Montgomery News

Dr. Manish Khanna of Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers wants patients suffering with acute or chronic sinusitis to find the relief they deserve. 

According to Mayo Clinic, acute sinusitis causes the spaces inside your nose (sinuses) to become inflamed and swollen. This interferes with drainage and causes mucus to build up, which can cause sufferers to feel miserable.

"Our sinus cavities are located right behind our facial structure, so when there's inflammation going on... you get this referred pain," Dr. Khanna told Montgomery News. "Same thing in the forehead area; frontal sinus inflammation can refer pain to our forehead. We'll feel pain and pressure there and in our temples and in the frontal region. The sinuses are located for this in the back of the nose; when those get inflamed, it can cause pain in the top of the head and in the back of the head. Treating it, we start generally with topical sprays, antibiotics, steroids at times to help, but if this is a chronic thing or a recurring issue with patients, then balloon sinus dilation can be a permanent fix for them."

Dr. Manish Khanna | Capitol Breathe Free

With acute sinusitis, it might be difficult for patients to breathe through their nose. The area around the eyes and face might feel swollen, and they might have throbbing facial pain or a headache, according to Mayo Clinic.

"Sinus headaches are a referred pain caused by inflammation and blockage of a sinus cavity, which is causing those nerves to fire, and it transmits the pain in the patient's facial area," Khanna said. "Treating that so you really are not treating the headache -- you want to treat the sinus so that headache goes away. You can use medications like nasal steroids, sprays of moisture, steam. Keeping things nice and warm in the sinus cavities certainly helps. Then you get into medications like antibiotics and oral steroids, which at times can be necessary to really get rid of an acute sinus infection that is causing a wicked headache. But as a preventative for patients who get recurring sinus headaches and pressure, balloon sinuplasty is a very reasonable, viable option."

Acute sinusitis is most often caused by the common cold. Unless a bacterial infection develops, most cases resolve within a week to 10 days. Home remedies may be all that is needed to treat acute sinusitis. However, sinusitis that lasts more than 12 weeks despite medical treatment is considered chronic sinusitis, according to Mayo Clinic.

To evaluate your symptoms, take this sinus quiz provided by Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.