SINUSITIS IN CHILDREN
Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of sinusitis include fever (sometimes as high as 40.6°C), pain, stuffy nose, and cough. Depending on the location of the infection, headache may occur in the back of the head (infection of a sphenoid sinus), at the temples and over the eyes (infection of the ethmoid and frontal sinuses), or above and below the eyes (infection of the maxillary sinuses). Small children who have an infection in the ethmoid sinus develop red and swollen eyelids. However, the key to diagnosing sinusitis is the discharge from the nose.
With sinusitis, discharge from the nose is yellow, milky, or opaque. Pus in the sinuses can be revealed through an X ray, but it’s easily confused with a thickening of the lining of the sinuses because of a common cold or an allergy.
Home care
You can promote sinus drainage and protect against sinus infection by treating a cold with decongestants (taken by mouth) and nose drops, or by treating an allergy with antihistamines taken by mouth. These measures also encourage drainage after sinusitis has developed. To relieve pain and fever, heat may be applied to the affected sinuses, and aspirin or paracetamol given to the child.
• A high fever (39.4°C to 40°C) plus signs of sinusitis indicate a potentially serious infection. See your doctor.
• A pus-like discharge or signs of sinusitis on one side of the nose suggest that a foreign object may be lodged in the nose or that the inside of the nose may be deformed. See your doctor.
Medical treatment
After identifying the infecting bacteria the doctor may prescribe antibiotics for the child to take by mouth. Suction may be used to drain the sinuses of older children with sinusitis. Surgical drainage is rarely indicated in children.
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