Have you ever felt like you had a cold that wouldn’t go away? If it hangs around for more than 10 days, or gets worse after it starts getting better, there’s a good chance you have sinusitis, a condition where infection or inflammation affects the sinuses.
WHAT ARE THE SINUSES?
Sinuses are hollow spaces in the bones around the nose that connect to the nose through small, narrow channels. The sinuses stay healthy when the channels are open, which allows air from the nose to enter the sinuses and mucus made in the sinuses to drain into the nose.
WHAT IS SINUSITIS?
Sinusitis, also called rhinosinusitis, affects about 1 in 8 adults annually and generally occurs when viruses or bacteria infect the sinuses (often during a cold) and begin to multiply. Part of the body’s reaction to the infection causes the sinus lining to swell, blocking the channels that drain the sinuses. This causes mucus and pus to fill up the nose and sinus cavities….more