Acute rhinosinusitis: what is it, and what are the symptoms?

Written in association with: Mr Pavol Surda
Published:
Edited by: Conor Lynch

Top Doctors recently spoke to highly esteemed London-based consultant ENT surgeon, Mr Pavol Surda, to find out what acute rhinosinusitis is, what the main associated symptoms are, and how the condition is treated most effectively.

What is acute rhinosinusitis?

Acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) is a term that can be used to describe any short-lasting condition that causes inflammation of the lining of the nose and sinuses. It is an infection that causes both the nose and sinuses to become swamped by cells that fight infection, which trigger inflammation as part of the effort to kill the agent causing infection. It is most often due to a viral infection, but occasionally can also be caused by bacteria.

 

What are the main symptoms?

There are many symptoms associated with acute rhinosinusitis. The main ones include the following:

 

  • blocked nose or a feeling of congestion
  • nasal discharge
  • facial pain or pressure
  • headache
  • reduction/loss of smell
  • sore throat
  • cough
  • fever

 

What causes acute rhinosinusitis?

Acute rhinosinusitis is very common, and, in fact, is the thirteenth most common reason for patients to need to see a doctor. Adults typically suffer from between two to five colds per year, while school children have about seven to 10 colds per year. Viral infections are much more common than bacterial infection and are thought to cause over 98 per cent of all cases of acute rhinosinusitis. However, cases that are more severe or long-lasting may indicate a bacterial infection.

 

How is it treated?

Viral infections will virtually always get better with time, rest, and sticking to healthy behaviours such as staying well hydrated. There are also some medications which are available over the counter that can help to relieve the symptoms while you are waiting to recover.

 

If a doctor feels that a patient's case of acute rhinosinusitis is likely being caused by bacteria, then it is likely that antibiotics will be the first line of treatment. Usually, this is a short course of antibiotics targeted at the most common bacterial causes – and is quite different to the use of antibiotics in the longer-lasting form of sinus disease, chronic rhinosinusitis.

 

Antibiotics have a modest effect when used in patients with bacterial rhinosinusitis, but are completely ineffective in viral infections. Their use can occasionally have side effects such as rash, nausea, and diarrhoea. As well as antibiotics, bacterial rhinosinusitis symptoms can be made more tolerable by simple medications such as paracetamol.

 

Make sure you book a consultation with Mr Pavol Surda today via his Top Doctors profile if you have noticed yourself experiencing some of the symptoms outlined in the above article.

By Mr Pavol Surda
Otolaryngology / ENT

Mr Pavol Surda is an award-winning consultant ENT and rhinology surgeon based in central London, serving at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital and London Bridge Hospital. As the clinical lead of ENT at Guy's Hospital, he specialises in advanced sinus surgery, skull base surgery, nasal deformities, and the management of sleep-disordered breathing.
 
Mr Surda completed his medical education in Slovakia before advancing his postgraduate training and specialisation in ENT surgery across the UK, Czech Republic, and the Netherlands. His extensive European training equipped him with a broad spectrum of experience. He further honed his expertise through a year-long fellowship in rhinology and facial plastics at St. George's University Hospital in London, followed by another fellowship at the Academic Medical Centre University Hospital in Amsterdam, focusing on anterior skull base surgery.
 
In his clinical practice, Mr Surda has been a consultant ENT surgeon at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and London Bridge Hospital since 2017 and 2019, respectively. He consults private patients at both London Bridge Hospital and 120 Old Broad Street in central London.
 
In addition to his clinical roles, Mr Surda is deeply involved in academic and educational endeavours. He co-authors for SurgTech, a pioneering company offering crowdsourced surgical training videos, and serves as a faculty member on various instructional courses. His academic contributions include authoring or co-authoring 34 peer-reviewed papers and five book chapters. He frequently presents his work at international conferences and is an esteemed member of the executive board of the European Rhinology Society.
 
Mr Surda's research contributions have earned him notable accolades, including the European Rhinology Society travel grant and the Ilorin Award of Excellence. His expertise and insights have been featured in prominent publications such as The Times, The Telegraph, and The Daily Mail.
 
A former professional triathlete, Mr Surda brings the dedication and perfectionism from his sporting career into his medical practice. His commitment to excellence was recognised with the 'Fair Play' prize awarded by the Olympic Committee.

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