$Unique_ID{PAR00150}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Sinusitis}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Sinusitis Yellow milky nasal discharge Fever Pain Stuffy nose Cough
Red swollen eyelids Headache decongestant decongestants nose drops allergy
antihistamine antihistamines acetaminophen pus pus-like discharges drainage
drainages sinus infections inflammations inflammation sinuses nasal passages
maxillary frontal sphenoidal ethmoid virus viruses viral infection allergy
allergies allergic reaction reactions bacteria bacterium bacterial infection
antibiotic antibiotics}
$Log{
Sinuses*0015001.tif}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Sinusitis


     Quick Reference

     SYMPTOMS
     - Yellow or milky discharge from the nose
     - Fever
     - Pain
     - Stuffy nose
     - Cough
     - Red, swollen eyelids
     - Headache

     HOME CARE
     - Protect the child against sinusitis by giving decongestant cold
       remedies for a cold and having the child use nose drops, or by treating
       an allergy with antihistamines.  Consult your doctor about the type and
       duration of such treatment.
     - Give acetaminophen for pain.  Warmth applied to the face also helps
       relieve pain.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - A child with symptoms of sinusitis accompanied by a high fever should
       be seen by a doctor.
     - See a doctor if the child has a pus-like discharge or other symptoms of
       sinusitis on one side of the nose only.


     Sinusitis is inflammation or infection of the sinuses, the air-filled
cavities in the face that connect with the nasal passages.  Around the nose
are four pairs of sinuses--the maxillary, frontal, sphenoidal, and ethmoid
sinuses.  The maxillary sinuses (which lie below the eyes) and the ethmoid
sinuses (which lie between the eyes) are present in infancy.  The sphenoidal
sinuses (located behind the roof of the nose) become fully developed between
the ages of three and five years; the frontal sinuses, situated above the
eyes, between six and ten years.
     Because the sinuses are continuations of the nasal cavity, they are
affected by any viral infection of the nose or any allergic reaction that
occurs in the nose.  Either condition can lead to a bacterial infection within
the sinuses, as can a bacterial infection of the nose.

     SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     The symptoms of sinusitis include fever (sometimes as high as 105
degrees_F), pain, stuffy nose, and cough.  Depending on the location of the
infection, headache may occur in the back of the head (infection of a
sphenoidal sinus), at the temples and over the eyes (infection of the ethmoid
and frontal sinuses), or above and below the eyes (infection of the maxillary
sinuses).  Small children who have an infection in the ethmoid sinuses develop
red and swollen eyelids.
     The key to diagnosing sinusitis is the discharge from the nose.  With
sinusitis, discharge from the nose is yellow, milky, or opaque.  Pus in the
sinuses can be revealed on an x-ray examination, but it is easily confused
with a thickening of the lining of the sinuses because of a common cold or an
allergy.

HOME CARE

     You can promote sinus drainage and protect against sinus infection by
treating a cold with decongestants (taken by mouth) and nose drops, or by
treating an allergy with antihistamines taken by mouth.  These measures also
encourage drainage after sinusitis has developed.  Consult your doctor about
the type and duration of such treatment.  To relieve pain and fever, heat may
be applied over the affected sinuses, and acetaminophen may be given to the
child.

PRECAUTIONS

  -  A high fever (103 degrees_F to 105 degrees_F) accompanied by signs of
     sinusitis indicates a potentially serious infection.  See your doctor.
  -  A pus-like discharge or signs of sinusitis on one side of the nose
     suggest that a foreign object may be lodged in the nose or that the
     inside of the nose may be deformed.  See your doctor.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     If a bacterial infection is identified, the doctor may prescribe
antibiotics for the child to take by mouth.  Suction may be used to drain the
sinuses of older children with sinusitis.  Surgical drainage is rarely
indicated in children.

RELATED TOPICS:  Common cold; Coughs; Fever; Headaches