Fungal sinusitis is a kind of sinus infection. It is caused by fungi. Fungal sinusitis directly affects the immunity of the body. These fungal infections may or may not be life-threatening.
While fungi refer to living organisms that feed on other organisms to extract their food, sinuses refer to the hollow and interconnected cavities inside the skull that extend to the forehead, nose, eyes, and cheekbones. These cavities usually trap mucus inside their walls which have bacteria and moisture. Let us understand more about this infection in the following way:
Types of Fungal Sinusitis
There are two types of Fungal sinusitis, namely invasive sinus infection and non-invasive sinus infection. While the former is always fatal and chronic, the latter is a common infection that is not life-threatening. The further classifications of these infections have been given in the following way:
The types of non-invasive fungal sinusitis infection have been given as follows:
- Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis: This is one of the most common types of fungal infection. It is caused by an allergic reaction. It is commonly found in people with asthma and other infection types.
- Saprophytic Fungal Sinusitis: This type of infection does not affect the tissues in the nose. Fungus rather grows inside the crust of the mucus and irritates the patients.
The types of invasive fungal sinusitis infection have been given as follows:
- Acute Fulminant invasive rhinosinusitis: is a life-threatening condition caused by people with a compromised immune system. The fungus destroys the blood vessels inside the nose. This disruption in the blood supply destroys the tissues. This infection can even spread to the eyes, nose, and brain.
- Chronic Invasive Rhinosinusitis: This type of infection occurs in people who already have diabetes.
- Granulomatous invasive fungal sinusitis: This is the rarest type of infection that directly attacks the body’s immune system. The body’s tendency to get affected by various infections increases, and hence, the body becomes very weak.
Who can be infected with fungal sinusitis?
Fungal sinusitis is a common fungal infection. This infection spreads rapidly during the warm and humid weather. Women are more likely to be infected with this virus than men. Certain people are more exposed to getting infected with this virus than others. The list of the same has been given as follows:
- People who are HIV positive
- People who are suffering from cancer are being subjected to regular chemotherapy treatments.
- People with uncontrolled diabetes
- People who are on drugs that suppress the immunity
What causes fungal sinusitis?
This type of infection is caused by fungus. The fungi can enter the sinuses through the nasal cavity. Exposure to yeast and fungal molds for a long time can become a reason behind getting infected by this infection.
What are the symptoms of fungal sinusitis?
Different types of symptoms are very common in this form of infection. These include:
- Decreased sense of smell.
- Inflammation and swelling in the nose
- Nasal congestion
- Pain and tenderness in the sinus area.
- Sinus headache
- Mood swings
- Behavioral changes
- Change of skin tone
- Numbness around the face
- Severe pain in cheeks and eyes
- Vision loss and blindness in extreme situations
What are the ways to diagnose fungal sinusitis?
Once this infection has been detected, there are different ways of curing it. Some of these ways have been given in the following way:
- Antifungal Medications: These antifungal drugs are useful for killing fungi. Various medications are available in this regard.
- Nasal Wash: The nasal cavity is washed to remove the mucus crusts. It washes out the traces of sinuses. The nasal cavity can be cleaned with a saline solution.
- Surgery: Surgery is the only option left in extreme cases. All the damaged tissues and clumps of mucus are removed through surgery.
Conclusion
This information is very useful to cure the deadly infection of fungal sinusitis. This infection has to be treated immediately so that immunity is not affected in the long run.
The patients must be very particular about these changes and report to the doctors immediately. It is advisable to prevent exposure to fungal areas as well.