Acute nasosinusitis generally refers to acute suppurative nasosinusitis which is the suppurative infection of the mucosa of the nasal sinus. Clinically it mainly manifests as profuse turbid nasal discharge, nasal obstruction, headache and dizziness. The incidence of acute nasosinusitis is higher in children and juveniles. The maxillary sinus is most susceptible to the onset, the ethmoid sinus more and, frontal sinus and sphenoid sinus least. Nasosinusitis, to a certain degree, affects the functions of its neighbouring organs, lower respiratory tract and digestive tract, and sometimes may cause severe intracranial complications.
The disease belongs to the category of "Biyuan"(turbid nasal discharge)in TCM.
Its cause lies in the fact that pathogenic factors invade externally, with the viscera like the lung, gallbladder and spleen as well as meridians involved. Its main pathogenesis is as follows: When wind and heat invade the lung, it will make the lung unable to disperse and descend the lung qi, causing pathogenic heat to scorch the nasal sinus along the meridian; or if the excessive heat of the lung transmits the liver and gallbladder internally, the fire and heat of gallbladder meridian will rise to scorch the nasal sinus; also, excessive intake of sweet and greasy food may impair the spleen and stomach internally, this will cause internal accumulation of turbid dampness. The heat transformed from the stagnated turbid dampness will rise along the meridian to scorch the nasal sinus. In all the above cases, the disease may occur.
Chronic nasosinusitis is mostly the suppurative inflammation of the mucosae of several nasal sinuses. Clinically, it mainly manifests as profuse nasal discharge in the nasal cavity, nasal obstruction, and dizziness, etc.Chronic nasosinusitis is mostly due to repeated onset of acute nasosinusitis which finally develops into chronic nasosinusitis on account of its protracted course of illness. The disease belongs to the category of "Biyuan" (turbid nasal discharge) in TCM according to its clinical manifestations. When the prolonged disease consumes and impairs the lung and spleen, pathogenic factors will stay and stagnate, causing protracted failure to cure the disease. Continue to read Causes of Chronic Sinusitis in TCM.
