Answer : SINUSITIS refers to an inflammation of mucous membrane that lines sinus of skull. Sinus is a cavity that is usually filled with air or blood. Sinuses are located close to nasal cavities and also near ear.

Therefore, infection of sinusitis travels from mouth, nose and throat along mucous membrane lining. A person, who is suffering from sinusitis, may experience severe headache over affected sinus area and nose may be blocked on affected side.

Allergy, repeated attacks of acute sinusitis or inadequate treatment of acute sinusitis combined with nasal obstruction cause a chronic sinusitis (long-standing). Acute (short-lived) sinusitis is caused by nasal infection in which sinuses become blocked by common cold or by any feverish respiratory illness such as influenza. Other than that, acute sinusitis may also be caused by a dental abscess, a fracture of bone in face or sudden pressure change.

My exaggerated dislike for dentists is long standing. A child of Great Depression, my father didn’t believe in pain killers, at least for children in his family who didn’t do a good job of brushing their teeth and that view of parenting was reinforced by stenciled name on frosted glass of our family dentist’s door. (Out of respect for dearly departed, he will remain nameless.) To me, he will always be personification of pain and punishment, enforcer of my father’s will. So why am I writing this? Simply said, my fear of dentists disappeared recently when a broken tooth I’d been ignoring for several weeks finally got best of me. It had finally broken apart and exposed nerve couldn’t be mollified with warm salt water.