Acute Sinusitis Infection – “What Are the Secondary Causes?”
In an earlier article entitled “Acute Sinusitis Infection – What Causes it?” we discussed the most common factors leading to acute sinus infection, specifically the common cold. In this article we’re going to take a look at some of the secondary causes:
Allergens and Pollutants
People who react to allergens and pollutants that affect the nose (commonly called Hay Fever), often suffer from an acute sinus infection without actually having a cold.
This happens because the allergens or pollutants attack both the nasal and the sinus mucous membranes causing them to swell.
People with hay fever sneeze a lot.
On occasions when in company, they may try to suppress a sneeze out of politeness. A suppressed sneeze causes an explosive pressure build-up inside the nasal cavities. Also, as with a cold, hay fever sufferers tend to sniff and blow their noses often, so the chain of events described in the abovementioned article, is then replicated, guaranteeing a vicious sinus attack.
For your convenience, here’s a brief summary of how a cold triggers a sinus attack:
- Cold viruses cause inflammation and swelling to the mucous membranes resulting in blocked nasal cavities.
- With a cold, people tend to sniff and blow their noses often.
- Repetitive nose blowing causes a pressure build-up inside the already blocked sinuses.
- Residual harmless bacteria become trapped; they use the captive mucous for nourishment.
- The bacteria multiply and attack the lining of the sinus cavities, causing further trauma; the injured mucous membrane secretes puss in order to fight the infection.
- This in turn causes an accelerated pressure build-up inside the sinuses.
Physical Anomalies
These conditions also apply, to a lesser extent, in people with abnormal anatomic variations inside the nose, such as a deviated septum that restricts the nasal passages.
The presence of sinus polyps growing in the nasal passages is a secondary cause of blockage, whether the patient has anatomic anomalies or not.
Fungal Sinusitis Infection
Although the human body is naturally resistant to fungus, on rare occasions and under certain conditions, this can also cause an acute sinus infection.
The most common example is with asthma sufferers and people with a reduced immune function.
Normally harmless fungus such as Aspergillus (commonly found growing on dead leaves, compost heaps and other decaying vegetation), can take on the characteristics of a specialized sinus fungus for this susceptible class of sufferers.
Immune Deficiency and Cystic Fibrosis
Another group of sufferers are people with immune deficiencies brought about by ailments such as HIV, AIDS, leukemia and diabetes, together with people suffering from cystic fibrosis.
These unfortunate people are prone to sinus attacks, whether fungus is present or not.
Sidebar
Many health experts consider acute sinusitis to be an infectious disease.
Chronic Sinusitis and Asthma
The cause of repetitive sinus attacks is largely unknown, however recent studies have shown that the condition often occurs in people suffering from asthma. Since most asthma sufferers also have allergies, researchers believe that the two conditions are linked.
It’s possible that year round exposure to common household allergens such as dust mites, cats, dogs, cockroach droppings and traces of mold and other fungi, may be responsible for some of these repetitive sinus attacks.
Like acute sinusitis, other causes of chronic sinus may be due to a primary immune deficiency disorder or HIV infection, as well as cystic fibrosis and nasal anomalies such as a deviated septum or abundant sinus polyps.
Unlike acute sinusitis, chronic sinus is not thought to be an infectious disease.
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