Nose & Sinus Conditions

Your sinuses are cavities in the bones of your face surrounding your nose, whose main function is to make the skull lighter. These sinuses are lined with the same mucosa that lines the inside of your nose, and produces the same type of mucus as well. The mucus normally drains though small openings into your nose and is swallowed without us even knowing about it.

An upper respiratory tract infection, such as a ‘flu or cold, can cause the lining of the nose around these openings to swell, impairing the drainage of the mucus. The mucus can then become infected, resulting in a condition known as acute sinusitis. Treatment of sinusitis, in addition to antibiotics, requires medication that will reduce the congestion around the sinus openings, allowing the mucus to drain.

If you have a longstanding problem with your sinuses not draining properly it is called chronic sinusitis. Symptoms vary, but include a constant blocked or runny nose, post-nasal drip, sinus headaches and reduced sense of smell. The reason for the reduced draining of your sinuses can be because of allergies, longstanding infections or if the anatomy of your nose makes it difficult for the sinuses to drain normally. Treatment is aimed at the underlying cause, whether with medicines and nose sprays or with a sinus operation.

Nasal polyps are small growths that can be found in the nose or sinuses, and represent the ultimate manifestation of inflammation of the nasal lining, usually as a result of chronic sinusitis. They are normally treated with medicines, but they usually block normal drainage from sinuses, leading to the sinuses becoming infected. In this case they need to be surgically removed with a sinus operation. Asthmatics are particularly prone to nasal polyps. It is important to realise that any treatment of nasal polyps, including surgery, seldom results in long-term cure, since the underlying cause (asthma, allergy etc) rarely goes away.

It is estimated that almost half of all adults snore at least occasionally, with about 25 percent being regular snorers. Whilst mild snoring may be nothing more than a nuisance to your spouse, snoring may be severe enough to cause significant obstruction in breathing. This is called apnoea, and it can have a negative impact on your work and quality of life. You will have symptoms like excessive sleepiness in the daytime, decreased energy levels, waking up tired and headaches, especially in the morning. Snoring and apnoea are closely linked to your weight, and the first step to treating any snoring is to make sure you are not overweight.

The is no real instant cure for snoring, but it is important to visit an ENT specialist who can assess your situation and see if anything can be done to improve it.

Chronic snoring in children should also be seen by an ENT specialist as it may indicate enlarged tonsils and adenoids, and can impact on the cardiovascular health of the child. This is the most common reason why children snore.

A septal perforation, like an eardrum perforation, refers to a hole in the nasal septum. There are many causes of septal perforation, but one of the commonest is an untreated haematoma (bruise) of the septum following blunt trauma, such as a punch to the face. Septal perforations present with epistaxis, excessive crusting in the nose, and, if the perforation is small, as whistling sound on breathing.

You ENT will rule out other more serious causes of a perforation, and then discuss treatment options with you. This may include surgery, but not in all cases.