Sinusitis ethmoid: What you need to know

The article was professionally consulted with Master, Doctor Dang Xuan Cuong - Department of Emergency Resuscitation - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Sinusitis in general and ethmoid sinusitis in particular is one of the common respiratory diseases. Let's learn about ethmoid sinusitis through the article below.

ethmoid sinusitis is a condition in which the mucosa in the sinuses is inflamed, with pus stagnation, causing obstruction and pressure on the ethmoid sinus area (consisting of 4 interconnected hollow cavities, located between the eyes).
There are 2 types of ethmoid sinusitis, which are anterior ethmoid sinusitis (sinus contiguous between the frontal and maxillary sinuses, nasal cavity and eye socket) and posterior ethmoid sinusitis (sinus located behind the anterior ethmoid sinus, behind the nape of the neck). .

Inflammation of the ethmoid sinuses causes the following symptoms:
Headache: Dull pain in both temples, between the corners of the eyes, at the top of the head, near the forehead and on the bridge of the nose, on the back of the neck... Decreased vision, Blurred vision: Patients sometimes have sudden, severe blurred vision that can cause vision loss. Tinnitus, dizziness: The patient has a feeling of heaviness in the ear. Sputum in the throat: Causes itchy throat, making the patient uncomfortable, coughing, severe may have difficulty breathing or wheezing while sleeping. Bad breath: Sinusitis fluid flows down the throat and causes bad breath, causing the patient to lose confidence, stress, affect activities and communication in life. Bad breath is worse when the patient drinks less water or has poor oral hygiene.

3.1 Medical treatment For mild cases of ethmoid sinusitis, it can be treated by medical treatment, such as:
Using drugs to treat ethmoid sinusitis: The drug must be guided into the sinuses with a strong enough effect to be effective. kill fungi, bacteria, help reduce the amount of pus causing congestion in the sinuses, and at the same time help strengthen the body's immune system and resistance, avoiding recurrence of the disease.
There are some drugs that have an immediate anti-congestion effect, but if used in high doses and used for a long time will be dependent on the drug. Some drugs to treat sinusitis can cause side effects, if abused will affect the liver and kidneys. Therefore, patients need to use the drug when prescribed by the doctor, avoiding indiscriminate use of drugs.
Other supportive measures to treat sinusitis: Dilute the fluids and clear the nose by steaming the nose with essential oils. Besides, essential oils also help soothe aches and pains, help the body relax. Clean the nasal cavity by rinsing the nose with physiological saline (1 - 2 times / day), which helps to antibacterial, kill and prevent viruses. Relieve the symptoms of respiratory diseases such as sinusitis and flu by using foods like garlic.

3.2 Surgical treatment If the patient does not show signs of improvement after applying medical treatments, the disease may have progressed severely and may lead to dangerous complications, even life-threatening complications. life threatening. At this time, the treating doctor will review and prescribe surgery.
The current surgical treatment of ethmoid sinusitis is functional endoscopic sinus surgery - FESS. This method helps restore the circulation and air drainage function of the nose and sinuses. Note, patients with allergies, or poor immunity, the possibility of disease recurrence will be higher.

Sinusitis in general and ethmoid sinusitis in particular, if left untreated, can lead to dangerous complications, because the sinuses are located near the eyes and skull. Some dangerous complications include:
Eye pain: Acute ethmoid sinusitis can cause eye redness, eyelid inflammation, eye swelling, possibly pus, eye abscess, optic neuritis, visual acuity. decrease, serious may blurred vision, gradual loss of vision. Complications in the lower respiratory tract: tonsillitis, pharyngitis, pharyngeal abscess. Ear infections: Sinusitis that spreads to the ear can cause otitis media, with pus in the ear. If left for a long time, pus in the ear will put pressure on the eardrum and can puncture the eardrum, causing deafness. More seriously, severe ear infections can cause purulent meningitis, which is life-threatening.

Limit and avoid exposure to risk factors for allergies such as: dust, polluted environment, chemicals, pollen, where there are many pathogens; Clean personal hygiene, keep the surrounding living environment clean; Keep the body warm, especially the sinus area when the weather changes, it turns cold, the humidity changes. Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist - Vinmec International General Hospital specializes in examining and treating common ENT diseases such as: rhinitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, sore throat, tinnitus, non-allergic rhinitis , throat cancer; tumors of the head, face and neck, congenital malformations of the ear, nose and throat area by common surgical methods.