Thank you for your question. To find out more about sinusitis, please refer to my article published on Human - "A Complete Guide To Sinus Infections".
When you visit an ENT Specialist for sinus or facial pain, you would expect your ENT Specialist to first take a thorough medical history of your condition, to understand if your facial pain is related to your sinuses.
A nasendoscopy ("nose scope") is likely required to assess the nasal cavity as well as drainage pathway of the sinuses in the nose. The scope is performed under local anaesthesia in the clinic. It is relatively painless and takes 2-3 minutes to perform.
It may also be insurance claimable (depending on your medical insurance coverage). Sometimes, a CT scan (special series of X-rays) may be performed to assess the sinuses. A CT scan is done at a Radiology or Imaging Department.
Treatment of sinusitis include:
- Antibiotics
- Saline rinse
- Nasal steroid sprays
- Mucous thinners
- Pain reliever
Majority of sinusitis are treatable medically. If your sinus infection has failed maximal medical therapy or you have frequent sinus infections (e.g. more than 4 episodes in a year), you may need to undergo surgery (known as FESS or Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery) to unblock and drain the sinuses.
Hope this helps and all the best!
