus cavities
Advertisement
Sections: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
< 5: risk factors 7: when to see a doctor > Last reviewed: 20 February 2009 || Last updated: 9 January 2010
Related Articles
NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
