The main symptoms of sinusitis are of:
- Nasal obstruction or congestion
- A runny nose
- Facial pain or pressure
- Nasal drip noted going down the back of your throat or
- An altered sense of smell and taste.
Multiple medical treatments should be trialled initially, including prolonged use of nasal steroid sprays, nasal saline irrigation, allergy management and possibly longer term use of specific antibiotics.
If symptoms are present despite medical managements, there may be a structural cause contributing to CRS and a CT scan of your sinuses would be important. Video nasendoscopy will also help us to identify structural issues such as a deviated nasal septum, unusually enlarged turbinates (normal glands in the nose that humidify and warm the air that may have overgrown excessively), the presence of nasal polyps or narrowing of the drainage pathways of your sinuses.
Fortunately, if surgery is required, most operations can now be performed endospically (key hole surgery) without the need for external incisions. The main aim of sinus surgery (FESS) is to physically provide a better nasal airway, as well as an improved passageway into the sinuses, allowing increased ventilation as well as a clear access pathway for topical medications should this be required.
