The sound of coughing in winter is common. Many people also have a cold, a runny nose, and sometimes a fever. You might think that a few cups of ginger tea, cough syrup, steam inhalation, or home remedies would work in your favor. But there are times when the usual cough and cold remedies don’t work. That’s because it could be more than just a cold. Runny nose, cough, cold and fever are some of the signs of fungal sinusitis and you should be careful and knowledgeable about the treatments for fungal sinusitis.
Winter isn’t just about warm, smart clothes, campfires, and hot, healthy soups. It also means cough and cold time.
To find out if you should worry if you have a fever, Health Shots Dr. Navneet Sood, Senior Consultant in Pulmonology at Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Delhi.
Cough and fever are some of the signs of fungal sinusitis. Image courtesy Adobe Stock
Signs of fungal sinusitis
While a runny nose, fever, cough, and cold can all point to fungal sinusitis, there are other signs of fungal sinusitis that you should be aware of.
Here are some of them –
• Stuffy nose
• Facial pain or pressure
• Foul odor in nose or loss of smell
• Nasal Drainage
• Skin color changes such as fading or turning slightly black
• Numbness in the face
• Swelling of the face, especially if it affects your cheeks or eyelids.
What is fungal sinusitis?
As the name suggests, fungal sinusitis is a sinus infection associated with a fungus, says Dr. sood It happens when there is an allergic reaction to fungi in your nose. If you don’t see a doctor and get treatment, your sinuses fill up with thick mucus and nasal polyps (soft and painless benign growths on the lining of your nasal passages or sinuses) can form.
People with asthma and nasal allergies are more likely to develop sinusitis. Image courtesy Adobe Stock
Who is at risk for fungal sinusitis?
A sinus infection doesn’t really spare anyone, as anyone can be affected. But people with asthma, nasal allergies, nasal polyps, and abnormal nasal structures are more likely to develop sinusitis, the expert says. Smoking can also increase your risk of sinus infections, making it another reason to quit smoking.
Types of fungal sinusitis
There are many types of fungal sinusitis, and they depend on the degree of sinus invasion, says the expert. There are non-invasive and invasive types of fungal sinusitis.
The three types of non-invasive fungal sinusitis are –
1. Mushroom Ball: In this case, the fungus builds up in the sinuses, forming what appears to be a ball. The ball can get bigger and even block the sinuses.
2. Saprophytic Fungal Sinusitis: This happens when the fungus grows on crusts of mucus right inside the nose.
3. Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis: The fungus is easily found in the environment and causes an allergic reaction. This results in sticky mucus and thick fungal residue.
The Three Types of Invasive Fungal Sinusitis –
1. Acute Fulminating Invasive Rhinosinusitis: This is quite a life-threatening condition. It is more common in people who have a weakened immune system due to cancer or chemotherapy. The infection can spread from the nose to the eyes and brain, causing blindness and even death.
2. Chronic invasive rhinosinusitis: People with diabetes have a lot to watch out for, including their diet. It turns out they also have chronic invasive rhinosinusitis to worry about, since they’re more likely to have that type of sinusitis. It is quite similar to acute fulminant invasive rhinosinusitis but does not spread to other parts very quickly.
3. Granulomatous Invasive Fungal Sinusitis: This is fairly rare and occurs when the body mounts an immune response to fungi. The immune system attacks the nasal mucosa and eventually destroys the nasal tissue.
Treatment of fungal sinusitis
Saline nasal rinses, nasal sprays, or solutions reduce drainage and flush away irritants and allergies, says Dr. sood There are also oral or injected corticosteroids. These drugs help reduce inflammation from severe sinusitis, especially if you also have nasal polyps.
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