What is Sinusitis?

What is Sinusitis?

The definition for this debilitating condition

Sinusitis is defined as the inflammation of the nasal sinuses. Sinus infection signs and symptoms may include: severe headaches, toothaches, a runny nose, post nasal drip, a low fever, discoloured mucus, and severe congestion. Depending on the severity of the infection, it may take from 1-4 weeks to pass.

The causes of sinusitis are varied. If you suffer from allergies or are frequently exposed to pollutants in the air, you will be more likely to get sinusitis. Sinus infections are also common in those who have recently suffered from a viral infection (a cold) of the upper respiratory tract. When you come down with a cold, the damaged sinus lining in your nose thickens and blocks the free passage of mucus. This blockage creates a bacterial infection which infiltrates the sinuses, resulting in sinusitis.

My Sinusitis Story

How my battle with sinus infections began.

It is difficult to say why I started suffering from regular sinus infections. I certainly remember when it started, however.

Three years ago, I moved from my small hometown in Canada to the city of Turin in Italy to teach English to children. Though I never gave it much thought at first, the pollution in the air was stifling, so bad that when I would return home after a day of work, I could wipe a layer of filth off my face with a cloth. Although no doctor has ever confirmed my suspicion, I believe that heavy pollution was the trigger for my imminent encounter with sinusitis.

A year passed and I started work in February at a nursery school with over two hundred children. These children, especially during the winter months, were often unwell and would bring their sniffles to school. (Not so) coincidentally, it was during my first week of work that I came down with my first bout of severe sinusitis. My sinus headaches were so intense that I had to lie down in the attic crawlspace for most of the day. In class and at home, no garbage bin was spared the mountain of tissues I would throw away on a daily basis. It goes without saying that I did not make a very good impression that first week!

Three years down the road, I have grown used to my unwelcome visitor. In fact, my colleagues at work often tease me, calling me Miss Sinusitis. My shelf, which was once dedicated solely to cosmetics, is now full of saline nasal sprays. I keep a full tissue box next to my bed at all times. The warm fleece band wrapped around my head has become a part of my household fashion attire. My life has certainly changed, but I continue to fight the good fight, with the hope that a sinusitis cure will be found one day.