Allergy & Sinus Infections

If sinus infections (sinusitis) are a problem for you, it is important to not only treat them but determine what causes them. Allergies can be the cause of sinus infections for many people. This is especially true when you have a chronic or long lasting sinus infection and you have hay fever (allergic rhinitis).

What is Sinusitis and What Are the Symptoms?

• Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses. When you have sinusitis, swelling obstructs the openings in your sinuses and prevents mucus from draining the way it should. The inflamed and blocked sinuses create a moist environment, your sinuses can't drain, become filled with pus and get infected. Sinusitis may be caused by a bacterial infection, a virus or even a fungus (mold). If you suffer from allergies you can get what's called "allergic fungal sinusitis."

  When you have sinusitis, you may experience symptoms like facial pain or tenderness (especially under the eyes or at the bridge of the nose), post-nasal drip, coughing, nasal congestion, headaches, pain in the gums or teeth, a fever, tiredness and bad breath.

How Do Allergies Cause Sinusitis?

• When you are allergic and you inhale an allergen, your sinuses can become inflamed. Pollens, dust mites, animal dander and other allergy triggers cause swelling in your sinuses that traps the mucus and causes sinus infections. To help prevent allergic reactions that cause your sinus infections, your doctor should prescribe allergy medicines and perhaps suggest allergy shots (immunotherapy).

How Do You Know If You Have Allergies?

• To prevent sinus infections that are caused by allergies from recurring, it is important to find out what you are allergic to. Your doctor will first ask you questions about your allergy symptoms and take a detailed medical history. He may suggest you undergo allergy testing to identify the specific things that cause your allergic reactions. Allergy testing can be administered by an allergy specialist (allergist) and done with either skin or blood tests.

What is Allergic Fungal Sinusitis?

• Allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) is when you have an allergic response to fungus in the air. It is common in areas of the country where there are warm, humid environments and where molds and fungus are prevalent. AFS causes a thick, fungal debris to form in a sticky mucus in the sinuses. Many people with AFS also have nasal polyps. The only way to remove it is through surgery and a biopsy where sinus tissues are collected with flexible instruments inserted through the nose. Unfortunately, even with the surgery the fungus can grow back. It can be serious if not treated as the fungal debris can grow towards the eyes or brain.

How is Sinusitis Treated?

• If your sinus infection is caused by a bacteria, your doctor will prescribe an antibiotic. In addition your doctor may recommend medications like nasal decongestant and antihistamine sprays, antihistamines, decongestants, and nasal corticosteroid sprays. He may also suggest you rinse your sinuses with saline solution each day to clear out the thick mucus from your nasal passages. If is sinusitis is caused by a fungal infection you may need an intravenous (IV) medication such as amphotericin B or voriconazole.

  If you've been treated for a sinus infection and after eight weeks it is still present your doctor may suggest you get an x-ray called CAT or CT Scan (computed axial tomography). It may be necessary for a specialist like an allergist or otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat doctor) to examine your nose with a long, thin, flexible tube with a camera and light on the end. Mucus samples will be taken from the nose to determine the exact bacterial that's causing the infection, or to determine if the problem is from a fungus.

  If medication therapy does not help, you may need sinus surgery to remove nasal polyps, open up clogged passages, and fix any defects in the bone separating the nasal passages (septum). An otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist) performs this type of surgery.