Fungal sinusitis can cause acute or chronic infection, with symptoms including congestion, headaches, and coughing. Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common pathogen. Treatment may involve antifungal medication, corticosteroids, or surgery. Mild cases tend to respond well to surgery, while severe infections may require frequent checkups and daily medication.
Fungal sinusitis can be an acute or chronic infection in which the sinus cavities of the face become swollen, engorged, and painful. There are many different forms of fungal sinusitis, characterized by the type of fungus involved and the nature of the symptoms. The condition is usually mild, and the symptoms resemble those of other types of sinusitis that occur after a person has caught a cold. Occasionally, however, the fungi can spread rapidly through the body and lead to life-threatening complications. Some cases of fungal sinusitis can be treated with antifungal medications and corticosteroids, although most cases require surgery to clear the mucus and remove traces of the offending fungus.
Doctors recognize invasive and noninvasive types of fungal sinusitis. The noninvasive types are more common and generally milder. They tend to be slow in onset and cause persistent symptoms of coughing, congestion, and headaches. Invasive fungal sinusitis tends to be an acute infection that produces immediate and severe symptoms. A person with the invasive variety often becomes very ill, experiencing severe fatigue, fever, headache, and nausea. If left untreated, acute fungal infections can impair the functioning of the heart, lungs, and brain.
Several fungi can potentially infect the sinuses, although the most common pathogen is known as Aspergillus fumigatus. This fungus is found worldwide in soil, compost and house mold. When fungal spores are inhaled, they attach themselves to the mucous membranes lining the nose and sinuses where they can trigger an allergic response in some individuals. People with immune system disorders or severe allergies have a much higher risk of developing sinusitis after exposure to mushrooms.
Fungal sinusitis can be diagnosed by a specialist doctor called an otolaryngologist. Your doctor can recognize a fungal infection by analyzing your symptoms, looking into your nasal cavity with an endoscope, and interpreting computed tomography scans of your face. A tissue biopsy or mucus sample may be collected for lab testing to confirm the type of fungus involved.
A doctor may try treating noninvasive fungal sinusitis with oral medications designed to attack the fungi and reduce the immune system’s response to the pathogen. However, the fungi can be very resistant to medications and often need to be surgically removed. Acute fungal sinusitis almost always requires surgery. An experienced surgeon can conduct a minimally invasive procedure to manually cut out the fungus and damaged breast tissue.
Mild cases tend to respond very well to surgery, and patients tend to recover from symptoms within a month. Procedures to treat severe infections are less effective, especially if the fungus has already caused widespread health problems. Patients generally need to receive frequent checkups and take daily medications in an effort to reduce the chance of recurring complications.
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