|  | Conditions Treatments | Infectious Diseases

Sinusitis Due to Fungal Infection

According to the Mayo Clinic's 1999 study on fungal sinusitis, 93 percent of all chronic sinusitis is an allergic reaction to mold called "allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS)." This comes from breathing moldy air.

  1. Symptoms

    • Sinusitis is characterized by persistent pain and pressure in the sinuses. Since the sinus cavities are situated above the teeth, this can also cause tooth pain.

    Cause of Symptoms

    • The pain is caused by small pits formed on the inside of the sinus as a reaction to mold. These trap mucous in the sinus and prevent it from draining.

    Chronic Problem

    • If the mucous is not drained, it will get infected and cause polyps to form, preventing drainage even further and causing more pain. This is how sinusitis becomes chronic.

    Invasive Infections

    • If the host is immune-deficient for any reason, the infection may spread to other connecting tissues, even into the brain and eyes, causing vision problems and psychological effects.

    Surgical Treatment

    • For those suffering from chronic infections, especially the invasive kind, endoscopic sinus surgery will remove the polyps and fungus, and widen the maxillary sinus opening.

    Non-Surgical Treatment

    • Saline water treatments can cleanse the sinuses, steroids treatments can shrink the polyps, and the amount of mold in the air can be reduced with air filters and improved sanitation.

Infectious Diseases - Related Articles