Acute maxillary sinusitis is the recent, diffuse, simple, and nonspecific inflammation of the mucosa lining the maxillary sinus. It is primarily secondary to a nasal infection.
Acute maxillary sinusitis can manifest in the following forms:
- Catarrhal acute sinusitis – subjectively characterized by nasal obstruction, fever, mucopurulent nasal discharge (usually unilateral), frontoorbital headache, maxillary dental neuralgia, and sometimes cacosmia (unpleasant odor). Objectively, upon clinical examination, slight palpebroconjunctival or cheek edema may be observed on the affected side. Radiologically, the affected sinus or sinuses appear opaque.
- Acute suppurative maxillary sinusitis adds to the aforementioned changes large amounts of purulent nasal discharge. Subjectively, the local symptomatology is expressed by the patient as a sensation of tension, fullness intra- and/or perinasally, hemicrania, abundant rhinorrhea, spontaneous pain in the affected maxillary sinus or even hemicrania (the pain is periodic, paroxysmal, rhythmic, and hourly), nasal obstruction, hyposmia (sometimes subjective cacosmia), mild bleeding.
Diagnosis:
a. ENT examination + Patient’s complaints;
b. X-ray of the paranasal sinuses.
Treatment:
- Nasal lavage with saline solutions, preferably hypertonic solutions (inhalations);
- Nasal decongestants for the first maximum 5 days;
- Herbal therapy + Physiotherapy;
- Antihistamines;
- Antipyretics for temperatures above 38°C;
- Vitamin C;
- Antibiotic therapy as needed (nasal cavity swab), usually only if the treatment from the first 5 points is ineffective.
