Deviated Septum Sinus: Are There Any Links Between The Two?

If you’re American, chances are that you are hearing about someone or the other getting affected by an ailment called “sinusitis” almost everyday. According to healthcare providers, nearly 31 million cases of chronic sinusitis are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. annually.

If you are one of the sufferers of sinusitis, it is likely that you have often heard the term deviated septum sinus – meaning that your deviated septum is responsible for your poor sinus functioning. If you are confused by this co-relation and want to find out how your sinuses and deviated septum are linked, you will find this article informative and interesting.

It is presumed that you know what a deviated septum is and the kind of negative impact this deviation of the central cartilage within your nose can create in terms of difficulty in breathing. Now your question is probably “what are sinuses, and how are they linked to deviated septum?”

Sinuses are tiny air pockets located inside the bones in the skull, precisely to either side of the nose, behind and in between the eyes, in the forehead and in the back of the head. The sinuses are lined with very fine fair-like structures called cilia, which moves mucus produced by the sinus towards a tiny hole that provides proper drainage for the sinus secretions.

Causes of Deviated Septum Sinus and Frequent Sinus Infections

A deviated septum causes the air passage to narrow down. This blocks the mucus from flowing down from the sinuses to the nasal cavity. When the flow is restricted, excess mucus gets accumulated inside the sinuses and this can be a breeding ground for bacteria that leads to frequent sinus infections.

This in turn causes inflammation of the sinuses, a condition called sinusitis. If this is left untreated, it can turn into chronic sinusitis. Therefore, if anyone is suffering from frequent sinus infections, it could be deviated septum sinus and a doctors’ opinion should be sought without delay.

How Common is Deviated Septum Sinus?

Sinusitis is one of the most common medical conditions, affecting nearly 30% of the country’s population at some point. And it is said that close to 80 million people in America suffer from deviated septum. So you could easily come to an approximate number of cases of deviated septum sinus in this country.

How to Treat a Deviated Septum Sinus

Symptoms resulting from a deviated septum are usually treated with medications like decongestants, antihistamines and corticosteroid nose sprays. However, if you are diagnosed with deviated septum sinus, septoplasty, a surgical procedure to correct a deviated septum can be done to reduce or eliminate the symptoms. However, you have to remember that a deviated septum creates pockets or channels that allow sinus fluids to accumulate that finally result in inflamed sinuses.

Your doctor is the final judge to decide whether your condition of deviated septum sinus requires surgical intervention or not.