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Sinus Infections and Septoplasty
By admin | April 1, 2010
Sinus Infections And Septoplasty
Unfortunately, the sinuses are the much maligned and much blamed subjects of advertisements for decongestant and allergic nose sprays, pills and an assortment of over-the-counter medications. The reality is that the sinuses are dependent on the nose function. They need to be filled with air that flows into them from the nose. So it is the nose that really deserves our attention. Consider the sinuses as anterooms that sit astride the nasal passage as a hallway. You cannot get into your room if the hallway is blocked. So if the nasal passages are blocked, you cannot expect the sinuses to function normally.
What happens in the case of abnormal nasal architecture such as the presence of a deviated septum (the vertical partition that separates the right and left nasal passage) is that the airflow is inadequate. When the airflow is inadequate, then the sinuses do not aerate properly. They may begin to fill with fluid and ultimately cause symptoms. The symptoms of true sinus infections are hard to ignore: headache or facial and tooth pain. The signs are thick and often pus-like drainage from the nose into the throat. Sometimes bleeding. Patients have a temperature and even nausea and vomiting. A sickness far worse than a “head cold”.
The best way to keep the sinuses healthy and out of trouble is to not smoke and make sure that your air passages are functioning well. This calls for an examination by a specialist. It may be that only allergies need treatment with a prescription steroid or cortisone nasal spray. But for some patients, surgery is necessary. The surgery takes less than an hour, has been done for over 100 years and is very well established. The definitive operation is nasal septoplasty to correct the deviated, crooked or broken nasal septum as well as trimming of the inferior turbinates which are normal outpouchings inside the nasal cavity subject to enlargement either from allergy or other stimulations.
Finally, when patients tell me that they have “three to four sinus infections every year” I know they need help. That is not a normal condition. True sinus infections should be very rare.
Topics: Cosmetic Plastic Surgery, Home, Revision Rhinoplasty, Rhinoplasty, Septoplasty | No Comments »