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Common Sinus Problems

Allergies

Allergies are one of the most common medical problems in the United States. Many allergies are seasonal, while others can be year-round, and both types can cause major sinus problems.
Common Allergies

  • Pollens

  • Molds

  • Dust

  • Animal Dander

  • Food

Sinus Infections/Sinusitis

"Sinusitis is a common inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, the cavities that produce the mucus necessary for the nasal passages to work effectively." -Medical News Today
Symptoms

  • facial pain and pressure

  • blocked nose

  • nasal discharge

  • reduced sense of smell

  • congestion

  • cough

Septal Deviation

"A deviated septum occurs when the thin wall (nasal septum) between your nasal passages is displaced to one side. In many people, the nasal septum is displaced, or deviated, making one nasal passage smaller." -Mayo Clinic

Symptoms

  • facial pain and pressure

  • nosebleeds

  • noisy breathing during sleep

  • awareness of nasal cycle

  • preference for sleeping on a particular side

  • obstruction of one or both nostrils

Sinus Infections
Septal Deviation

Sinus Headaches

"Sinus headaches are headaches that may feel like an infection in the sinuses (sinusitis). You may feel pressure around your eyes, cheeks, and forehead. Perhaps your head throbs." -Mayo Clinic

Symptoms

  • Pain, pressure and fullness in your cheeks, brow or forehead

  • Worsening pain if you bend forward or lie down

  • Stuffy nose

  • Fatigue

  • Achy feeling in your upper teeth

Sinus Headaches

Sinus Polyps

"Sinus polyps are soft, painless, noncancerous growths on the lining of your nasal passages or sinuses. They hang down like teardrops or grapes. They result from chronic inflammation due to asthma, recurring infection, allergies, drug sensitivity or certain immune disorders." -Mayo Clinic

Symptoms

  • A runny nose

  • Persistent stuffiness

  • Postnasal drip

  • Decreased or absent sense of smell

  • Loss of sense of taste

  • Facial pain or headache

  • Pain in your upper teeth

  • A sense of pressure over your forehead and face

  • Snoring

Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy

Turbinates are bony structures inside your nose covered by mucous membranes. They are essential to respiration, and their main role is to filter and humidify the air that is inhaled through your nose.

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Chronic nasal obstruction (stuffy nose) is often caused by enlargement (hypertrophy) of the inferior turbinate. Congested nasal obstruction can impair normal breathing, forcing patients to breathe through the mouth and often affects their daily activities. Enlarged turbinates and nasal obstruction can also contribute to headaches and sleep disorders such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, as the nasal airway is the normal breathing route during sleep.

Causes

  • Allergies

  • Sinusitis

  • Environment irritants (such as cigarette or cigar smoke)

  • Pregnancy or other hormonal changes

  • Aging process

  • Congenital variations

Sinus Polyps
Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy
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