Among the many diseases that can significantly worsen our lives, there is one that few people have heard of, but it can nevertheless worsen the quality of life and disrupt the architecture of the face. This silent sinus syndrome is a rare but insidious pathology that can not only affect nasal breathing, change your appearance, but also lead to impaired visual function, as well as create a lot of other problems.
In the article, Olymp Clinic otorhinolaryngologist Elena Pugacheva will tell you why this disease is so dangerous and how to detect it in time so as not to get complications.
What are sinuses?
Sinuses are the paranasal sinuses, air cavities in the bones of the face. These "voids" help to moisturize and warm the air that we inhale, are a barrier to pathogens in prolonged inflammation of the nasal mucosa, and also act as a voice resonator, giving our voice that unique timbre that is so important for communication. The largest of these sinuses are the maxillary sinuses, or maxillary sinuses. It is with them, as a rule, that the silent sinus syndrome is associated.
How does the syndrome appear?
Imagine a balloon that is slowly deflating. This process can be compared to what happens in the person of a person who develops silent sinus syndrome. But unlike a balloon, which simply loses air, the human body faces much more serious consequences.
Silent sinus syndrome is a "silent" destroyer of facial anatomy. In this syndrome, there is a slow progressive compression of the maxillary sinus cavity inward, while the sinus walls thin out. This process occurs due to a complete block of the natural junction of the sinus with the nasal cavity.
The area of the mouth is not just an opening, but a complex ostiomeatal complex of structures, each of which has its own function. Often, a complete block of the mouth is an innate feature of the development of the nasal cavity, but it can also occur after severe facial injuries. Due to the anastomosis block, negative pressure accumulates in the sinus, which literally pulls the bone walls inside, causing the sinus to contract like that very ball.
The most unpleasant thing is that one of these retracting walls is the lower wall of the orbit, where the eyeball is located. When the upper wall of the maxillary sinus, also known as the lower wall of the orbit, retracts, that is, falls down, the structures of the eye also begin to descend. And this is not just a cosmetic defect — facial asymmetry can become very noticeable, and as the omission progresses, visual disturbances appear, most often double vision (diplopia). At the same time, the face loses its symmetry, the look becomes not the same as before, and all this against the background of a hidden, but continuous and irreversible process inside the maxillary sinus.
Usually, silent sinus syndrome affects only one side of the face, but sometimes it can affect both. There are cases when similar processes develop in other sinuses, but these are isolated cases described in the literature.
What can cause this process?
There are several reasons for the appearance of silent sinus syndrome:
Congenital anomalies of the structure of the ostiomeatal complex
Injuries to the facial skeleton, especially in the nose and eye sockets.
Obstruction of the drainage opening caused by scars.
Symptoms of silent sinus syndrome
Silent sinus syndrome develops so imperceptibly that you may not be aware of its existence for a long time. But as it progresses, the following symptoms may appear:
Facial asymmetry: the eye socket area on one side becomes lower than on the other.
Retraction (occlusion) of the eyeball (enophthalmos).
Double vision (diplopia) caused by displacement of the eyeball.
Drooping of the upper eyelid
Decreased sense of smell and problems breathing through the nose, which do not go away despite treatment.
Chronic runny nose and nasal congestion.
Pain and swelling in the face area, especially unilateral, can be undulating: it appears, then disappears. Feeling of pressure in the projection area of the sinuses
Headaches
Diagnosis of silent sinus syndrome
Many patients learn about their diagnosis by accident, undergoing examination by other specialists, for example, a dentist, an ophthalmologist or a neurologist. However, if you have the above symptoms, you should consult an ENT doctor. A specialist can perform an endoscopic examination of the nasal cavity, and for an accurate diagnosis, prescribe computed tomography (CT). CT is the gold standard in detecting silent sinus syndrome or other changes in the nose and sinuses, as it allows you to see all anatomical changes in the sinus and surrounding tissues.
The earlier the diagnosis is made, the more likely it is to avoid serious consequences. Olympus Clinic specialists have extensive experience in the treatment of silent sinus syndrome and will be happy to help in getting rid of this dangerous disease.
How to treat it?
When it comes to the treatment of silent sinus syndrome, it is worth saying right away that pills and drops will not help here. This disease requires surgical intervention, and the sooner it is performed, the better.
The main task of the operation is to create normal ventilation of the sinus to prevent its further compression. Modern methods, such as functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), make it possible to eliminate obstruction at the mouth of the sinus and restore its function. In difficult cases, when there is a significant violation of the architectonics of the orbit, orbital reconstruction may be required to correct cosmetic defects and return the eyeball to the correct position.
Silent sinus syndrome in children
Although silent sinus syndrome is most often detected in adulthood, it can also occur in children. Fortunately, recently, thanks to the development of diagnostic technologies, this disease has become easier to detect at an early stage, even in young patients.
In children, the symptoms may differ, as their facial skeleton is still growing and developing. They usually have chronic runny nose, swelling on one side of the face, nasal congestion and morning cough.
It is more difficult to treat this disease in young patients, since their sinuses have their own anatomical and physiological features. They are very small, while the orbit is critically close, which is why the risks are higher. The surgeon must have sufficient experience and skills in operations on the paranasal sinuses in children to provide high-quality treatment.
Our doctors successfully perform operations to treat silent sinus syndrome in both children and adults. If you notice alarming symptoms in yourself or your child, do not delay your visit to the doctor. At Olympus Clinics, you will be able to undergo all the necessary examinations and receive high-level treatment. Take care of your health — it's worth it!