Diagnosis May Not Be Obvious

Although people may assume they have sinusitis at the first sign of nasal congestion, there are many other medical conditions that mirror its symptoms, making an accurate diagnosis less obvious.

Postnasal drip, the most common symptom attributed to sinusitis, is, in fact, often caused by laryngopharyngeal reflux. Reflux is a common condition in which digestive fluids back up from the stomach and esophagus into the throat and nose. Patients who experience reflux often complain of excessive throat clearing, hoarseness, mucous, and sometimes burning in the throat.

Facial pain and headache, also symptoms of sinusitis, may also be caused by numerous non-sinus conditions such as:

• Temporo-mandibular muscle and joint problems, muscle tension headache
• Cervical spine or disc problems
• Dental infection
• Primary or neurological headaches, including migraines or cluster headaches, which can cause pain over the sinuses
• Laryngopharyngeal reflux frequently causes sinus pain that is often made worse by chocolate, peppermint, caffeine, tomatoes and nicotine
• Environmental allergy
• Exposure to certain chemicals and molds in contaminated indoor environments

Nasal Congestion and Stuffiness may also be caused by:

• Allergy
• Deviated septum
• Nasal polyp or tumor
• Exposure to molds or chemicals

Sinusitis Treatment Options

It is important to identify the underlying causes of sinus problems and treat them according to standardized treatment protocols. In some cases of chronic or recurrent infection, minimally invasive endoscopic sinus surgery may be necessary to improve sinus drainage and resolve infection.

The successful treatment of chronic sinusitis is primarily non-surgical and begins with identification of the underlying causes of chronic sinus infection such as:

• Identifying the specific bacteria responsible for infection so that appropriate antibiotics may be prescribed
• Allergy
• Acid reflux
• Anatomical problems, such as sinus out flow tract obstruction or narrowing
• Mold exposure, and other environmental factors
• Underlying immune problems

An appropriate sinusitis treatment plan can usually be developed after identifying the factors contributing to chronic sinusitis. In most cases, a simple low-tech remedy, including dietary changes (such as reducing chocolate and caffeine), allergen avoidance, and daily nasal cleansing with SaltAire Sinus Relief, are enough to dramatically improve or even resolve sinus problems.