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Runny nose and maxillary sinusitis: how to treat it correctly?
Last reviewed: 08.07.2025
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A runny nose is one of the first and probably the most unpleasant symptoms of a cold that each of us has encountered. Specialists call a runny nose "rhinitis", and the average person meets every cold snap with a red nose, endless handkerchiefs and the accompanying bad mood. Despite the fact that a runny nose seems quite harmless and not worth special attention, it can lead to complications and require long-term treatment.
If the runny nose continues for several days, then there is nothing to worry about, but if the runny nose lasts more than a week, it is time to visit a specialist. If after the first week of illness the runny nose does not go away, and in addition there is a dull pain in the temples, a feeling of heaviness in the eyebrow area, then there may be suspicions that it is sinusitis.
Sinusitis is a complex disease that, unlike a runny nose, will not go away on its own and poses a serious danger to an exhausted organism. The first signs, as often happens, do not foretell anything terrible: not too much discharge from the nasal cavity, a slight increase in temperature (no more than 37 degrees), a decline in vitality. These are the symptoms of a common interseasonal cold, which almost each of us is used to enduring on our feet and does not take seriously. If such signs do not go away for a long time, and in addition to them you notice some heaviness in the bridge of the nose, then immediately visit an ENT specialist, who, after a short examination, will be able to tell you the diagnosis.
If you do not see a doctor immediately, sinusitis may progress to a purulent stage. The symptoms of the second stage are much more unpleasant and painful: the headache becomes stronger and more distinct, is difficult to eliminate with painkillers, nasal discharge acquires a cloudy greenish tint and a denser texture. In some cases, there are clear signs of inflammation: redness, severe sharp pain, high temperature, which is difficult to bring down. Sometimes only a periodic headache can indicate a complex disease. Only a qualified specialist can give an accurate diagnosis using an X-ray, so if you have been bothered by a stuffy nose and an unreasonable headache for a long time, take a diagnostic X-ray and see a doctor.
When sinusitis enters the purulent stage, antibiotic drugs are used to treat it, and to reduce swelling of the nasal cavity, the patient is prescribed vasoconstrictor drugs.
The most effective treatment for sinusitis is a puncture of the maxillary sinuses with a special sharp instrument and subsequent pumping of pus directly from the source of infection. After removing the pus, the sinuses are washed with disinfectants, antiseptics, and antibiotics are prescribed. This method, despite its effectiveness, is very painful, so it is better not to delay treatment.
After the procedures, patients are sometimes prescribed physiotherapy: laser therapy, magnetotherapy, massage, heating with an infrared lamp. In addition, preventive training with breathing exercises is recommended.
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