Watch Out for Pollen in Spring Months

Spring months may not be a time that many of us look forward to with great enthusiasm. Especially for those with allergies, spring is a season when they walk around all day with tissues in hand, eyes watering… Pollen in the air affects allergic individuals. But the risks for allergic people are not limited to these. The inflammation that develops in those with pollen allergies also invites sinusitis. Sinusitis that frequently occurs in spring months due to pollen can be treated easily as long as it does not become chronic. However, Dr. Burak Ertaş, Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist at Acıbadem Maslak Hospital, noting that the treatment of chronic sinusitis can extend to surgical intervention, shares the following information about the factors causing the disease, ranging from sinusitis and prolonged viral infections to air travel. Air cavities located within the bones surrounding the nose are called sinuses. The human face contains five pairs of sinuses: in the cheeks, forehead, between and in front and behind the eyes, and in the nasal region. Inflammation of the mucosa lining these air cavities for various reasons leads to sinusitis.

Six Causes

Blockage of sinus channels due to various factors prevents the sinuses from being ventilated, and the inability to drain secretions produced here through the nose and nasal passages causes inflammation of the mucosa. So what causes this blockage? Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist Dr. Burak Ertaş states that six main causes ranging from hay fever to air travel lead to sinus blockage. These are listed as follows: 1. Allergic rhinitis (Hay fever), 2. Prolonged viral infections, 3. Nasal turbinate enlargement, nasal septum deviation, polyps, adenoid enlargement in children and other problems causing obstruction within the nose, 4. Pressure changes during air travel or diving, 5. Tumors, 6. Dental disease or treatment complications.

Symptoms Should Be Taken into Account

The most common symptoms of sinusitis are headache, nasal discharge, nasal congestion and a sensation of fullness in the face. In addition to these, symptoms such as bad breath, cough, ear pain or pressure sensation, tooth pain, mild fever, reduced sense of smell and fatigue may accompany the general presentation. Chronic sinusitis generally progresses with milder symptoms, while symptoms appear most intensely at night and in the early morning hours.

Can Be Acute or Chronic

Sinusitis that begins suddenly and completely resolves in less than four weeks is classified as acute sinusitis. Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist Dr. Burak Ertaş states that this type of sinusitis frequently develops following viral upper respiratory tract infection, and that if the infection lasts between 4 and 12 weeks, it is termed "subacute sinusitis"; sinusitis that occurs within one year and recurs more than four times, with each episode lasting at least 7 days or longer, is called "recurrent sinusitis." "The chronic sinusitis condition is what really concerns us," says Dr. Ertaş, pointing out that if the condition lasts 12 weeks or longer, surgical treatment becomes an option.