Snoring Caused By Sinusitis
The sinuses are air filled cavities in the skull
located behind the nose, eyes, cheeks and forehead. The sinus
cavities are lined with a mucous secreting membrane and they are
connected to the space behind the nose, the nasal cavity, by a
series of narrow channels.
Inflammation of the sinuses or sinusitis can be either acute (rapid
onset and equally rapid improvement with or without treatment) or
chronic (long term).
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Children under 5 years old are rarely
affected by sinusitis as their sinuses are not fully
developed. Snoring in young children is almost always caused
by enlarged tonsils and adenoids.
Any inflammation of the nasal cavity and airways will cause
snoring and sinusitis causes such inflammation.
The most common cause of sinusitis is a viral infection,
often simply the common cold. The channels connecting the
nose and the sinuses become blocked, mucous is unable to
drain from the sinuses and so collects and becomes infected.
Blockage of the sinus channels is more likely to occur if
other conditions are present such as nasal polyps or
allergic rhinitis. |
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For those who have had the misfortune to
reshape their nose through accident or misadventure the problem
may be worse because of a deviated nasal septum (the cartilage
wall that divides the nostrils).
Those who have the genetic condition cystic
fibrosis also tend to be more prone to developing sinusitis.
The symptoms of sinusitis are usually easy to spot:
• headache
• tenderness around the face and a feeling of heaviness and pain
in facial tissues when leaning down
• toothache
• discolored nasal discharge
• blocked nose
• snoring
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Often sinusitis will clear up without medical
intervention and the snoring problem eases as the
inflammation and infection reduces.
Over the counter painkillers and decongestants may alleviate
symptoms as will steam inhalation. If sinusitis persists for
more than 3 days medical advice should be sought.
If the sinuses are badly affected your doctor may well
prescribe a course of antibiotics. If the problem of
sinusitis is persistent or recurrent the doctor may
undertake further tests to check for other health conditions
that may be causing the blockage to the drainage channels
between the nasal and sinus cavities. These tests will be
checking for polyps or possibly even tumors.
Because of the nature of the anatomy of the nose
and sinuses, if an infection sets in and is not treated
promptly it can persist. |
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The bacteria causing the infection have many
places to hide and lurk within the warm moist atmosphere of the
sinus cavities and it is not unusual to experience a recurrence
of the condition once it has occurred.
Sinusitis needs to be treated promptly and appropriately, not
just to cure the problem of snoring but also to kill the
infection before it has a chance to colonize the sinuses.
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