Acute or Chronic Sinusitis? Learn How Family Practice Doctors Treat Sinus Infection Do you have nasal congestion, cough, facial pressure or thick nasal discharge? You must check with your family medicine doctor for sinusitis, commonly known as a sinus infection. Sinuses are hollow cavities within the cheekbones, behind the nose, and around the eyes. They contain mucus that helps to filter and moisten the air you breathe. When something blocks the mucus from draining, it causes germs to grow which lead to an infection.
Sinusitis or sinus infection is an inflammation of the air cavities that produce the mucus necessary for the nasal passage to work effectively. Sinusitis affects the paranasal sinuses, the spaces behind the face that results in the nasal cavity. It can be acute or chronic and can be caused by infection, allergies, bacteria, fungi, viruses and chemical or particulate irritation of the sinuses.
Around 12.8% of adults in the United States have been diagnosed with sinusitis as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People with asthma, allergies, weak immune systems or structural blockages in the nose are at higher risk of getting a sinus infection. Some people have bodily defects like nasal polyps, narrow sinus openings, and nasal passages bone deformity, which contribute to sinusitis.