What Are the Treatments for Diffuse Sinus Infections?

A sinus infection is any infection occurring in the nasal passages. An acute sinus infection is a buildup of infected mucus in the sinus cavities which can usually be treated successfully by antibiotics. A diffuse sinus infection may not respond to antibiotics as readily and often requires additional treatment.

Definition

• A diffuse sinus infection is caused by a polyp, abnormal growth or malformation within the sinus passages. Over time, these growths can thicken the mucus membranes and impede nasal drainage, according to a Sinus Infection Cures website on Diffuse Sinusitis.

Diagnosis

• To treat a diffuse sinus infection, it must be accurately diagnosed. A coronal sinus CT scan is the best way to detect a diffuse sinus infection, according to an eMedicine website.

Treatment

• One of the main treatments of diffuse sinusitis, according to Sinus Infection Cures, involves removal or mitigation of the polyps or growths that contribute to the condition. This can be done by surgery or by oral corticosteroids.

Corticosteroid Treatments

• Oral corticosteroids are an effective way to shrink some nasal polyps, according to an eMedicine website on nonsurgical treatments for nasal polyps. An intra-nasal steroid spray is used to target and reduce the size of the growths. Injecting steroids into the polyp area is another treatment.

Laser Surgery

• Laser surgery, or "Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery," is a less-invasive surgical treatment to remove the growths that trigger diffuse sinusitis, according to a Sinus Laser Surgery website. According to the website, the goal is to free the sinus passages without incurring potential high levels of nasal bleeding associated with regular surgery.

Recurrent Polyp Growth

• Some patients with diffuse sinusitis have what is termed "Recurrent Polyp Growth," a condition where polyps grow back in the sinus cavities after surgery, according to Sinus Infection Cures.