Sinusitis: Symptoms and Diagnosis
Symptoms
- Headache.
- Intense facial pain that increases when touching the regions near the nose (forehead, eyebrows and cheeks).
- Nasal congestion.
- Fever.
- Malaise.
- Nasal discharge, usually green, yellow or white.
- Nosebleeds (epistaxis).
- Cough.
- Difficulty distinguishing odors (hyposmia)
- Pain when chewing.
- Loss of voice (aphonia).
- Bad breath (halitosis).
Diagnosis
It is possible to establish the presence of sinusitis by various medical resources:
History. To understand the patient’s lifestyle, if you have had recent respiratory infections or determine possible allergy.
Physical examination. First, it is important to recognize the symptoms, state of the mucosa, polyps, deviated septum, runny texture and tenderness when touching the face in areas where the sinuses are located.
X-rays and CT scans. Both systems work with X rays, the first used to obtain planar images (front and side) and the second in “slices” of the cranial structure. They are used in cases of difficult diagnosis, such as when dental abscess (collection of pus between the root of the tooth and the jawbone).
Oropharyngeal swab. Allows sampling of the surface of the throat, to determine the presence of bacteria and know what drugs are most effective for their eradication.
Allergy skin tests. Used to determine the reactions generating substance (allergen) to the patient to avoid it.
Ciliary motility studies. It is very common, but it helps to determine if there is adequate drainage of the sinuses and therefore at risk of recurrent sinusitis.
In isolated instances can use blood tests to know the nutritional status and immune system.