Your sinuses are the air-filled hollow cavities around your nose and nasal
passages. When these passages become inflamed,
fluid may accumulate and
interfere with normal drainage of mucus in the sinuses. This
condition is known
as acute
sinusitis. The result? You may have trouble breathing through your
nose. When you lean forward, throbbing pains may move across your face. You may
have a headache, fever or nagging cough, and you feel your eyes and facial
tissue swell up. It''s an uncomfortable condition. The common cold virus is the
most frequent cause, although other triggers include bacteria or allergies.
Most colds resolve with time, but nearly 2 percent develop into acute
sinusitis. Almost 40 million Americans experience sinusitis each year, at an
annual health care cost of nearly $6 billion.Treatment of acute sinusitis
depends on the cause, and therapies can range from antibiotics for bacterial
cases to oral corticosteroids for acute inflammation. Untreated acute sinusitis
can lead to more-serious infections or become a chronic condition. However,
most cases are short-lived. When symptoms last less than four weeks, the
sinusitis is considered acute.Signs and symptoms of acute sinusitis may
include: Facial pain, Fever, Pain, tenderness and swelling around your eyes,
cheeks, nose or forehead, Erythema, or redness of the skin over the sinus
caused by increased blood flow to the capillaries, Nasal congestion, Difficulty
breathing through your nose, Reduced sense of smell or taste, Dental pain, Cough,
Bad breath (halitosis), Fatigue, Nausea, Sore throat.