Allergies occur as your immune system identifies and reacts to a foreign substance causing sinusitis or inflammation in your sinuses. With allergens such as pet dander, dust or pollen, an allergic reaction can cause allergic rhinitis, which is congestion and a runny nose that causes inflammation and pressure in your sinuses. The four types of hollow sinus cavities in the skull are named after the bone in closest proximity.
Maxillary Sinuses
The largest sinus cavities, the maxillary sinuses, are located on either side of your nose in the cheekbones and just above your teeth where they drain into the nose. Congestion from allergies can make blocked maxillary sinuses fill up with fluid, which causes pain and pressure under your cheeks. With the collection of fluid and inflammation in your maxillary sinuses, you may experience symptoms such as a toothache, facial pain and nasal congestion. The American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery notes that nasal membrane congestion can block the eustachian tube, which leads to the ear, causing a feeling of fluid behind the eardrum. If your eustachian tube is even partially blocked, you may experience popping and ear fullness.
Ethmoid Sinuses
The ethmoid sinuses, located between the eye sockets and above the nose, have many partitions. The description given by Children's Hospital Boston compares the ethmoid sinuses to the appearance of a honeycomb. Each opening drains into the nasal cavity. Symptoms of ethmoid sinusitis include a stuffy nose and postnasal drip, pain in the lower forehead, pressure around the inner corners of the eyes and headaches around the eye or temple area.
Frontal Sinuses
The frontal sinuses are located in the center of the forehead above your eyes. The frontal sinuses drain through the ethmoid sinuses into the nose, so any inflammation or blockage of the ethmoid sinuses can cause a buildup of fluid in the frontal sinuses. Symptoms consistent with frontal sinusitis include severe headache in the front of your head, facial swelling and pain, toothache, and nasal congestion and discharge.
Sphenoid Sinuses
The sphenoid sinuses are small cavities located deep within your skull behind the nasal cavity and ethmoid sinuses. Mucus from the sphenoid sinuses drains into the back of your nose through the ostium. Structures located close to the sphenoid sinuses include the nerves for vision and the blood vessels that supply the brain. Symptoms of sphenoid sinusitis include facial pain, nasal discharge, and pain behind the eyes and across the forehead.
Treatment
Treatment for sinus and allergy problems depends on whether the condition is chronic or acute and on the severity of symptoms. Acute sinusitis may respond to conservative treatment, such as over-the-counter decongestants and antihistamines. If your condition is not improved within a week, or if you begin running a fever, antibiotics may be ordered by your doctor. Chronic sinusitis may require prolonged antibiotic therapy in conjunction with a corticosteroid nasal spray to reduce the inflammation caused by allergies.
