Medical expert of the article
New publications
Symptoms of acute sinusitis
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
In newborns and infants, the disease in the form of ethmoiditis develops rapidly and is difficult. The catarrhal form is practically not diagnosed, since the disease passes into a purulent form for several hours. The prevalence of general symptoms over local symptoms is marked: severe deterioration of the condition, hyperthermia, child anxiety, regurgitation, vomiting. The baby is disrupted by nasal breathing, and as a result - food refusal occurs. In addition, they note shortness of breath, especially in the position of the baby lying down, and the appearance of swelling in the angle of the orbit, discharge from the nose. By the end of the first - on the second day of the disease, edema of the eye socket is noted, the eye is closed or half-closed, lacrimation and hyperemia appear.
Rinoskopicheskaya picture in the first 2 days of the disease is characterized by hyperemia and edema of the mucous membrane, making it difficult to examine. Later, on the 3rd-6th day of the disease, prolapse of the lateral wall of the nose appears, narrowing of the passages, a viscous purulent discharge appears, which flows down the posterior wall of the pharynx. At this time, the appearance of a coarse, "tracheal" cough, which is amplified in the position lying on the back and is characterized by the flowing of the nasal discharge into the pharynx and the larynx - the so-called drip-syndrome, is characteristic.
In older children, sinusitis, frontal and sphingoiditis usually develop on the 5th-6th day of acute respiratory disease, acute rhinopharyngitis.
As a rule, after a 1-2-day improvement in the patient's condition, the temperature rises again, the general condition worsens, the nasal congestion reappears, nasal breathing becomes more difficult, if it is detached from the nose, it acquires mucopurulent or purulent character, becomes viscous, badly removable. Children complain of pain in the ears, in the area of the upper jaw, in the forehead. Pain is especially characteristic when there is almost no detachment, there is only a sharp stuffiness of the nose, i.e. When the nasal passages are obturated due to the swelling of the tissues. This period is characterized by pain when tapping the projections of the nasal sinuses. Characteristically, the appearance of a coarse cough, which is amplified in the position of the patient lying on the back (drip-syndrome).
Complications of acute sinusitis
On the 3-5th day of the disease, the development of complications is possible due to the spread of purulent-inflammatory process to the periosteum with the formation of subperiosteal abscess, fistula of the bottom of the nasal cavity, alveolar and frontal process of the maxilla in etmoiditis. The development of phlegmon or abscess of orbital tissues with genyantritis and etmoiditis. Possible development of sepsis, purulent meningitis, abscess of the frontal lobe of the brain (with frontalitis), thrombosis of the cavernous sinus (with sphingoiditis).
[