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Sinusitis, or simply the inflammation of one or more of the paranasal sinuses, is one of the most often diagnosed diseases in the United States. It results in staggering health-care costs annually, amounting to a few billion dollars! Because of the magnitude of effect of sinusitis, it is not at all surprising that it is consistently being reviewed and continued to be studied by experts. These efforts are geared towards more effective diagnosis, better management and ultimately, improving the quality of the patients’ lives. The information that follows tackles some of the updated practice guidelines in dealing with sinusitis cases released a few years ago by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Re-classification Sinusitis cases now have four (4) classifications based on the onset of signs and symptoms. In acute sinusitis, symptoms persist for less than four weeks. In the subacute type, the manifestations are apparent from four to eight weeks. On the other hand, if the manifestations persist longer than eight weeks, it is said to be chronic. Lastly, if a person experiences at least three bouts of acute sinusitis in a year, his case is classified as recurrent. Management The diagnosis of sinusitis is made by considering the patients’ clinical history, physical examination and results from imaging studies, and/or laboratory tests. X-ray or CT scans, though helpful, may not always be necessary. Antibiotics remain to be a part of the primary therapy for sinusitis, however, health providers must be aware of the increasing cases of antibiotic resistance. The use of new-generation antibiotics must be considered when necessary. People who suffer from chronic or recurrent sinusitis, especially when particularly associated with certain conditions, must be referred to an allergologist or immunologist for evaluation and possible concurrent treatment for allergic rhinitis or other related conditions. Surgery remains to be a last resort, when medical management did not work. New Age Treatment Whereas the combination of medications used in the treatment of sinusitis generally remains the same, there are now other routes of administration for these medications. This includes medicated irrigation and nebulisation. Both these techniques involve topical (or direct) administration of the drugs’ active ingredients right where the effect is intended. Topical administration is an alternative to the staple, oral administration, in which pills or tablets are taken by mouth and then allowed to disintegrate until the active ingredients are absorbed in the bloodstream where they will exert their therapeutic effects. In the case of medicated irrigation and nebulisation, on the other hand, medicated solutions are made to come in direct contact with the affected nasal mucous membranes and inflamed sinuses through a specially designed nozzle spray (in medicated irrigation) or a nebulizer (in nebulisation). Because the active ingredients of the medicated solution are directly administered to the affected tissues, immediate, long lasting relief without threat of systemic side effects is afforded to the patient. Sinus Dynamics a leading compounding pharmacy, manufactures its complete line of medication for sinusitis, rhinitis and rhinosinusitis ready for use with its irrigators and nebulizers like ActiveSinus and SinusAero. Ask your doctor which treatment will work best for you. For more information, please visit http://www.sinusdynamics.com/
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