How to relieve swelling under the eyes with sinusitis?

The first signs of inflammation of the maxillary sinuses

If you do not attach importance to the common cold and do not treat rhinitis (runny nose), then viral sinusitis or bacterial sinusitis will appear as a complication, depending on what caused the disease.

You should contact your doctor immediately if you experience the following symptoms:

copious nasal discharge of yellow-green color;
general weakness, fatigue;
constant headache;
high body temperature (above 38ºС);
nasal congestion, nasal tone;
you have difficulty breathing through your nose;
reduced or absent sense of smell.

CT and x-ray of the maxillary sinuses

X-ray examination is an effective method for diagnosing the human body, including the condition of the ENT organs. If a person has a stuffy nose, there is discharge from it, or the timbre of his voice has changed, then this is an indication for an examination. X-rays are considered one of the most effective ways to detect sinusitis. With its help, it is possible to diagnose various pathological changes even at an early stage of their development, which is extremely important when prescribing appropriate treatment.

An examination is prescribed if the following symptoms are present:

Nasal discharge (sometimes with pus).
Problems with nasal breathing. As a rule, only one nostril is blocked.
Frequent headaches.
General fatigue, trouble sleeping and loss of previous activity.
Nosebleeds.
Soreness and swelling of the forehead.

If these symptoms are present, the doctor may suspect the presence of an inflammatory process, but it is necessary to determine the exact cause of this inflammatory process, because similar signs exist with polyps and a deviated septum. Therefore, an x-ray of the maxillary sinuses is a mandatory procedure, which allows us to determine the degree of development of the pathology, the presence of neoplasms and other aspects.

Content

Why do you need an x-ray of the nose for sinusitis?
How can you see sinusitis on an x-ray?
How is an x-ray of the maxillary sinuses performed?
X-ray in childhood
How to determine sinusitis in an adult patient from an image?
Computed tomography for sinusitis
Is it possible to determine sinusitis without a picture?

Why do you need an x-ray of the nose for sinusitis?

Vivid symptoms will help the doctor make an appropriate diagnosis, but without an accurate diagnosis, further treatment will be impossible. It is important to first examine the condition of the sinuses, and then determine the medications and physiological procedures that can get rid of the disease.

When diagnosing, it is extremely important to know what sinusitis looks like on an x-ray. With this examination method, soft tissues are not visible, but bone structures are clearly visualized. If in the picture the shade of the paranasal sinuses and eye sockets is identical, then there is no inflammation. If there is purulent content, then visually it looks like large darkened areas.

An x-ray of the sinuses with sinusitis allows you to determine a number of pathological changes:

Localization of lesions. They appear as dark spots.
Presence of cystic formations. They have fairly clearly defined boundaries.
The inflammatory process and the degree of its development. In the picture they are visible as white spots. Accordingly, the brighter they are, the stronger the inflammatory process.
Various changes. You can see the level of filling of the nasal sinuses with pus, thickening of the mucous membrane and other pathological changes.

How can you see sinusitis on an x-ray?

Below you see a picture of sinusitis before and after treatment. The radiograph is interpreted by the attending physician or radiologist.

In the absence of pathological changes and abnormalities, the image will show the following information:

The nose is in the form of a triangle of a light shade, in the middle of which there is a septum.
On the side of the nasal cavity, the maxillary sinuses are located in the form of triangular clearings with not blurred boundaries.
Symmetrical arrangement of the nasal passages on both sides of the nasal cavity.
The frontal sinuses are located above the eye sockets. In the picture they look like clearings of various sizes.

The pathology develops from inflammation of the lateral sinuses. Further, it is localized in the region of the frontal lobes. This will be clearly visible in the darkened areas above the eye sockets and nose. Simultaneous inflammatory processes in the frontal and lateral sinuses indicate not only the presence of sinusitis, but also frontal sinusitis.

A specialist who takes pictures of the nose for sinusitis always determines the condition of the ethmoid bone. Infiltrative fluid often accumulates in the maxillary sinuses:

mucous;
catarrhal;
purulent.

It is quite easy to notice - the liquid appears as a clearly formed white area. This is a clear sign of pathology, which is one of the grounds for making a final diagnosis.

How is an x-ray of the maxillary sinuses performed?

X-ray of the nasal sinuses for sinusitis is a completely standard diagnostic procedure. Before the examination, you must remove all metal objects and removable dentures. If implants, crowns or pins are installed, the radiologist should be notified about this.

To obtain an accurate picture of the disease, a photograph of the nasal sinuses with sinusitis is taken in several projections:

Chin. Based on this image, the specialist analyzes the actual condition of the maxillary sinuses.
Nasomental. This projection clearly shows the presence of an inflammatory process in the mucosa.
Nasofrontal. In this picture you can see the state of the lattice labyrinth.

The examination takes 10-20 minutes, after which the doctor can clearly see the presence or absence of pathology.

X-ray in childhood

Experts agree that X-ray examinations are advisable from the age of 14. Here we are not talking about potential harm to the child’s body, because a single dose of radiation during an examination is absolutely safe for the child. The fact is that at an early age the paranasal sinuses are not yet fully formed, so the examination result cannot be 100% accurate.

In addition, x-rays require maintaining complete stillness throughout the entire examination, which, for obvious reasons, is very difficult to achieve in childhood.

How to determine sinusitis in an adult patient from an image?

Pictures of sinusitis in adult patients are quite characteristic, especially when compared with radiographs of people who do not have this pathology. X-ray will show the following changes:

The eye sockets and sinuses will be of different shades.
The presence of infiltrative fluid (a clear white spot against a darkened background).
Thickened walls and blurred boundaries of the sinuses.
Cystic formations of varying sizes with clearly defined boundaries.

The only thing that cannot be seen in a photo of the nose with sinusitis is the type of fluid that has accumulated in the sinuses. The study only shows its presence in the form of a white spot, but cannot show what kind of infiltrate (purulent, mucous or catarrhal fluid).

Computed tomography for sinusitis

In some cases, in addition to X-rays, a CT scan of the maxillary sinuses is used. This is a more informative diagnostic method, which has its advantages:

This is the most reliable way to examine bone structures.
The result of the study is a three-dimensional image that allows you to view the examined area from different angles and in all planes.
The procedure takes the least time (when compared with X-rays and MRIs).
The picture turns out to be as detailed as possible.
The technique allows you to accurately determine the location and amount of liquid.

When answering the question of what is better to do for sinusitis - CT or MRI, you need to definitely make a choice in favor of computed tomography. This examination can be carried out even in the presence of crowns and implants, which is not possible with magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, MRI has the greatest diagnostic value when examining soft rather than bone tissue.

Is it possible to determine sinusitis without a picture?

If there are significant symptoms, the doctor collects an oral history and conducts an examination. The forehead area and around the nose are palpated for pain. The nasal passages are also examined, the purpose of which is to assess the condition of the mucous membrane.

Based on the manipulations performed, an experienced doctor can diagnose sinusitis without x-rays. But a visual examination does not give a clear picture of the disease, so in order to draw up a competent treatment regimen, it is necessary to take a picture.

X-ray - have been conducting X-ray examinations since 2015. Modern equipment allows you to obtain images of high accuracy and detail. We clearly understand how important diagnosis is for further therapy, therefore we are strict in fulfilling our professional duties.

You can make an appointment with us using the contact phone number listed on the website. Contact us for more detailed advice.

Treatment of mucosal edema during purulent inflammation

To establish the severity of the disease, consultation with an otolaryngologist is necessary. After the examination, he will prescribe you the necessary means of fighting the infection. If the inflammatory process is just developing, with proper treatment, tablets and drops will cope with the microbes. But when pus has formed, medication alone cannot cope; in this case, rinsing or puncture is done.

When breastfeeding, sinusitis is most often treated using the last two methods, since antibiotics and other pharmaceutical products pass into the breastfeeding child through milk, which can harm the baby. The most common and gentle method is rinsing in a doctor’s office.

At home, you can prepare a decoction of anti-inflammatory herbs, make a saline solution, or use a ready-made product from a pharmacy with sea water. The complex therapy drug Aqualor is effective.

Mycetoma

non-invasive fungal sinusitis of the left maxillary sinus

The hypointense MR signal of a mycetoma may be mistaken for air in the paranasal sinus; Non-invasive fungal sinusitis does not look the same in different sequences.

If they are large, they cause headaches due to the pressure of the cyst shell on the walls of the sinus.

Often combined with allergic rhinitis, hypertrophy of the nasal turbinates and deviated nasal septum

Large cysts located in the lower parts of the maxillary sinus may be asymptomatic, while a small cyst located on the upper wall, in the area of the 2nd branch of the trigeminal nerve, can cause headaches.

Mucocele of the ethmoid labyrinth and frontal sinus on the right

This is a large formation of the paranasal sinus, lined with epithelium and filled with mucus, which is formed as a result of obstruction of the main sinus canal.

The most typical symptom: expansion of the paranasal sinus with smooth, clear contours with thinning and remodeling of the adjacent bone plate.

Disease prevention

A few tips to help you stay healthy:

strengthen the immune system;
frequently ventilate the premises;
dress according to the season;
maintain hygiene, wash your hands when coming from the street;
rinse your nose for prevention.

Airborne germs enter the body through the nose when breathing. Before they have time to gain a foothold and penetrate deeper, they must be mechanically removed using the Aqualor product.