| The ethmoid sinuses are one of the two smaller pairs | | | | - Poor air quality. |
| of sinuses in the human skull, the other one being the | | | | Symptoms of Ethmoid Sinusitis |
| sphenoidal sinus. These are located in the area | | | | Symptoms of infected sinus ethmoid include the |
| between the eye sockets, just right above the nose. | | | | following: |
| It is the collective term used for the group of 6 to | | | | - Headache that radiates from between the eye |
| 12 very thin-walled and air-filled spaces the size of a | | | | sockets, |
| matchbox that are enclosed inside the ethmoid bone. | | | | - Pain that comes from the lower section of the |
| These spaces, otherwise referred to as cells or | | | | forehead, above the bridge of the nose, |
| bubbles, are lined with a thin layer of mucous | | | | - Runny/Stuffy nose, |
| membrane that is connected to the nasal cavity. | | | | - Nasal discharge, which is characterized with thick, |
| Like all other mucus-lined structures in the nasal | | | | yellowish or greenish mucus, |
| passages, the ethmoid sinus can become inflamed. | | | | - Postnasal drop or postnasal discharge, |
| This causes blockages in the nasal passages, thereby | | | | - Difficulty breathing, |
| impeding the natural flow of thin mucus from one | | | | - Fever, |
| area of the nose to another. When this happens, | | | | - Sore throat, and |
| mucus thickens and builds up in the ethmoid sinus, | | | | - Sinus pressure or pain that roots from around the |
| over time causing an infection called Ethmoiditis or | | | | corners of the eyes. |
| Ethmoid Sinusitis. | | | | Complication/s |
| Causes of Ethmoid Sinusitis or Infection of the Sinus | | | | When left untreated, the infection of sinus ethmoid |
| Ethmoid | | | | may progress to the formation of abscesses in the |
| Aside from abnormal mucus build-up, there are other | | | | area between the eyes. |
| causes to ethmoid sinusitis. These are: | | | | Treatment Options |
| - Bacterial, fungal or viral infections, | | | | Ethmoid sinusitis is usually responsive to common |
| - Lodging of foreign materials such as chemical and | | | | medical therapies used in treating other types of |
| environmental pollutants within the ethmoid sinus, | | | | sinusitis such as antibiotics therapy and use of |
| - Formation of nasal polyps and/or tumors, | | | | decongestants. When used in Ethmoiditis, medical |
| - Structural or anatomical defects such as enlarged | | | | therapy aims to open the ostium, relieve the pain or |
| turbinate and deviated septum, | | | | pressure associated with the condition, relieve the |
| - Trauma to the head, near the location of the | | | | symptoms of Ethmoiditis, remove infection, and |
| ethmoid sinus, | | | | restore the mucociliary function of the tiny hair-like |
| - Deficient immune system response or weakened | | | | structures that form the mucosal lining of the |
| immune system (also called Immunocompromise), | | | | ethmoid sinuses. |
| - Side-effects of certain medications which affect the | | | | When no significant relief is obtained using medical |
| normal functioning of the mucous membrane lining the | | | | therapy, surgical intervention is usually warranted. |
| sinuses, | | | | Other treatment options include simple alternative |
| - Build-up of pressure beyond the threshold of the | | | | therapies such as the use of nasal irrigation tools, and |
| sinuses, | | | | steaming techniques. Due to the nature and location |
| - Respiratory conditions like asthma, colds and flu, | | | | of the inflammation though, these techniques may |
| - Dehydration, | | | | prove less efficient when used in treating ethmoid |
| - Hormonal imbalance, and | | | | sinusitis than with other types of sinusitis. |