Etmoiditis - symptoms and treatment. Etmoiditis - treatment at home

Etmoiditis is considered one of the particular varieties of sinusitis. It is an inflammation of the mucous membrane that covers the cells of the latticed bone. It is this bone that is the barrier that separates the nasal passages from the cranial cavity. Despite the fact that this disease is not so common as the familiar sinusitis, it is much more dangerous, therefore it is important to know what is ethmoiditis. Symptoms and consequences of this pathology are described in the article.

Causes of the disease

Speaking of such a pathology as ethmoiditis, in no case should one forget about what factors can cause its development. Often the cause of the disease are those diseases that reduce the overall level of immunity in the body and the protective mechanisms of the nasal mucosa. This is what makes it possible for bacteria and viruses to develop unhindered under convenient conditions.

The main causes of the disease include the following:

• Colds, runny nose, as well as other infections.
• Sinusitis (regardless of etiology).
• Acquired and congenital malformations of the nose and nasopharynx.
• A variety of chronic diseases that develop as a rhinitis.
• Decreased immune status.
• Injuries of the facial bones, nose.

Very often it is possible to observe, how the etmoiditis develops (symptoms and treatment will be considered later), against such ailments: scarlet fever or flu. Often it occurs as a complication against the background of the frontitis or sinusitis.

Polyposis etomoitis occurs when there are certain growths in the nasal cavity that prevent a normal outflow of mucus from the cells of the latticed bone, creating favorable conditions for the growth and development of pathogenic microorganisms. In some situations, the opposite is possible. Etomoiditis can be the cause of the growth of polyps in the nasal cavity. In this case, the disease takes a chronic course and requires mandatory surgical intervention. This is why it is extremely important to know the symptoms with such an ailment as etmoiditis. This will not start the disease and start treatment in the early stages.

Varieties of ethmoidite

The most commonly used classification is based on the characteristics of the course of the disease. Thus, acute and chronic ethmoiditis are isolated, which, despite a large number of differences, have common properties. So, both diseases lead to the following:

• Decreased performance.
• Increased fatigue.
• Problems with memory.
• Development of depression.

Like any other pathology, etmoiditis significantly reduces the quality of life of the patient, which is why you do not need to wait until the disease passes by yourself. If you notice such signs of etmoiditis, immediately seek help from a specialist. The doctor will be able to prescribe the treatment and will give you the opportunity to avoid complications, which in this pathology are serious enough, and in neglected cases can lead to death.

Acute current

Acute etmoiditis develops much more unpleasantly than chronic. But nevertheless, it is much easier to treat it. This is due to the fact that the disease occurs with characteristic manifestations, which make it possible to recognize it in time and quickly begin treatment.

Symptoms of inflammation of the cells of the latticed bone in the acute stage are quite pronounced. The patient may indicate the following symptoms:

• Pain in the nose, eyes, and forehead.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Decreased sense of smell, up to the development of anosmia (complete lack of ability to perceive odors).
• Raise body temperature to 38 ° C.

In addition to the above symptoms, attention should be paid to a severe runny nose, moreover, the substance being separated has its own peculiarities. At the beginning of the disease it is serous, without pus. As the pathology develops, the discharge becomes purulent, the mucus becomes thicker, greenish or yellowish with an unpleasant odor.

In the event that the first manifestation of ethmoiditis, the symptoms may be more vivid. Cure the disease will be much easier. Repeated cases are more severe. They can quickly move into a chronic form.

Chronic etmoiditis

Most experts are sure that the development of the chronic form of the disease should be avoided in all possible ways. There are several reasons for this. And the main thing is that the disease almost always gives a lot of complications.

The chronic form develops in the event that during the acute etmoiditis the proper treatment was not prescribed, therefore, the patient's immunity could not independently cope with the causative agent of the disease. In this case, the ailment will appear from time to time in a person, giving him many problems. In general, the aggravation of this variety of ethmoiditis proceeds in almost the same way as the acute form. During the remission period, patients may have the following symptoms:

• Unpleasant sensations in the nose.
• Frequent headaches.
• Purulent discharge from the nose, with an unpleasant odor.
• Nausea, vomiting.
• Violation of the olfactory function.

The main danger of this form of the disease is that a person can for a very long time, think that he suffers from an ordinary cold. But from this reasoning ethmoiditis (the symptoms were considered above) does not go away. The course of the disease is complicated, the risk of complications increases.

Complications

In contrast to the common cold, with which, no doubt, there was every person, etmoiditis requires the immediate initiation of drug therapy for several reasons. First, this disease can quickly become a chronic form, which is extremely difficult to treat. Secondly, the ailment can lead to complications that are quite dangerous for life.

The main complications are:

• Destruction of the trellis labyrinth.
• Transition of the inflammatory process to the visual organ.
• Transition of the process into the cavity of the skull, which can lead to the development of such a serious disease as meningitis.
• Abscess of the brain.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of this disease is based on the correct collection of anamnesis, as well as on the precise study of clinical manifestations of pathology. In addition, it is advisable to conduct an X-ray study that will allow us to study the state of the trellis and the cranial cavity. In the picture, it is possible to detect a darkening of the cells of the trellis and adjacent sinuses.

It must be borne in mind that the disease manifests itself in the autumn-winter period. It can often be regarded as an ordinary acute respiratory disease, and orbital complications as signs of adenovirus infection. That is why with such a disease as etmoiditis, symptoms and treatment should be analyzed and appointed by a specialist. This will allow rapid differential diagnosis and initiate appropriate therapy.

Physical examination reveals swelling, as well as infiltration of the inner corner of the eye (this process can be extended to the eyelids). When palpating the root of the nose, the patient often complains of moderate soreness. In addition, he may feel pain when examining the area of internal orbit.

The general analysis of blood is poorly informative, it gives a characteristic picture only if there are corresponding complications. In other cases, it is possible to detect the presence of an inflammatory process in the body.

Anterior rhinoscopy will give an opportunity to see edema and hyperemia of the nasal mucosa, narrowing of the general nasal passage, as well as the closure of the middle. You can also detect the presence of purulent exudate.

Treatment

In most cases, only conservative therapy is sufficient. In the first days of the development of the disease, it is necessary to allow the detachable to flow freely out of the nasal cavity. To this end, the patient is prescribed vasoconstrictive drugs. In addition, it is advisable to appoint an anesthetic and antibiotics.

A few days after the start of therapy, you can start physiotherapy. Operative treatment is applied only in emergency situations, when the patient is in extremely serious condition. Treatment of ethmoiditis in children is practically the same as usual (except that it is necessary to choose the right dosage of drugs, with which, undoubtedly, a specialist will do well).

Home therapy

With such a disease as etmoiditis, treatment at home is almost impossible to produce, however, using folk remedies, it is possible to increase immunity, which will be an excellent prophylaxis for any sinusitis.

In addition, it is recommended to bury menthol, eucalyptus or camphor oil in the nose. The most important thing is that the drops fall into the nasal passage, and not into the throat. Otherwise, the therapy will be completely useless.

With a disease such as etmoiditis, treatment at home can be supplemented with inhalations. In no case can you do warming up. It can do much harm. Most importantly, if you get worse, contact your specialist immediately. This will make it possible to avoid unpleasant complications.

Forecast

In the absence of complications, the prognosis is almost always favorable, but the main problem is that very often when the process is neglected, a disease such as meningitis (often leading to death) can develop. That's why in no case it is impossible to run such a seemingly simple disease as ethmoiditis. It is extremely important, when the first symptoms appear, to consult a specialist who can not only make the correct diagnosis, but also prescribe suitable therapy, which is the main factor that influences the prevention of the chronization of the process.