Patients may fail to adequately respond to standard therapy. Typically, a chronic sinusitis patient has been treated with many different antibiotics for extended periods often with little or no improvement in symptoms or quality of life. An allergic reaction can be described in general terms as an exaggerated response to an irritant. The allergic reaction causes swelling of the mucous membranes leading to blockage of drainage which can result in sinusitis. For many, effective, long term management of chronic sinusitis includes a thorough evaluation by an appropriate specialist to identify and treat allergies.
Polyps look like peeled grapes but are basically fluid-filled sacs.
They can be found anywhere in the sinuses or nose. Polyps that do not respond to steroid may need to be surgically removed to correct drainage. The septum is the bone and cartilage which separates the two sides of the nose. A deviated septum is simply a crooked septum. A deviated septum can cause or exacerbate chronic sinusitis as it produces obstruction of drainage from the sinuses.