Overview
With chronic sinusitis, the tissues inside your sinuses become inflamed and blocked for a long period of time due to swelling and mucus buildup.
Acute sinusitis only happens for a short time (usually a week), but chronic sinusitis can last for months. Sinusitis is considered chronic after at least 12 weeks of symptoms. Acute sinusitis is usually caused by a cold, but chronic sinusitis can have many other causes.
Nearly
Some home treatments can help relieve your symptoms. But you may need medication and long-term treatment to keep the symptoms from coming back.
Sinusitis is considered chronic after symptoms last for more than 12 weeks. Acute sinusitis often happens because of a cold and disappears along with the cold.
You also need to have at least two of the following symptoms for sinusitis to be diagnosed as chronic:
Other common symptoms of chronic sinusitis include:
Following are the most common causes of chronic sinusitis:
Other health conditions can cause chronic sinusitis too, including:
Many treatments are available for chronic sinusitis. Some you can do at home for short-term relief. Others will help treat the underlying cause of your sinusitis.
Medications and specialist treatment
Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications can help relieve the pain of a headache or pressure from swelling. These include ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Nasal sprays with corticosteroids also help with inflammation. OTC sprays include fluticasone (Flonase Allergy Relief) and mometasone (Nasonex). Nasal sprays can also help make nasal polyps get smaller. This will help you breathe better if they’re blocking your nasal passages.
If your sinusitis is caused by an infection, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic to treat the infection and relieve some of your symptoms. Chronic sinusitis isn’t often caused by an infection, but serious infections that result in sinusitis may require antibiotic treatment to prevent complications.
If your chronic sinusitis is caused by allergies, your doctor may refer you to an allergist. An allergist can conduct tests to figure out what you’re allergic to. They can then give you regular allergy shots to gradually allow your body to become immune to those allergens. Allergy shots may not take effect until several years after beginning the treatment, but they can help relieve allergy symptoms drastically in the long term.
Home remedies
Use a saline solution made of water and salt to lubricate your nasal passages. This helps mucus drain more easily. This solution can also relieve swelling. Inhale steam from hot water or use a humidifier to help mucus drain and reduce inflammation.
Surgery
In rare cases, your doctor may recommend surgery if home treatments and medication don’t help. Surgery options for chronic sinusitis include:
Endoscopic sinus surgery: Your doctor inserts a thin tube with a light and a camera into your sinuses to see if polyps, mucus, or other tissue is blocking your sinuses. Your doctor may then remove the blockage. In some cases, your doctor may increase the space in your sinuses to help you breathe.
Deviated septum surgery (septoplasty) or nose surgery (rhinoplasty): Your doctor reshapes the wall between your nostrils or the tissue of your nose to straighten it out or expand it. This can help you breathe more easily out of both nostrils.
If left untreated, chronic sinusitis can make it difficult to breathe, which can keep you from being active or getting enough oxygen into your body. Long-term chronic sinusitis can also cause other serious complications, including:
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Based on the cause of your chronic sinusitis, the symptoms may never be fully treated. You may require long-term treatment to help keep your symptoms from disrupting your daily life.
But in many cases, your symptoms can be treated through home remedies, OTC medications, and a treatment plan developed with your doctor to address its specific causes.