Bacterial sinusitis

If a patient has bacterial sinusitis, he may experience thick nasal discharge, swollen nasal passages, and dripping mucus from the back of the throat. Some patients with bacterial sinusitis also experience facial pain and pressure. These patients should immediately consult a doctor. The ENT doctor or sinus specialist may prescribe amoxicillin. Most patients with acute bacterial sinusitis respond to antibiotics with symptoms resolving in 10-14 days.

Allergic sinusitis

Allergic sinusitis can cause inflammation that leads to nasal congestion and swelling of the mucus membranes. The mucus can block normal sinus drainage. In most cases, allergic sinusitis leads to chronic sinusitis as symptoms are seasonal but may last for a year. A patient of allergic sinus infection complains about:

• Sneezing
• Itchy nose, throat, or eyes
• Nasal congestion
• Postnasal drip
• Runny (clear mucus) nose

Allergic sinusitis can be treated with antihistamines. A person can avoid allergic triggers, and, in some cases, allergy shots.

Chronic sinusitis

Chronic sinusitis generally causes symptoms that last for months. Nasal congestion and post-nasal drainage, cough during the night or morning are common symptoms. A patient who has nasal polyps is more susceptible to this type of infection.

When to see an ENT specialist for sinusitis?

If your symptoms last for more than 7-10 days and the symptoms do not respond to antibiotics or other remedies, or if you have recurrent episodes of sinusitis, you need to consult with an ENT specialist.

In many cases, chronic sinusitis can result in anatomical abnormalities of the nose. Even in that case, the person may need to visit an ENT specialist. A trained and expert ENT specialist can identify the issue and provide necessary treatment to prevent possibilities of future episodes of sinusitis.

What happens during sinus surgery or FESS?

Advanced sinus surgery or FESS is considered one of the most common and effective surgical treatment for chronic sinus. In FESS, the ENT surgeon uses a magnifying endoscope to surgically remove the affected sinus tissue or the bone. The goal of FESS is to surgically flush out the infected tissue, open up the blocked sinus passage and allow the healthy tissues to function well and normal.

When the affected tissues are removed, the surgeon will place a temporary nasal packing in your nose to support the sinus passage which has been opened after the surgery. By the end of the FESS surgery, the ENT surgeon may also use a hydrodebrider system to rinse the sinuses and help wash away the bacteria causing the sinus infections.

FESS surgery is performed as a daycare procedure. The recovery after the surgery depends on the overall health condition of the patient and the severity of the sinusitis. Although there are no major risks and complications after the FESS surgery, the patient may experience some pain and discomfort for the next few days. The patient should take rest for the next 2-3 days after the surgery and should not step out in pollution or dust.

Is FESS painful?

FESS is a very simple surgery and causes no pain as such. However, the pain quotient is different for every patient. Most patients can tolerate the pain and require no pain medicines or antibiotics. In case there are any potential complications, the doctor will let you know before this surgery.

The nose may remain sore and swollen for a day or two after the surgery. This may make breathing a little difficult for a week or so. It is rare for facial bruising or swelling to occur after FESS surgery.

The patient may experience pain while removing the nasal packing. This happens because the fluids and the tissues inside the nose can stick during the healing process after the surgery.