Health experts estimate 37 million Americans are affected by sinusitis every year. Healthcare providers report nearly 32 million cases of chronic sinusitis to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention annually. Americans spend $5.8 billion each year on healthcare costs related to sinusitis.
Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses. Sinuses are hollow cavities in the skull that lighten the skull and give your voice resonance. There are four types of sinuses, namely Frontal sinuses, Maxillary sinuses, Ethmoid sinuses as well as Sphenoid sinuses.

Each sinus has an opening into the nose for the free exchange of air and mucus, and each is joined with the nasal passages by a continuous mucous membrane lining. Therefore, anything that causes a swelling in the nose such as an infection, an allergic reaction, or another type of immune reaction can affect your sinuses.

Fungal infections such as Aspergillus or Cryptococcus are rare causes of sinusitis, and occur most commonly in people with a poor immune system. The causes of sinusitis may be an infection in the upper respiratory track, allergen-prone reactions, asthma-linked effects, other conditions affecting the immune system, presence of bacteria and/or fungi, and nasal polyps and a deviated septum. There are many causes of sinusitis such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, allergies and pollutants. Most presentations are the result of a viral infection that damages the lining in the nasal cavity.

Sinusitis can be treated by using medication, conventional surgery and Balloon Sinuplasty. The recommended medical treatment are :

1. Antibiotics to control a bacterial infection, if present
2. Pain relievers to reduce any pain
3. Decongestants such as nose drops or sprays to reduce congestion

Balloon Sinuplasty is the latest treatment method. For this method, a wire is guided through the nostrils to reach the nasal cavities that need dilation. A balloon is then advanced over the wire into the sinus opening and is slowly inflated.

The single most effective self-help measure you can take to prevent or treat sinusitis is to wash your sinuses daily with salt water. Sinus washing, commonly called sinus irrigation and medically called sinus lavage (and sometimes called nasal washing or nasal douching), is an age-old practice.