Williamsburg Sun

Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers recently spoke about some solutions and treatment remedies for acute sinusitis.

According to Mayo Clinic, acute sinusitis causes the spaces inside your nose (sinuses) to become inflamed and swollen. This interferes with drainage and causes mucus to build up, which can leave sufferers feeling pretty miserable. Sometimes sinusitis patients find they have facial pain and even tooth pain.

"The reason why the teeth hurt is because the nerve that innervates the face with sensation is the fifth cranial nerve," Ditto told the Williamsburg Sun. "It's the nerve that you feel when you touch your forehead, your cheeks and your jaw. When you go to the dental office, they inject one of those branches to numb your teeth, either the upper or lower, that they also innervate the sinuses. When the sinuses are blocked... and you get that pressure in your teeth, that is because that pressure is causing irritation to the nerves. And that's why you're having that pain. To prevent that is to treat the sinus opening. And that's where balloon sinuplasty is very effective."

Dr. John Ditto | zocdoc.com

With acute sinusitis, it might be difficult for patients to breathe through their nose. The area around the eyes and face might feel swollen, and patients might have throbbing facial pain or a headache, according to Mayo Clinic.

"The sinuses are lined by the nasal and sinus epithelium, or lining, and that lining is reactive to allergens," Ditto explained. "Those allergens cause histamine release... that causes swelling, and they obstruct the tiny sinus openings in which our sinuses normally drain. Sinus ostias are usually anywhere between 2 to 3 millimeters in size. But that lining that's around that ostium is dynamic. So if it's inflamed, it's going to swell. If it swells, it can occlude the sinus ostium, or passage, causing a backflow of mucus in the sinus, which then causes certain things to happen, which can bring on a sinus infection. By treating the allergy, you decrease the inflammation and you can maintain sinus openings so that they drain effectively and reduce recurrent and chronic sinusitis."

Acute sinusitis is most often caused by the common cold. Unless a bacterial infection develops, most cases resolve within a week to 10 days. Home remedies may be all you need to treat acute sinusitis. However, sinusitis that lasts more than 12 weeks, despite medical treatment, is considered chronic sinusitis and may need to be treated by a doctor.

To evaluate your symptoms, take this sinus quiz from Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.