7 Most Common Nose and Sinus Disorders That Can Impact Your Quality of Life

Chronic sinusitis involves an ongoing inflammation of the sinuses that lasts for more than 12 weeks. It differs from recurrent sinusitis in that it is ongoing without a pause, while a recurrent condition involves four or more episodes of sinusitis within a year with periods without the condition between them.  

Chronic sinusitis can present in a similar manner to allergic rhinitis, with ongoing or recurring symptoms like: tenderness or pressure in the face, postnasal drip, runny nose, toothache, ear pain, cough, fatigue, loss of taste and smell, and bad breath. 

Prevention includes avoiding triggers like allergens and environmental factors. 

Treatment typically involves the use of intranasal corticosteroids, antihistamines, balloon sinuplasty, or sinus ostial dilation. When polyps are present, various therapies to slow their growth or surgical removal may be necessary. 

A deviated septum is among the most common types of abnormal nasal structures that contribute to breathing difficulties. It is characterized by an unequal or imbalanced division of the nasal cavity, making it difficult to breathe. 

Individuals struggling with a deviated septum may suffer from frequent nosebleeds, facial pain, headaches, postnasal drip, or loud breathing and snoring during sleep. 

Since the condition is usually congenital, there is really no way to prevent it. Treatment may require a surgical procedure called septoplasty to repair the condition and improve breathing. 

Another possible cause of breathing difficulties is nasal and paranasal tumors, which are cancerous or benign abnormal growths within the nasal cavity. While nasal tumors begin in the nasal cavity, paranasal tumors form in air-filled chambers around the nose, known as the paranasal sinuses. 

The symptoms typically include difficulty breathing through your nose, loss of smell, nosebleeds, nasal discharge, facial pain and swelling, watery eyes, lesions in the roof of your mouth, vision problems, a lump in your neck, or difficulty opening your mouth. 

To prevent nasal tumors, avoid smoking and secondhand smoke, air pollution, and long-term exposure to chemicals or irritants as well as exposure to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. 

The most common treatment option is a surgical procedure to remove the tumor, which may be followed up by radiation or chemotherapy for cancerous forms. 

Though a rare condition, a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak is the result of a tear or hole in the membranes surrounding the brain or spinal cord. These openings allow the clear fluid that surrounds and cushions those organs to leak out.  

CSF leaks are caused by an injury, surgery, epidural or spinal tap, or a tumor, and they can lead to an increased risk of meningitis. 

Symptoms can include drainage from the nose, a salty or metallic taste in your mouth, postnasal drip, drainage from your ear, cutaneous drainage from the sinus tract, a loss of smell, and a change in hearing or ringing in your ears. 

Bed rest and other conservative therapies typically correct CSF leaks, but surgical procedures, an epidural blood patch, and/or the insertion of shunts to drain away excess fluid may be necessary. 

A nasal fracture can cause profuse bleeding and pain, along with swelling and bruising around your nose and under your eyes, altered cosmetic appearance of your nose, and trouble breathing. 

Prevention involves using proper safety equipment during activities that have the potential to result in a nasal fracture. 

Procedures to realign your nose and protect it while the fracture heals are the most common treatment option, but in some rare cases surgical procedures may be necessary to treat nasal fractures. 

Triad asthma is another possible contributor to breathing challenges. Sometimes referred to as aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) or ASA triad, it can develop as a comorbid condition of asthma due to aspirin sensitivity and nasal polyps. 

Most typical in patients between the ages of 20 and 40, symptoms can include coughing, wheezing, tightness in the chest, nasal congestion, headache, sinus pain, and sneezing. The condition might also include rashes, flushing of the skin, abdominal pain, and diarrhea or vomiting.  

The avoidance of aspirin and other NSAID medications is the most common means of both preventing and treating the condition. In some cases, leukotriene-modifying agents and cutting back on foods containing salicylic acid may be necessary.