Signs of sinusitis in children

What is sinusitis in a child: causes of development

Sinusitis is traditionally called inflammation of the mucous membrane of the first or several paranasal sinuses (sinuses), localized on both sides and in the area of ​​the bridge of the nose.
The main cause of its occurrence is acute respiratory infections caused by viruses or bacteria. However, sometimes pathogenic fungal flora can also lead to the development of pathology. Against the background of impaired outflow of mucus containing pathogenic microorganisms, if recommendations for nasal care during rhinitis are not followed, inflammation from the nasal mucosa spreads to the paranasal sinuses, which leads to the development of the disease.

Somewhat less frequently, the following are prerequisites for the development of sinusitis:

• deviated nasal septum;
• hypertrophy (increase in size) of shells;
• ridges and spines of the nasal septum;
• allergic rhinitis;
• polyps and tumors of any other nature;
• teeth affected by caries and, in particular, their roots.

These factors often lead not only to the occurrence of sinusitis in children, but also to disruption of the development of the paranasal sinuses. As a result of this, their shape, size and even the diameters of the anastomosis and passages are distorted.

Read more: Hay fever: symptoms and treatment. Differences from a common runny nose

Allergic rhinitis in children: symptoms, causes, treatment and prevention

Classification of sinusitis: forms of the disease. Differences

There are several categories by which types of disease are distinguished. According to the localization of the process, they are distinguished:

• sinusitis - damage to the maxillary sinus;
• frontal sinuses - damage to the frontal sinuses;
• ethmoiditis is an inflammatory process affecting the cells of the ethmoid labyrinth;
• sphenoiditis is a rarely self-developing inflammatory process in the sphenoid sinus, located deep behind the nose;
• pansinusitis – simultaneous damage to all paranasal sinuses.

If only one of the paired sinuses is affected, a diagnosis of unilateral sinusitis is made. If both are affected, it is bilateral.

Depending on the duration of the pathology, they speak of an acute or chronic form. The latter is diagnosed only if symptoms persist for more than 3 months. Source: nasmorkam.net Based on the nature of the inflammatory process, they are distinguished:

• catarrhal (observed mainly in viral infections);
• purulent (typical of infection with bacterial flora).

Children under 3 years of age rarely suffer from the disease. In older children, acute sinusitis is most often diagnosed.

to the content?

Diagnostics

Diagnosis includes a medical history, a blood test to detect an inflammatory process, an examination by an otolaryngologist and clinical methods: computed tomography, ultrasound, endoscopy.

Using these instrumental methods, the type of disease, location, severity is determined, a connection with jaw inflammation, the presence of purulent masses, and tissue changes are established.

To identify the source of the infectious form, a blood test is done for virology and mucus for the presence of a bacterial or other pathogen.

If allergies are suspected as the source of the disease, the patient is given an immunogram, one by one excluding possible pathogens. Or simply rule out the most likely causes of the allergy and observe the intensity of the symptoms. After stopping contact with the allergen, the symptoms become noticeably less pronounced.

Symptoms of sinusitis in a child. How to recognize?

In acute sinusitis, not only the paranasal sinuses are affected, but the entire body as a whole. Therefore, the signs of pathology are quite multifaceted and are manifested by the occurrence of disturbances in the functioning of many organs.

Thus, if sinusitis occurs in a child, the symptoms will be as follows:

• fever, fatigue;
• headaches and a feeling of fullness in the affected sinuses, aggravated by bending the head forward and pressing on the tissue over the affected sinuses;
• constant or periodic difficulty in nasal breathing, and usually the baby can breathe normally in the morning, but in the evening his condition worsens;
• rhinorrhea;
• deterioration of sense of smell;
• swelling of the soft tissues of the face in the projection of the inflamed sinus.

The most specific sign of the disease in the acute period is headache, pain observed against the background of a runny nose. Usually it is diffuse in nature, but in the presence of a unilateral process it can be localized precisely on the side of the affected sinus.

Material on the topic: Sinusitis in a child: symptoms and treatment at home

In this case, sometimes a cough may also be present with sinusitis in a child, although it is not characteristic of the disease itself. Cough is a frequent companion to acute respiratory infections and other similar diseases that can precede the development of sinusitis or occur against its background.

It is worth noting

Sometimes a cough appears in response to mucus flowing down the back wall of the nasopharynx, which is often observed in the morning or when the cells of the back of the ethmoid labyrinth or sphenoid sinus are inflamed.

Chronic sinusitis manifests itself in a similar way. But its main feature is a certain frequency of occurrence of signs of pathology, for example, exacerbations are often observed in autumn and spring, when climatic conditions are most conducive to the active reproduction of viruses.

When should you call a doctor?

The reason for calling a specialist is always an increase in temperature, and in the acute form of the pathology it can reach 39 °C or higher. In any case, it is extremely difficult to cure the disease on your own and is dangerous due to the development of life-threatening complications.

Moreover, the sooner competent therapy is started, the faster the recovery will occur. Therefore, you should consult a doctor when the first symptoms of the disease appear.

to the content?

Method of infection

Hematogenous - through the blood. In this case, the source of infection can be located anywhere in the body. With the development of pathogenic flora, suppuration and other dangerous processes, toxins and infections are released into the blood, which spreads throughout the body. Inflammation in the sinuses after infection develops independently and does not depend on treatment of the primary lesion.

The exception is cases when, as a result of complex therapy, for example, antibiotic therapy, all pathogenic organisms are destroyed, and local relief of rhinitis eliminates blockage of the nasal canals.

Nasal, airborne droplets are a common method of infection, characteristic of viral infections and a complication of classic rhinitis. Inflammation often occurs due to prolonged disruption of nasal breathing. Parents try to make it easier for the baby to breathe and force him to frequently blow out his nasal passage, rub it with a handkerchief, rinse his nose, etc.

This cannot be avoided when treating a runny nose, but irritation of the epithelium is inevitable. When the symptoms begin to subside and the mucus acquires a viscous structure, adults often stop rinsing the nose of children, and it is during this period that blockage of the canals is most likely.

Odontogenic - a relatively rare method, has a dental nature. Possible due to the proximity of the teeth of the upper jaw to the maxillary sinuses. After the formation of a fistula in the tooth cavity, food gets there, and along with it microbes, stagnation and inflammation occurs, which, if left untreated for a long time, leads to chronic sinusitis.

Primary diseases: periodontitis, osteomyelitis of the upper jaw, impacted teeth, trauma to the jaw during tooth extraction, festering cyst. The main causative agent of the disease is coccal infection: staphylococcus and others. Most often, of all the symptoms, only a prolonged runny nose and nasal congestion are observed; in the acute form, headaches and local pain in the sinuses, teeth, and cheeks are observed.

Local relief of symptoms does not help. Such sinusitis can be eliminated only in dentistry, subject to treatment or removal of the tooth or other part of the jaw that became the source of the problem.

Traumatic - as a result of damage to the structure of the nasal septum and narrowing of the passages, a predisposition to sinusitis may occur. Then any infectious disease, for example ARVI, will be more severe and is fraught with complications in the form of sinusitis.

Non-infectious

The cause of a non-infectious type of disease can be allergic rhinitis. Typically, allergy pathogens penetrate through the air and cause inflammation of the mucous membranes.

Another reason is trauma or pathology of the nasal cavity, in which the air ducts are blocked.

Infectious

Divided into viral, bacterial, fungal and mixed.

Acute form

Acute is characterized by active progression of the disease with pronounced symptoms. This type of illness disappears within three months, or becomes chronic if treated incorrectly and untimely.

Chronic pathology

Chronic sinusitis is characterized by less pronounced symptoms, for example, the temperature is normal, but the patient’s nose is stuffy, there is regular dull pain in the sinuses, weakness and fatigue. With this course of the disease, there may be no external secretion of mucus at all; the secretions may enter the pharynx along the back wall of the larynx.

The disease is characterized by a periodic increase in symptoms and its attenuation. The duration of the disease is more than three months. Sometimes sinusitis can last for years.

Diagnostic measures: which doctor should I contact?

Traditionally, sinusitis is treated by an otolaryngologist or ENT specialist. However, in the absence of such a specialist in the local clinic, which is often the case in small villages, you can contact a pediatrician.

To diagnose the disease, patients are prescribed:

• general blood and urine analysis;
• rhinoscopy – endoscopic examination of the nasal passages and surrounding structures;
• X-ray;
• CT;
• MRI.

Diagnostics: X-ray of the sinuses: description of the procedure. Reviews, price

MRI of the sinuses: what does it show and how is it done? Price

CT scan of the nasal sinuses: what does it show? Full description of the procedure. Price

In severe cases, when the therapy does not produce results, a microbiological examination of the contents of the affected sinuses is prescribed to accurately determine the type of pathogen and its susceptibility to various antibiotics.

to the content?

Complications of sinusitis

In the absence of adequate treatment or untimely access to a medical facility, the risk of complications increases. If your sinusitis symptoms worsen, you should visit your pediatrician. If the infection spreads quickly, tissues and neighboring organs are damaged. The main complications of sinusitis include:

• sinus thrombosis;
• neurosis of the optic and facial nerves;
• pneumonia;
• thrombophlebitis;
• abscess of tissues of the face and brain;
• encephalitis;
• meningitis.

An advanced inflammatory process affects the bones of the skull, which can lead to death.

Sinusitis in a child: treatment. Step by step

Treatment of sinusitis in a child begins only after the cause of its development has been accurately established and eliminated, since its effectiveness directly depends on this.

If it lies in the presence of a diseased tooth, then one of the first stages of treatment is the elimination of caries, and in case of severe destruction, removal.

Important

Otherwise, even complete therapy in full compliance with the doctor’s instructions will not bear the expected fruits or the pathology will soon recur.

Once the cause is eliminated, patients are prescribed drugs with antibacterial activity to destroy pathogenic bacterial microflora.

It is also necessary to prescribe medications for sinusitis, which help accelerate the evacuation of mucus from the sinuses and restore their normal drainage and aeration.

For this purpose the following are appointed:

1. saline solutions for irrigation, that is, washing the nose (Marimer, Aqualor, Physiomer, Humer, Aquamaris, saline, etc.);
2. vasoconstrictor drops (Nazivin, Nazik, Noxprey, Rinazolin, Galazolin, Vibrocil, Rinofluimucil, etc.);
3. corticosteroids (Nasonex, Beconase, Flixonase, Avamis, etc.);
4. NSAIDs (Paracetamol, Panadol, Nurofen, Ibuprofen);
5. homeopathic remedies (Sinupret, Cinnabsin, etc.).

In severe situations, patients are recommended to undergo a “cuckoo test”.

This procedure, carried out in an ENT office, involves professionally flushing the paranasal sinuses from mucus accumulated in them by injecting a solution into one nostril and suctioning it through the other using a vacuum.

Treatment of sinusitis: Yamic sinus catheter: procedure for sinusitis. Treatment, reviews

Washing Cuckoo for sinusitis: description of the procedure and reviews

In the presence of sinusitis, much less often frontal sinusitis, with the release of purulent secretion and insufficient effectiveness of drug therapy, parents of patients are offered to perform a puncture (puncture) of the affected sinus, followed by washing it with solutions of antibiotics and antiseptics.

But this technique is practiced only in extreme cases, when conservative measures cannot cope with the disease.

Hospitalization is required only in severe situations when complications may develop.

Antibiotics for sinusitis in children

For mild catarrhal forms, drugs for local use, that is, sprays, can be used:

1

Polydexa is an effective combination drug, the components of which are the antibiotics neomycin and polymyxin, as well as the adrenergic agonist phenylephrine and the corticosteroid dexamethasone. Thanks to this, it kills pathogenic microflora, has an anti-inflammatory effect and helps eliminate swelling. Polydexa can be prescribed to patients over 3 years of age.

2

Bioparox is a spray whose active ingredient is fusafungin. This antibiotic is unique in its origin and structure. It is effective against many pathogenic bacteria and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties. Its use is allowed from 2 years of age.

3

Isofra is a drug based on the aminoglycoside framycetin, which is active against many microorganisms that cause upper respiratory tract infections. Isofra is prescribed to patients older than one year.

In more severe cases, oral forms of antibiotics are prescribed, for example, Cefix, Cefodox, Amoxicillin, Sumamed, Ciprofloxacin, Floracid, etc.

Patients are also often prescribed antiseptic drops, such as Protargol or Collargol.

to the content?

General signs of the disease

Common symptoms of sinusitis in children concern the nose itself:

• persistent runny nose - more than two weeks;
• nasal congestion;
• nasal voice;
• labored breathing;
• loss of smell;
• pain in the nose, cheeks, forehead, has a daily cycle.

One or more symptoms may be observed.

In addition to this, the baby is worried about:

• weakness, aches;
• temperature rise to 38 degrees and above;
• nausea;
• poor appetite and sleep;

How to treat sinusitis in children: Dr. Komarovsky

In many of his books and videos, the popular children's doctor E. O. Komarovsky talked about the symptoms and treatment of sinusitis, etc.

First of all, he insists that the doctor should decide how to treat sinusitis in a child, strictly on an individual basis and based on data from a number of laboratory and instrumental examinations.

He sets one of the primary tasks for the patient’s parents to create and maintain conditions in the apartment that are ideal for normal breathing. That is, the air temperature is no more than 18–20 °C and humidity is 45–60%.

It is important to regularly ventilate the nursery and carry out wet cleaning in it.

Otherwise, the doctor also adheres to the importance of timely prescribing antibiotics and, if necessary, using medications to eliminate symptoms that prevent the child from living a normal life. [ads-pc-1][ads-mob-1] to content ?

Treatment

Treatment of sinusitis includes a number of techniques, the variability of the combination of which depends on the nature, type and stage of the disease. This includes:

• antiviral drugs (for viral infections) – stimulate the body to fight viruses;
• antibacterial therapy (antibiotics) – for bacterial infection;
• vasoconstrictor drops - reduce the amount of mucus secreted, increase the patency of the channels, facilitate nasal breathing;
• inhalations - help thin mucus, relieve swelling, eliminate blockage of the sinuses;
• nasal rinsing;
• antiallergic drugs;
• anti-inflammatory drugs;
• physical procedures;
• surgical intervention.

Folk remedies at home

It is impossible to cure sinusitis in a child, especially bacterial sinusitis, using folk remedies alone. This practice can only lead to the development of dangerous complications and the process becoming chronic.

However, as a complement to traditional drug treatment, nebulizer inhalation can be used using:

• infusion of chamomile or calendula flowers;
• infusion of plantain leaves;
• fir essential oil;
• tea tree essential oil, etc.

Warming the nose, which is popular among people, using boiled chicken eggs, potatoes or bags of cereal can only be used with the permission of a doctor after the end of the acute period of the disease, provided there is no purulent discharge.

They are applied on top of cotton fabric on the sides of the bridge of the nose above the affected sinuses.

Remember

You should not give your child any mixtures based on onion, garlic or aloe juice, as they can burn the mucous membrane and cause a deterioration in the baby’s condition.

It is not recommended to use honey or beets for these purposes, since the sugars they contain will become an excellent breeding ground for pathogenic microflora.

It is better to take immunomodulatory agents internally, such as rosehip decoction, tea or milk with honey.

More on the topic: Sinusitis: treatment with antibiotics. Name, drops, tablets

Treatment of sinusitis with folk remedies at home

to the content?

When should you start taking action?

You should pay attention and take action in the following cases:

• if the baby’s runny nose does not go away for a long time;
• constant or variable congestion of one or the other half of the nose, both;
• if the child complains of pain in any part of the head;
• increased photo and audio sensory (sound fear, photophobia);
• the pain intensifies when the head is tilted forward;
• purulent discharge from the nose.

The inflammatory process that develops in the head brings a lot of unpleasant sensations: burning, bloating, pain, heaviness. This affects the child's behavior. He shows anxiety, nervousness, cannot find something to do, there is weakness in the body, drowsiness - the child looks for a position and a place where he will feel better, covers his face with his hands.

Prevention

Since in most cases, sinusitis is a consequence of untreated rhinitis, the main prevention of its development is timely, competent treatment of all acute respiratory infections, in particular:

• regular nose blowing;
• washing with saline solutions;
• the use of medications indicated in each individual case.

To avoid the occurrence of an odontogenic form of the disease, you should be regularly examined by a dentist and, if necessary, immediately treat teeth affected by caries or remove them. An important aspect of prevention is the elimination of anatomical defects of the nasal cavity.

to the content?

Specific symptoms

A characteristic sign of odontogenic sinusitis is pain on palpation of the anterior wall of the sinus above the upper jaw, toothache, swelling of the oral mucosa and facial asymmetry. The indication for making such a diagnosis is destructive processes in the mouth. They occur when left untreated or due to wound infection after medical intervention. An advanced infection can develop and reach the eye.

Allergic inflammation often has a seasonal cycle because the main allergens are of plant origin. If sinusitis regularly returns in the fall or spring, then the likelihood of this type of illness is very high. It is also worth noting that upon contact with an allergen, all symptoms intensify; a particular feature is increased irritability of the lacrimal glands and bouts of sneezing, with the help of which the body tries to get rid of the allergen. Allergic sinusitis does not respond to standard therapy, and rinsing the nose with saline solution worsens the situation.

Treatment with antibiotics

A common physiotherapeutic procedure is “Cuckoo”. The technique involves forcefully rinsing the nasal passages using a device. The patient is placed on his back, his head is thrown back so that he does not suffocate, a tube is inserted into one nostril through which the rinsing solution is supplied, and it is sucked out of the second. To achieve the desired result, the patient must constantly repeat “ku-ku”. This method is used to treat children over 5 years of age, since children do not yet know how to behave correctly. The procedure is unpleasant and will easily scare the baby, and stress is not a friend to health.

If it is necessary to urgently ensure the exit of exudate from the sinus, surgical puncture methods are used. Unfortunately, for children this is fraught with the disease developing into a chronic form. There is a high risk that with the next illness, a runny nose will develop into recurrent sinusitis. In this case, conservative treatment will not have an effect, and sinus punctures will become a regular procedure for the baby.

It is necessary to scrupulously and carefully follow the recommendations of the attending physician in order to prevent severe damage to the maxillary sinuses, when medications become powerless in the fight against infection and pus, and surgical intervention has to be used.

Additionally, they prescribe rinsing the nose with saline solutions, which are also purchased at the pharmacy: saline solution, Aqua-Maris, Rinolux. They relieve swelling and moisturize the surface of the mucous membrane.

To reduce the temperature (if it is above 38, and if the infection is not of a fungal nature), drugs containing Paracetamol or Ibuprofen are used. Names of drugs: Coldrex, Panadol.

To thin the mucus, mucolytics, Ambroxol, Holixol, Ambrobene, Lazolvan are prescribed. The listed medications contain one active ingredient. Available in the form of syrup, tablets, etc. For children, syrup or inhalation solution is prescribed.

A comprehensive remedy for the treatment of sinusitis - Sinupret. It acts as an antiviral agent, relieves swelling, thins mucus and facilitates elimination.

For viral infections, immunomodulating agents are prescribed: Viferon, Interferon.

For allergic sinusitis, anti-allergenic drugs and complete isolation from the source are prescribed.