Pansinusitisis a rare ailment that involves the infection of all four pairs of sinuses.
This bang out of problem causes more severe symptoms than a normal sinus infection.
Most cases of normal sinusitis areacute (brief)and clear up without treatment.
vorDa / Getty Images
However, having more than one inflamed sinus can make treatment harder.
It can lead to a chronic (long-term) problem that spreads to other parts of your body.
Though rare, this can increase the risk of the disease harming your eye or brain.
This article describes how acute and chronic pansinusitis differ, common symptoms, and treatments.
It affects the four pairs of air-filled hollow spaces within your nose and eyes, called the paranasal sinuses.
Your four paranasal sinus pairs are named after the bones that contain them.
These include the following:
A sinus infection happens when the air spaces become inflamed, blocking drainage.
As the fluid builds inside your sinuses it causes pain and pressure.
It also allows germs likevirusesandbacteriato grow and multiply.
Causes of pansinusitis can involve the following:
Is It Acute or Chronic Pansinusitis?
Acute pansinusitis lasts from 10 days to eight weeks.
Chronic pansinusitis lasts longer.
Chronic pansinusitis can involve repeated acute infections or an infection that does not improve during that time.
Treatment for acute or chronic pansinusitis involves reducing inflammation and clearing sinus congestion.
Options include home remedies, over-the-counter and prescription drugs, and surgical treatments.
The throw in of therapy advised varies based on the underlying cause of your case of pansinusitis.
The following treatments may help provide relief for pansinusitis.
These procedures include the following:
When Do Providers Prescribe Antibiotics for Pansinusitis?
Antibiotics only work withbacterial infections(infections due to bacteria).
Complications of Serious Pansinusitis
Complications of serious pansinusitis are rare but possible.
The condition can lead to severe and potentially life-changing consequences without early diagnosis and treatment.
However, the two conditions also cause symptoms that are distinct to each ailment.
Both acute and chronic sinus infections can be viral or bacterial.
Some chronic infections can be fungal.
An acute pansinusitis infection can last up to eight weeks.
A chronic infection can last longer, usually at least 12 weeks.
These infections can drag on for months before they are resolved.
Chronic sinusitis brought on by a bacterial infection can be treated with antibiotics for 10 to 14 days.
However, in resistant cases, the course of treatment may be extended to four to six weeks.
Summary
Pansinusitis is a rare problem that involves the infection of all four pairs of sinuses.
Common cases of sinusitis only involve one or two sinuses.
Having four inflamed sinuses causes a more intense symptoms.
It is also more likely to increase your risk of having severe problems that could threaten your life.
Treatment can vary based on the cause of the problem.
Therapies include home remedies, over-the-counter treatments, drugs, and surgery.
Antibiotics can be used to treat cases triggered by bacteria.
Acute cases may resolve on their own without treatment.
Chronic cases may last for months or recur after they seem to improve.
National Cancer Institute.Paranasal sinus.
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Sinus infection.
Atta M, Ramlatchan SR, Ganti L, et al.An uncommon presentation of the common sinusitis.Cureus.
2020;12(7).
doi:10.7759/cureus.9263
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sinus infection.
Kaiser Permanente.Sinusitis: over-the-counter remedies.
2015;152(S2).
doi:10.1177/0194599815572097
National Jewish Health.Sinusitis medications.
Hitzeman N, Shoemaker J.Intranasal corticosteroids for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis.AFP.
2014;90(5):286-287.
NYU Langone Health.Surgical treatment for chronic sinusitis.
Harvard Health Publishing.Acute sinusitis.
Kenealy T, Arroll B.Antibiotics for the common cold and acute purulent rhinitis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
2013;2013(6):CD000247.
doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000247.pub3
Haizul I, Umi Kalthum M.Dangerous diplopia: a case of pansinusitis.Malays Fam Physician.
2013;8(1):38-41.
2015;2015:709302. doi:10.1155/2015/709302
UNC Health.Do you have COVID-19 or a sinus infection?
