Paranasal sinuses are air filled pockets located in the head. There are four pairs of sinuses:
- Maxillary sinuses
- Frontal sinuses
- Ethmoid sinuses
- Sphenoid sinuses
How do healthy sinuses work?
When you breathe in air, mucus in the sinuses humidifies the air and collects bacteria and pollutants.
Tiny hairs lining the sinuses move the mucus (with pollutants) out of the sinus, into your throat.
You then swallow the mucus, and your stomach acid destroys the bacteria.
Colds, allergies, environmental irritants, dry air or other conditions can slow or block natural drainage, and irritate the sinus lining. This, in turn, can lead to swelling, additional blockage, and sinusitis.
What causes unhealthy sinuses?
The sinuses are air-filled spaces behind the forehead, cheeks, and eyes. In healthy sinuses, mucus drains out and air is able to circulate. Sinusitis develops as a consequence of inflammation of the nasal mucosa followed by obstruction of the sinus cavities and impaired mucus drainage. This allows bacteria to invade the sinuses.
Main causes for the sinus inflammation:
The common cold, airborne allergies, and chronic delayed food allergies (non-allergic rhinitis). For example, in the Shea ENT pratice, the incidence of sinus infection requiring sinus procedure is reduced by over half with the ALLERTOL® Method of treating delayed food allergies.
Nasal cycle edema is common, primarily contributing to develoment of sinus infection. This is seen exclusively with delayed food allergies.
Gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD) with reflux into the pharynx (LPR) and nasal cavities is a rather common cause for chronic sinusitis, that is commonly overlooked.
Onset of cold dry air in the wintertime slows the nasal mucus blanket and predisposes to viral and bacterial upper respiratory infections.
The contribution to sinus infections from septal deviation, turbinate hypertrophy, other mechanical causes, and immune deficiency ... are often over emphasized.
At SheaENT & Allergy in Burleson, we see many patients suffering from chronic and recurrent sinusitis each week. |
