Sinuses
Sinuses are air-filled spaces located in the facial bones around the nasal cavity. They help the nose physiology. Although some of these sinuses exist at birth, some of them become prominent in childhood. These sinuses are divided into groups such as maxillary, ethmoid, frontal and sphenoid sinuses.
Sinusitis
Sinusitis is the infection of the air spaces around the nasal cavity, called the sinus. Short-term infections are called acute sinusitis, while recurrent infections lasting more than 3 months are called chronic sinusitis. Acute sinusitis acts as an upper respiratory tract infection and treated in a similar way, while surgical treatments in addition to medical treatments are also used for chronic sinusitis.
Diagnosis: The diagnosis is made by the history of the disease, nasal endoscopic examination, and radiological studies. Computed tomography (CT) is the most useful technique in radiological examination.
Findings: Symptoms similar to that of a severe common cold such as headache, nasal congestion, cough, malaise, and nasal discharge are present.
Medical Treatment: In acute and some chronic sinusitis, an appropriate antibiotherapy for 10-14 days and some medications to eliminate intranasal swelling are used. In the treatment of chronic sinusitis, surgical treatment for the causative factor is the most appropriate treatment. Medical treatment alone will not be beneficial.
Surgical Treatment
The experience and knowledge of the surgeon is very important in these techniques, called Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS). Although previous techniques, which do more harm than good, have been still used, they should be abandoned. In this surgical procedure, the sinuses are accessed by operating intranasally with the help of an endoscope. Without damaging the surrounding tissue, the sinuses are cleared and their natural canals are opened to ensure that the physiology regularly functions after the operation.