Lissencephaly

Lissencephaly
Lissencephaly, the literal meaning of which is ‘smooth brain’, is an uncommon, genetically-associated brain mal-development disorder marked by nil folds or convolutions in the cerebral cortex as well as microcephaly, i.e., an unusually small head. Lissencephaly is considered as a type of cephalic disorder. Terms like “pachygyria,” i.e., wide gyri or folds, or agyria, i.e., absence of gyri, are used by medical experts to define the appearance of brain surface in patients.

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Children affected by lissencephaly typically elicit considerable developmental delays, which in turn may vary from one affected child to another as per the severity of brain deformity and regulation of seizures. The life expectancy of the patients may be shortened, often because of underlying respiratory anomalies.

Lissencephaly is a very rare condition. In the US, it affects 11.7 children in every 1 million births.

Symptoms

Most children with lissencephaly tend to have a head which is of the normal size. However, some patients may be born with an abnormally small head, and the combination of the two brain-skull abnormalities is referred to as microlissencephaly.

Some of the additional common signs and symptoms of lissencephaly are listed below:

• Feeding difficulties


• Intellectual deficits


• Failure to flourish and thrive


• Irregular appearance of the face


• Swallowing problems


• Malformed toes, fingers, and/or hands.


• Severe psychomotor retardation


• Hypotonia or muscle spasms


• Seizures

Couples with a family history of lissencephaly can check for the presence of the condition via imaging tests. The brain normally develops folds during weeks 25 to 30 of pregnancy. This is when doctors will perform an ultrasound.

 Lissencephaly Types

Advancements in the field of genetics and neuroimaging has facilitated better understanding of migration disorders, thereby allowing a better definition of the spectrum of lissencephaly. The spectrum is classified into nearly 20 different forms. Many more may be added after the respective causative factors have been discovered.

Lissencephaly is categorized as per varied systems. One of the major forms of classification is Classic/Type I vs. Cobblestone/Type II. However, certain systems and additional types cannot be added to any of these classifications.

A few types of lissencephaly are listed below, along with their OMM numbers:

1. Classic/Type I lissencephaly – 607432

• L1S1:This type of lissencephaly occurs due to mutation of PAFAH1B1 gene. It is further subdivided into:
  
  
  
  • Miller–Dieker syndrome – 247200
  
  
  • Type 1 isolated lissencephaly – 601545
  
  
  • LISX1 – 300121:This type of lissencephaly occurs due to mutation of DCX/doublecortin gene. It is further subdivided into:
    
    
    
    • Lissencephaly, isolated, type 1, without the occurrence of other known genetic errors.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

2. Cobblestone/Type II lissencephaly

• Fukuyama syndrome – 253800


• Walker–Warburg syndrome, also known as HARD(E) syndrome – 236670


• MEB/Muscle-eye-brain disease – 253280

3. Other types of lissencephaly

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• Microlissencephaly, i.e., microcephaly and lissencephaly


• LIS3: TUBA1A – 611603


• LIS2: Norman-Roberts syndrome. It occurs due to RELN gene defects – 257320


• LISX2: ARX, 300215

Causes of lissencephaly

Lissencephaly is thought to be mainly caused due to certain genetic mutations. It can also occur due to inadequate blood flow to the brain of the unborn child during early pregnancy, or due to viral infections of the fetus or the uterus during the first trimester.

Any of the above listed factors can result in neural migration deficits at the time of embryo development. Neural migration is a process marked by movement of the nerve cells from their original place to the permanent area inside the gray matter of the cerebral cortex. Such migration or movement typically occurs between 12 and 14 weeks of fetal development. Lissencephaly develops because such movement of the nerve cells does not occur, eventually affecting the development of brain.

Studies have successfully found out that defects in the LIS1, DCX, 14-3-3ε, ARX, and RELN genes contribute towards the development of lissencephaly. The severity of the brain formation varies as per the type of gene that suffer from mutation.

Lissencephaly may occur on its own. It can also develop along with varied related conditions such as Walker-Warburg syndrome Miller-Dieker syndrome, isolated lissencephaly sequence, and Walker-Warburg syndrome. Specialists may be needed to differentiate between these varied disorders.

Couples at increased risk to conceiving a child with lissencephaly must go for genetic testing as well as genetic counselling before opting for parenthood.

Diagnosis

The brain surface of the fetus is usually smooth till week 25 to 30 of pregnancy. If routine complex ultrasound examinations performed after this period detect any cerebral abnormality, then doctors may recommend further testing such as NMR and genetic studies, especially if the unborn child has a family history of lissencephaly or other brain conditions, or if the doctor suspects the occurrence of brain defects. Chorionic villus sampling may also be performed to check the presence of certain variants of lissencephaly, if genetic mutations are detected.

After birth, if the baby shows signs and symptoms of brain malformation, then doctors may recommend varied diagnostic tests such as CT scans, MRI scans, and/or ultrasound. In case of lissencephaly, specialists will be needed to carefully grade the severity of brain malformation. A grade 1 lissencephaly diagnosis means that a large section of the brain is affected; it is extremely rare. Most lissencephaly patients suffer from grade 3 form of the disorder.

Treatment

Currently, there are no ways to medically correct the brain defects associated with lissencephaly. Treatment is dependent on the severity of the accompanying symptoms; it is aimed at managing the symptoms and preventing complications.

• Swallowing and feeding difficulties may need the use of a gastrostomy tube.


• Hydrocephalus is treated via shunting which helps remove excess cerebrospinal fluids.


• Seizures can be controlled with anticonvulsants and other anti-seizure medications.

Lissencephaly life expectancy

Life expectancy and prognosis of lissencephaly is dependent on the severity of the condition. The mental function in children with severe lissencephaly may not develop beyond that of a 3 to 5 months old baby. In the years gone by, such children did not live beyond 2 years. Now, the life expectancy has gone up to nearly ten years. Respiratory diseases, choking or aspiration on fluids or foods, and/or seizures are the main causes of death.

Child with mild instances of lissencephaly may feature near normal brain function and development.

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Adenocarcinoma

Adenocarcinoma Adenocarcinoma is the cancer that affects the glandular tissue of your body. The term “adeno” refers to gland and “carcinoma” means cancer. The cells of the body would multiply in disciplined manner. Old cells would die after some days which are replenished with newer cells. But in some cases, old cells will not die and more and more new cells are formed. This abnormal cell formation leads to cancer.

Glandular tissue is present throughout the body and very often adenocarcinoma affects the epithelial cells, interfering with its normal secretion. Though adenocarcinoma can occur anywhere on the body, it commonly occurs in lungs and colon. Other organs like cervix, stomach, pancreas and thyroid gland can also develop adenocarcinoma. Some types of gland tumors like insulinoma or vipoma are not considered as adenocarcinoma but they are neuroendocrine tumors.

Types :

• Mucus secreting glands are affected with adenocarcinoma.


• Among all other types of lung cancer, adenocarcinoma is the most common one.


• Adeonocarcinoma can develop in prostate glands and almost all the prostate cancers arise due to adenocarcinoma.


• Cancer that occurs in exocrine pancreas is of adenocarcinomas type. Often they develop in pancreatic ducts.


• Esophagus has number of glandular cells that are prone to develop adenocarcinoma.


• Similarly cancers that occur in the colon or rectum belong to adenocarcinoma type.

Causes :

Exact cause of adenocarcinoma is not known. But it develops due to overcrowding of older cells upon which newer cells start growing forming a mass or tumor.

Diagnosis :

Your doctor will use different set of diagnostic procedures for detecting adenocarcinoma based on the part that is affected. Some of the common tests used for detecting adenocarcinoma are CT scan, MRI scan and biopsy.

Treatment :

Treatment approach differs in accordance with the size and location of cancer in the body. Surgical removal of the tumor from the glandular tissue is done in many cases. In this process some part of healthy tissues are also removed. At present non-invasive surgeries are used to reduce the chance of infection and to speed up the process of healing.

Chemotherapy is given either through medications or injection to destroy cancer causing cells. Often chemo is combined with surgery or radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is typically combined before or after surgery or along with chemotherapy.

Mental Illness

Mental Illness “Mental illness” is the general term given to various kinds of mental disorders that affect the thinking and behavior of a person. It can be anything ranging from mild anxiety to most severe forms of schizophrenia. Some types of mental illness can seriously affect the quality of your life disturbing your relationships in office and in your family. Any medical condition that affects the normal functioning of thinking and feeling interrupting the daily activities can be called as mental illness. A mental illness can make life miserable by causing problems and affecting relationships at office or family.

Some of the common mental illness is bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorder, major depression, panic disorder and anxiety disorder. It is possible to cure all illnesses with continued medications or psychotherapy.

Causes :

What exactly causes mental illness is still a mystery. Certain conditions or combination of factors can produce such illness according to the opinion of medical experts. Genetics play a role in causing mental illness because certain types of disorders run in families and passed on from parents to their offspring. Genes are the fundamental units that decide how you think and act in a given situation.

Biological factors like abnormal functioning of neurotransmitters can affect the normal thinking of a person causing mental illness. Neurotransmitters act as communication receptors of the brain sending and receiving signals. Any change or chemical reactions in the neurotransmitters can affect normal thinking pattern. Psychological factors like child abuse, emotional trauma or sudden loss/death can affect the brain causing mental illness.

Symptoms :

Symptoms of mental illness are not the same for all disorders. It varies considerably according to the nature and intensity of the disorder. For example depression can produce sadness, anxiety disorder can produce restlessness and excessive fears, borderline personality disorder can impair the normal thinking causing poor concentration and confused thinking, avoidant personality disorder can produce social phobia and anxiety, eating disorder can produce major changes in one’s eating habits etc.

Some of the common symptoms of mental illness include extreme mood swings, excess of fear/worries, guilt feelings, withdrawal from family/friends, confused thinking, change in behavior, detachment from reality, hypersensitivity, loss of sleep and extreme tiredness. In many cases mental illness can cause physiological changes causing headache, back pain and unexplained pain on many parts of the body.

When to see a doctor?

Any feeling or behavior affecting normal functioning of life can be mental illness. Mental illness can become worse if not treated on time. Most of the personality disorder and other illnesses can be treated by effective psychotherapy. Some people can develop suicidal thoughts due to major depression. Nonverbal communication and body language can reveal their intention of committing suicide. In such cases it is necessary to consult your doctor immediately.

Who are at risk?

Any person can develop mental illness. But there are certain factors which make you prone to mental illness. Having parents or close relatives with schizophrenia or other disorder, exposure of fetus to drug abuse or excess of alcohol in the womb, experiencing traumatic childhood, getting neglected as a child, serious injury on the brain and having chronic physical illness like cancer/AIDS etc. makes one prone to develop mental illness.

Tests :

Your doctor may get complete medical history and order for few lab tests including blood profile, hormone tests etc. He may refer you to mental health provider for evaluating the nature of disorder. Psychologists or therapists would ask you series of questions and determine about your state of mind by the way in which you are answering them.

Types :

• Mental illnesses are of many types with varying intensity.


• Mood disorders are one that affect your thinking, behavior and emotions like major depression, bipolar disorder etc.


• Anxiety disorders are one that causes frequent worries, fears and uncomfortable feeling like panic disorder, OCD and phobias.


• Disorder caused by substance/drug/alcohol abuse.


• Psychotic disorders are one that causes delusions and hallucination affecting daily activity of a person. Example: schizophrenia that makes one to lose touch with reality.


• Cognitive disorder that affects one’s reasoning ability and thinking like dementia and delirium and Alzheimer’s disease.


• Developmental disorders (autism/ADHD), personality disorders (paranoid personality, avoidant personality) and other disorders can also seriously affect one’s quality of life.

Treatment :

Psychiatrist or psychologist will examine the concerned person and check the severity of the illness. Treatment methods vary according to the nature of disease and intensity of the mental illness. Often, combination of medications and psychotherapy is effective in treating many disorders.

Medications are given depending on the symptoms of the patient. Antidepressant drugs are given for treating symptoms of hopelessness, helplessness and lack of interest. Mood stabilizing drugs are given for bipolar disorder, anxiety medications are useful for giving relief from irrational fear and anxiety and antipsychotic drugs are given for controlling more serious forms of mental illness like schizophrenia.

Psychotherapy :

Most of the mental illness responds well to psychotherapy. A therapist will make you talk freely about your inner feelings giving let-out for the pent up feelings to explore problems in inner mind. The therapist will establish rapport with the client making him/her comfortable so that he can ventilate the feelings without any inhibition. She would use total relaxation technique and psychoanalysis to explore your inner state of mind. Slowly the client will be able to overcome the stress and learn the ways to cope up with the problem. Even serious types of mental illness like phobias and anxiety can be treated by psychotherapy.

For some people doctor would use brain stimulation methods like electroconvulsive therapy and magnetic stimulation methods. For more severe cases, the patient will be hospitalized requiring residential treatment. To recover from alcohol or substance abuse, combined treatments of medications and psychotherapy is given.

Lifestyle Changes :

It is difficult to accept that you have some problem. But you can get well soon if you cooperate with your family/friends to overcome the issue. Follow the instructions of your doctor/therapist and stick on to the treatment schedule. Do exercises regularly and eat healthy foods. Go for a walk or join a gym to stay healthy and active. Don’t stop any medication without consulting your doctor. If you are not able to make important decisions get help from your family or friends. Be optimistic in approach and try to accept changes.

Prevention :

Nobody can prevent mental illness. It is not certain that mental illness develops only on weak-minded person and not on others. Some changes in chemical reaction on the brain can cause significant changes in your thinking and behavior. Don’t ignore warning signals if you suspect any symptoms. Talk to your therapist freely and get medical checkups done regularly.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia Your lungs are filled with plenty of air sacs and if there is any infection causing swelling of air sacs, it is known as pneumonia. The air sacs are filled with pus like fluid or mucus or phlegm making it difficult for you to breathe. Bacteria and virus are the main organisms that cause pneumonia. Infants and old aged people are more prone to get this infection than healthy adults, since they have weakened immunity. It is easy to treat pneumonia since plenty of good medications are available.

Symptoms :

Pneumonia signs may vary from mild to very serious depending on the organism that has caused infection. Symptoms also vary with respect to the age of the person, his immunity status and general health condition. It begins as mild fever, chills with sweating. After some days the person will cough persistently producing thick phlegm or mucus. Some people of old age may report chest pain and difficulty in breathing. Chest pain may get worse when the person tries to cough or take a long breathe. It may cause fatigue and body pain. In certain cases, it can cause nausea and vomiting.

Newborn or infants will not show any indication of pneumonia but they would be restless or looking tired. They may develop mild fever or look energy less most of the time. They will refuse to take food due to breathing difficulty. It is important to visit your doctor if your child has one or more of the above symptoms.

Who are at risk?

People with weakened immunity (infants, children and old aged) and people with underlying health problems or autoimmune disorders are more prone to develop pneumonia than others. Individuals who are receiving chemotherapy or any other chemo drugs for suppressing the immunity may get this disease. People who are hospitalized for long periods or those who are on ventilator support have increased risk of developing pneumonia. The habit of smoking disturbs body’s immune system making one prone to develop many diseases.

Causes :

Microorganisms like bacteria and virus are the most important cause for pneumonia. Most of the time, our body will prevent these organisms from entering our lungs but when the immunity is weak due to certain health conditions or disease you are likely to develop infection.

Types :

Community based pneumonia is the one that a person gets infected when he stays outside a clinic or hospital. Streptococcus pneumoniae, mycoplasmic pneumonia and other virus often cause it. Viral pneumonia is usually mild and can be cured easily except for influenza virus.

Hospital acquired pneumonia is one that a person develops during his hospitalization. Bacterial infection is the main source for this pneumonia and is difficult to be treated. Individuals who are on artificial breathing machines are at high risk of developing this pneumonia. Pneumonia acquired through health care centers is one that affects people who are working in hospitals or clinics or those who are taking frequent treatment in outpatient clinics. Aspiration pneumonia develops through food or drinks.

Complications :

Pneumonia can cause serious problems in people with weakened immunity. Bacteria may enter the blood escaping from your lungs thus spreading infection to other parts of the body. Sometimes infants may develop lung abscess when the air sacs are filled with pus like liquid. It can cause pleural effusion causing accumulation of fluid in the small space between the lung tissues which has to be removed by surgery. In severe causes it can cause breathing problems warranting hospitalization.

Tests :

The doctor will examine the general health condition of the patient taking into account his age and immunity status. He would order for chest X-rays for determining the extent of infection. A series of lab tests like blood profile, sputum test and fluid culture is to be done for detecting the type of organism that has caused infection. Bronchoscopy is done in some cases if the doctor suspects some other factor (like blockage) for pneumonia.

Treatment :

The method of treatment depends on the organism that has caused pneumonia. In case of bacterial infection, antibiotics are prescribed. The course of medication has to be completed in full failing which the infection may recur. Most of the symptoms like cough, fever, vomiting and nausea will fade within 2 or 3 days after starting antibiotics. If the person does not feel better in few days then the doctor will change the antibiotic suggesting strong dosage.

Antiviral medications are prescribed for treating viral pneumonia. Apart from these, you will be given Ibuprofen for controlling fever and body pain. Cough syrup is also given for thinning the mucus thus clearing the block of airway. The person affected with pneumonia should take complete rest and get plenty of sleep. Smokers must quit smoking at this stage.

In case of severe complications, the patient will be hospitalized and put on IV fluids to control the infection. Hospitalization may be required for infants, children below 2 years and old aged people and individuals with weakened immunity. If the person has any problem in normal breathing or if he develops sudden low blood pressure then he has to be hospitalized.

Pictures of Pneumonia :

Images, Pics, Pictures and Photos of Pneumonia

Home Care :

Get good sleep and plenty of rest. Drink lot of fluids which helps in loosening the mucus. Follow the instructions of your doctor and complete the course of medication. Take off from school or workplace until you have fully recovered.

Prevention :

You can prevent getting viral pneumonia by taking preventive injection for flu. It is better to take seasonal injection for flu to get maximum protection. Nowadays pneumonia vaccination is available for people who are above 65 years to prevent getting streptococcus pneumonia. A single shot of vaccine is enough to prevent infection. Sometimes the dosage has to be repeated once in five years.

Children below 2 years can get pneumonia vaccination and seasonal flu shots. It is good to follow healthy habits like washing the hands properly before taking food and after using toilet. Quit smoking since it can cause serious damage to your lungs making it prone to many infections.

Viral Hepatitis

Viral Hepatitis Hepatitis is the condition of liver inflammation. Though there are many factors that cause hepatitis, virus is the most important reason for developing hepatitis. There are many types of hepatitis viruses but among them Type A, B and C are very popular. People who are employed in clinics, hospitals and those who have sex with many persons and those who are using drug through veins are having risk for developing viral hepatitis. Apart from liver these viruses can attack and cause inflammation of other organs also. Hepatitis can be either acute (suddenly) or chronic (long term).

Important Functions of Liver :

Liver is one of the major vital organs in your body. It helps in purifying the blood by acting on harmful chemicals present in it and destroying it. Harmful materials are broken down into small pieces and sent through excretory organs. Liver acts as a store-house for many vitamins, fats and sugars. Albumin is the main protein produced in the liver which is important for clotting of blood. When there is inflammation of the liver, it may not be able to do its work properly thus interrupting normal functions of the body.

Types :

Viral hepatitis can be broadly divided into acute hepatitis and chronic hepatitis. But some experts classify them into HAV, HBV and HCV types.

HAV Hepatitis A :

It is one form of acute hepatitis causing sudden symptoms. In very rare cases it may cause liver failure. Initially hepatitis A was considered to be infectious spreading from one person to the other. The virus can easily spread through water or contaminated food. Hence Hepatitis A is common among people who follow unhygienic health habits. The viruses get transferred through oral secretions during kissing or through stool or human feces. Unclean sanitary conditions can cause spreading of this virus through restaurants and other public places.

Hepatitis B :

Hepatitis B travels through serum or blood transfer. It gets transferred to others through blood transfusions, sexual contacts, and commonly in drug abusers who use the same needle for injecting drugs. This viral infection can spread through body piercing, tattooing process and by sharing razors/toothbrushes with infected people. HBV is chronic type and the infection may last up to years also.

HCV or Hepatitis C :

This type of viruses can spread through shared needles, sexual intercourse, and blood transfusion and drug abusers and hence it is considered to cause chronic infection. Patients with HCV are at the risk of developing liver cancer and liver failure.

Other Types :

Viral hepatitis of Type D, E and G are recognized. HDV is called delta virus which needs another HBV virus to survive. HEV spreads through contaminated water.

Who are at risk?

People who have multiple sex partners, who work in hospitals, clinics and other health care centers, who are involved in sewage cleaning and water treatment plants, who use drugs frequently through veins, who are infected with HIV and hemophiliacs are at high risk of developing viral hepatitis.

Symptoms :

These viruses that cause inflammation of liver initially enter into the host’s body and remain on incubation period for some time. Incubation period is the time interval between the exposure to virus and the onset of illness. Often people infected with HAV or HBV or HCV do not show any symptoms. In some people it causes flu like signs with fever, loss of appetite, nausea/vomiting and fatigue. In severe cases, it may cause yellow coloration on the skin producing jaundice like symptoms.

Tests :

Blood test is the main source for identifying acute viral hepatitis. The doctor will look for the symptoms of fatigue, abdominal pain, dark urine and vomiting sensation. Acute hepatitis can be easily diagnosed by blood test whereas it is difficult to diagnose chronic hepatitis since symptoms will not show unless the infection is advanced.

Liver enzymes called aminotransferases (AST) are normally present within the liver cells. However in case of liver inflammation/injury these enzymes split apart entering into the bloodstream indicating that something is wrong with the liver. In the infected person, blood test report will contain abnormally high levels of AST enzyme indicating liver damage. But this result is reflected only in the case of acute viral hepatitis and not chronic one. In the case of chronic hepatitis the levels of AST are only mildly high thus misleading the doctor.

Blood is also tested for the presence of viral antibodies which are protein particles produced by WBC when they attack bacteria or viruses. These viral antibodies can be detected in blood both in the case of acute and chronic viral hepatitis. Again for chronic hepatitis patients viral antibodies as well as viral proteins are detected in the blood test. The doctor will look for the symptoms closely and order for specific type of viral hepatitis and genetic material tests. Hepatitis A viral protein test, hepatitis B surface antigen test or hepatitis B DNA test is ordered.

Treatment :

In case of acute viral hepatitis your doctor will give suitable medications to give relief from symptoms immediately. However in the case of chronic hepatitis treatment takes a long time. For treating acute viral hepatitis special care will be taken by the doctor while prescribing medications since they may affect the liver further. Liver may not be able to eliminate drugs when it is not functioning normally. Hence some drugs may continue to remain in your blood producing toxicity. Nausea/vomiting symptoms are first arrested through effective drugs. In case of severe dehydration, the person will be put on IV fluids to stop vomiting.

Chronic Hepatitis :

Combination of medications is necessary for eradicating viruses that remain for long term inside the liver. First and foremost stop drinking since alcohol can make the conditions of your liver worse leading to liver cirrhosis. Progressive liver damage can lead to liver cancer or liver failure causing death. Depending on the condition of the patient the doctor will start with medications like interferon (given intravenously) and Rebetol or telaprevir.

In case of HCV alpha interferon is injected and oral drugs like Epivir or hepsera are prescribed. Diagnosing the right type of viral hepatitis is really a challenging task for the doctors. It is necessary to consult gastroenterologists or hepatologists for liver problem. For some cases, the doctor may perform liver biopsy to study the extent of liver damage. It is not enough if you take medications for some time and stop further. Chronic infection is long-lasting and hence prolonged treatment is absolutely necessary for destroying the viruses ultimately. Liver transplantation surgery is done for more serious cases of fulminant hepatitis.

Prevention :

Prevention of viral hepatitis is better than treatment. Vaccination and immunoglobulin are highly effective to prevent this disease. One need to be cautious while using needles/syringes from others. You can avoid getting exposed to the blood of infected people. Avoid having sex with strangers since viruses can spread through semen. Take precaution while sharing public toilets since it can get transmitted through fecal particles.

ISG Immune Serum Globulin is an effective human serum given for hepatitis A. One shot of ISG gives protection against hepatitis A for several months. HBIG hepatitis B immune globulin is effective human serum given for hepatitis B. The rate of success is high if the dosage is given within a week of exposure to hepatitis B viruses. Apart from immune globulin, vaccinations like Havrix and Vaqta are available for preventing hepatitis A.

Sinus Infection

Sinus Infection Sinus is a small cavity present within the underlying tissue or bone. They are common found on the nasal cavities and on the bones of the face. When these areas of tissue develop infection caused by virus or bacteria it leads to sinus infection. Sinus is also found on various other organs like heart, under the eyes and on the forehead. Sinus infection is not contagious and is caused by bacteria or virus and other pathogens. It causes swelling of concerned tissue which leads to abnormal mucus discharge.

The air cavities of the nose develop inflammation leading to cough and sneezing. Many times sinus infection develops due to allergic reactions. Antibiotics are given if the sinusitis is caused by bacterium. Acute sinus is caused often due to common cold. Chronic sinusitis can cause complications extending for many weeks.

Symptoms :

Persistent cough, mucus discharge from the nose or throat, congestion in the nasal cavities, sore throat, pain and tenderness in the areas around the eyes and forehead and decreased sense of smell and taste are some of the signs of sinus infection. For many children/adults, cough gets worse during night. In addition there may be fever, headache and body pain. The phlegm produced will be greenish yellow in color with foul smell during sinus infection.

Additional pressure is applied on the sinus tissues which may cause headache for some people. The same pressure can cause itching of eyes, ear pain and bad breath. In case of rare fungal infection it may cause ulcers on the oral cavity and on the nasal region.

Causes :

There is swelling of thin lining of mucous membranes of the nose when sinus infection develops. This additional swelling will not let out the mucus which was previously discharged normally from the nostrils. Sinus infection is caused by viral infection, bacterial or fungal infection. If the symptoms mentioned above continue for more than a week then it is likely to be of bacterial infection.

When the body’s immunity gets weakened for other reasons it can cause fungal infection. Nasal polyps or tumors in the nasal passage, hay fever, allergic fever and tooth infection can cause sinusitis. Certain medical disorders like GERD (a reflux disease), cystic fibrosis and disorders in the body’s immune system can induce sinusitis. Common cold, exposure to allergies like dust or smoke, cigarette smoke can block the nasal passage leading to sinus infection.

Types :

Sinus infection is classified according to the time span the disease takes. Acute sinusitis is one which exists for few days or weeks whereas chronic sinusitis may continue for months together causing nasal blockage and runny nose.

Risk Factors :

You are likely to develop sinus infection when you are exposed to allergic smoke, chemicals, dust, or grains. Any deviation in the nasal septum or development of nasal tumors or polyps can cause sinus infection. People who are habitually smoking are more likely to develop sinusitis than others. In rare cases, sinus infection may develop into asthma attack, if left untreated for several weeks. If the infectious bacteria or virus spreads to the bloodstream it may reach the brain causing meningitis. In rare cases, the infection can severely damage the eye socket leading to loss of vision.

Diagnoses :

Your doctor will physically examine the body looking more particularly on your nose and throat. He will examine the nasal passage to check for any inflammation or development of any polyps inside. He may recommend a nasal endoscopy to inspect the nasal passage clearly. For severe cases, CT or MRI scan is done for ruling out any abnormalities inside.

Treatment :

Often acute type of sinus infection do not require any treatment if it is caused by common cold. You can try home remedies to get relief from symptoms. You can use decongestants in the form of tablets or nasal sprays for managing most of the symptoms of acute sinusitis. Your doctor may prescribe saline nasal spray to clear off the nasal blockage. Corticosteroid medications like Flonase, Nasonex, Budesonide, Nasacort and Beconase are largely prescribed for treating inflammation.

In case of fatigue or fever you can use aspirin or Tylenol for getting relief from pain. But it is not recommended for children. Avoid taking antibiotics since sinus infection is caused by virus. Unless it is bacterial infection antibiotics should not be used. For severe bacterial infection medications like Amoxil, doxycycline or Monodox are prescribed. Once your doctor gives you antibiotics ensure that you are completing the course of the medication. If you stop them after getting relief from symptoms, it can come back within few days.

If the sinusitis is caused by fungal infection, your doctor may prescribe antifungal drugs. If the root cause is weakened immunity then you will be put on immunotherapy. Chronic sinus infection can be treated by taking long course of drugs like Augmentin. In severe cases, surgery is done for clearing/opening the blocked sinus tissues.

Home Remedies :

Most of the symptoms of acute sinusitis can be managed by simple home remedies. You need to drink plenty of water/fluids to keep yourself hydrated. Avoid taking coffee/tea/alcohol since it may worsen the symptoms. Take complete rest to help the body fight against infections which would speed-up the process of recovery.

Warm compression can be applied on the entire face to loosen the blocked sinuses. Try using neti pot or other rinsing methods for clearing off the sinuses. It may be difficult for you to breathe normally while having sinus infection. Hence keep your head elevated position by adding more pillows.

Prevention :

You cannot prevent sinus infection but you can avoid allergy causing environment. No vaccine has been developed against sinusitis. Cigarette smoke in any form can gradually damage the tissues of the lungs blocking nasal passage. So, avoid active/passive smoking. Allergy may be the real culprit of sinus infection and hence you need to get tested for allergic infection and treat the same. Treating the underlying problem is vital to prevent getting chronic sinusitis.