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Sinusitis, also called a sinus infection, is an infection of the air-filled spaces that are located within the bones in and around the nose. These spaces are called paranasal sinuses, and when they get infected, they become inflamed. This results in swelling of the mucus membranes that line the sinuses and cause pain and pressure in and around the eyes and cheekbones.
Sinusitis is a common condition that results from a viral infection, bacterial infection, or rarely, a fungal infection. Certain conditions, behaviours or injuries make it more likely that sinusitis will develop. These include smoking, hay fever, allergic rhinitis, trauma to the nose, tooth abscess and exposing the deep areas of the nose to bacteria, viruses or fungus through such activities as picking the nose.
An infection occurs when the body's immune system is unable to stop harmful bacteria, viruses or fungi that have been introduced into the sinuses from reproducing. This results in the inflammation of the sinuses and symptoms, such as facial pain and pressure and thick greenish mucus that is discharged from the nose. Severe complications that affect the brain may also occur. For more details on symptoms and complications, refer to symptoms of sinusitis.
Making a diagnosis of sinusitis begins with taking a thorough medical history, including symptoms, and a physical examination that focuses on the nose and sinuses. Findings include swelling and inflammation of the sinuses and thick greenish nasal mucus. Diagnostic testing may include imaging tests, such as an X-ray or CT, which can confirm a diagnosis and reveal the severity of the condition. Imaging tests may also help to uncover underlying conditions, such as a tooth abscess.
It is possible that a diagnosis of sinusitis can be missed or delayed because the symptoms can be mild or assumed to be associated with other conditions, such as migraine headache or upper respiratory infection. For more information on misdiagnosis, refer to misdiagnosis of sinusitis.
Treatment for sinusitis varies depending on the cause, severity of symptoms, the presence of complications, a person's medical history. Prompt treatment is important to prevent the development of serious complications, such as meningitis and brain abscess. Treatment may include using a humidifier, medications or possibly surgery. For more information on treatment, refer to treatment of sinusitis....more »
Sinusitis: This section addresses sinusitis as a symptom or complication of other underlying conditions. See also the symptoms of sinusitis or further information on the condition sinusitis....more »
A diagnosis of sinusitis may be overlooked or delayed because symptoms can be nonspecific or common to many other conditions. These include upper respiratory infection, influenza, tooth ache, tooth abscess, migraine headache, allergic rhinitis, hay fever or a cold. Because of the similarity to symptoms of these and other conditions, it is important that people ...more misdiagnosis »
The following medical conditions are some of the possible
causes of Sinusitis.
There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor
about your symptoms.
See full list of 319 causes of Sinusitis
» Review Causes of Sinusitis: Causes | Symptom Checker »
Home medical tests possibly related to Sinusitis:
Review the causes of these more specific types of Sinusitis:
Review causes of more specific types of Sinusitis:
See full list of 20 types for Sinusitis
Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Sinusitis, as listed in our database. Visit the Symptom Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.
See full list of 501 Symptom Checkers for Sinusitis
The first step in treatment of sinusitis is prevention. Prevention measures include not smoking, adequate treatment of hay fever and allergic rhinitis, avoiding nasal trauma and exposure to infections, and good hygiene practices, such as frequent hand washing and not picking the nose.
The most successful treatment plan for sinusitis uses a multipronged ...Sinusitis Treatments
Some of the possible treatments listed in sources for treatment of Sinusitis may include:
Review further information on Sinusitis Treatments.
Alternative treatments or home remedies that have been listed as possibly helpful for Sinusitis may include:
Hear US News' Health Rankings Editor Avery Comarow's own story about finding the right doctor for his heart surgery.
Real-life user stories relating to Sinusitis:
Symptom specific forums: The following patient stories in our interactive forums and message boards relate to Sinusitis or relevant symptoms:
More Sinusitis animations & videos
The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible
causes of Sinusitis as a symptom.
Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using,
including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.
See full list of 24
medications causing Sinusitis
Some of the comorbid or associated medical symptoms for Sinusitis may include these symptoms:
See all associated co-morbid symptoms for Sinusitis
Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:
Research the causes of these symptoms that are similar to, or related to, the symptom Sinusitis:
Read more about causes and Sinusitis deaths.
Sinusitis is overdiagnosed: There is a tendency to give a diagnosis of sinusitis, when the condition is really a harmless complication of another infection, such as a common cold....read more »
Whooping cough often undiagnosed: Although most children in the Western world have been immunized against whooping cough (also called "pertussis...read more »
Mild traumatic brain injury often remains undiagnosed: Although the symptoms of severe brain injury are hard to miss, it is less clear for milder injuries, or even those...read more »
MTBI misdiagnosed as balance problem: When a person has symptoms such as vertigo or dizziness, a diagnosis of brain injury may go overlooked. This is particularly true of ...read more »
Post-concussive brain injury often misdiagnosed: A study found that soldiers who had suffered a concussive injury in battle often were misdiagnosed on...read more »
Children with migraine often misdiagnosed: A migraine often fails to be correctly diagnosed in pediatric patients. These patients are not the typical migraine sufferers,...read more »
Pituitary conditions often undiagnosed cause of symptoms: There are a variety of symptoms that can be caused by a pituitary disorder (see symptoms of pituitary disorders). For example, fatigue, headache, weight gain, ...read more »
Read more about Misdiagnosis and Sinusitis
Medical news articles related to Sinusitis include:
Source: HealthDay News
Medical Books Excerpts Read excertps from published book sections related to Sinusitis from the following published medical books for more detailed information about Sinusitis. Free access (no registration): read all online diagnostic book sections about Sinusitis
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
Other ways to find a doctor, or use doctor, physician and specialist online research services:
Rare types of medical conditions and diseases in related medical categories:
Conditions that are commonly undiagnosed in related areas may include:
Other medical conditions listed in the Disease Database as possible
causes of Sinusitis as a symptom include:
See full list of 319
causes of Sinusitis
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Sinusitis simply means your sinuses are infected or inflamed, but this gives little indication of the misery and pain this condition can cause. Health care experts usually divide sinusitis cases into
Sinusitis simply means your sinuses are infected or inflamed, but this gives little indication... (Source: excerpt from Sinusitis, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID)
Sinusitis: Inflammation of the mucous membrane of any sinus, especially the paranasal.rhinosinusitis. [sinus + G. -itis, inflammation]
Source: Stedman's Medical Spellchecker, © 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
Inflammatory process of the mucous membranes of the paranasal sinuses that occurs in three stages: acute, subacute, and chronic; results from any condition causing ostial obstruction or from pathophysiologic changes in the mucociliary transport mechanism.
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Inflammation of one of the paranasal sinuses
- (Source - WordNet 2.1)
Inflammatory process of the mucous membranes of the paranasal sinuses that occurs in three stages: acute, subacute, and chronic; results from any condition causing ostial obstruction or from pathophysiologic changes in the mucociliary transport mechanism.
- (Source - CRISP)
The list of organs typically affected by Sinusitis may include, but is not limited to:
The list below shows some of the causes of Sinusitis mentioned in various sources:
See full list of 319 causes of Sinusitis
This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases, not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of Sinusitis. Of the 319 causes of Sinusitis that we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:
See the analysis of the prevalence of 319 causes of Sinusitis
The following list of conditions have 'Sinusitis' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
The following list of conditions have 'Sinusitis' or similar listed as a complication in our database. The distinction between a symptom and complication is not always clear, and conditions mentioning this symptom as a complication may also be relevant. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
Ask or answer a question about symptoms or diseases at one of our free interactive user forums.
Medical story forums: If you have a medical story then we want to hear it.
See a list of all the medical forums
This information shows analysis of the list of causes of Sinusitis based
on whether certain risk factors apply to the patient:
Depending on the seriousness of the onset of Sinusitis, you may want to consult one of the following medical professionals.
Important:In extreme cases, always seek advice from emergency services :
Subtypes of Sinusitis:
Chronic sinusitis (28 causes), Sinus pain (235 causes), Sinus swelling (23 causes), Acute sinusitis (6 causes)
Medical Conditions associated with Sinusitis:
Sinus symptoms (292 causes), Head symptoms (10193 causes), Inflammatory symptoms (1736 causes), Infection-related symptoms (1293 causes)
Symptoms related to Sinusitis:
Nose symptoms (2080 causes), Throat symptoms (3410 causes), Runny nose (754 causes), Sinusitis (319 causes), Headache (2433 causes), Rhinitis, Frontal sinusitis, Maxillary sinusitis, Ethmoid sinusitis, Fever (2274 causes), Antiobiotics, Antrochoanal polyp (5 causes), Post nasal drip (41 causes), Antral lavage
Doctor-patient articles related to symptoms and diagnosis:
These general medical articles may be of interest:
See full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
Our news pages contain the following medical news summaries about Sinusitis and many other medical conditions:
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By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use. Information provided on this site is for informational purposes only; it is not intended as a substitute for advice from your own medical team. The information on this site is not to be used for diagnosing or treating any health concerns you may have - please contact your physician or health care professional for all your medical needs. Please see our Terms of Use.
Copyright © 2010 Health Grades Inc. All rights reserved. Last Update: 31 August, 2010 (9:57)
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