Acute Sinusitis develops when the mucous membranes of your upper respiratory tract â€" the nose, pharynx, sinuses and throat become inflamed. The swelling obstructs the sinus openings and prevents mucus from draining normally. This creates a moist environment conducive to infection. Most colds resolve with time, but few develop into acute sinusitis. The cause of sinusitis is most often viral, such as the common cold virus, but the cause can also be bacterial or fungal. When an upper respiratory tract infection persists longer than 14 days, it's more likely a bacterial cause than a viral cause. Untreated acute sinusitis can lead to more-serious infections or become a chronic condition. However, most cases are short-lived. When symptoms last less than four weeks, the sinusitis is considered acute.

Causes other than infection:

• Allergies: Inflammation that occurs with allergies may block your sinuses.


• Deviated nasal septum: A crooked septum, the wall between the nostrils, may restrict or block sinus passages.


• Nasal polyps: These tissue growths may restrict the nasal passages.


• Other medical conditions: The complications of cystic fibrosis, gastroesophageal reflux, or HIV and other immunodeficiency diseases may result in nasal blockage.

Signs and symptoms of acute sinusitis:

• Pain around nose, eyes, forehead and cheeks


• Fever and fatigue


• Redness of the skin over the sinus area around nose


• Congestion and stuffiness inside the nose


• Difficulty breathing through nose


• Reduced sense of smell or taste


• Dry cough or cough with yellow expectoration which drains from nose and come out of mouth (post nasal drip â€" PND)


• Nausea

Following complication may occur in Acute Sinusitis:

• Chronic sinusitis


• Acute Asthma


• Meningitis


• Vision problems


• Aneurysms or blood clots

Chronic sinusitis is different from acute sinusitis. In chronic sinusitis the duration of illness is longer (more than 8 weeks). The changes that are observed in the sinus cavity are those of chronic inflammation. The inflammation causes accumulation of fluid in the sinus cavity which over a period of time blocks the free flow of air and free clearance of mucus.

Symptoms of chronic sinusitis:

• Difficulty breathing through the nose,


• Frequent headaches


• Tenderness in the face or


• Pain behind the eyes.


• Yellow or greenish discharge from your nose or drainage down the back of your throat.

Chronic sinusitis can be caused by:

• Infections of the upper respiratory tract the nose, pharynx, sinuses and throat


• Allergies


• Anatomical problems like deviated nasal septum


• Mold or fungi in the sinuses.

Most cases of sinusitis are acute, meaning they resolve in less than two weeks. However, when the condition recurs or endures longer than 8 consecutive weeks, it is thought to be chronic sinusitis.

Role of Homeopathy in Sinusitis:

Homeopathy resolves cases of sinusitis very effectively at all stages. Homeopathy works best for acute as well as chronic cases of sinusitis. The control in pain, nasal discharges, difficult breathing, and frequency of attack is achieved with success rate of 90% the duration of treatment for acute cases of sinusitis is maximum 2 weeks. Treatment duration of chronic sinusitis depends upon the cause, stage of illness and other treatment tried by the patient. If patient has undergone corrective surgery for deviated nasal septum than the response to homeopathic treatment is comparatively slow and duration of treatment is also long. In cases where the cause of sinusitis is allergy and patient is put on steroid sprays or oral steroids to control allergy than the treatment duration is long and response to the treatment is slow. Nevertheless in all situations good improvement on intensity and frequency of attacks is assured. Long term to permanent freedom from sinusitis is the goal of homeopathic treatment.