Sinusitis in children, common illness but hard to diagnose
Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Singapore
Diagnosing sinusitis in children can be difficult for many parents, since symptoms vary. Parents whose children suffer from persistent colds, however, should be aware of the possibility.
Symptoms of sinusitis, a condition commonly found in children, can overlap with nasal allergies, viral infections, hypertrophic adenoids, immotile cilia syndrome, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), fungal disease and even neoplastic process.
Dr. A.B. John, consultant otorhinolaryngologist at the Mount Elizabeth Medical Center in Singapore, says symptoms should be obtained from children who might not be able to articulate their symptoms, or because their parents might exaggerate them.
In children as well as in adults, the most frequent indication of acute rhinosinusitis comes in the form of a prolonged cold accompanied by a cough and nasal discharge that persists after seven days.
Occasionally in preschoolers, it appears as a sudden high fever, purulent nasal discharge and toxicity, he said.
"Sometimes children can't breathe because their noses are blocked by mucus," John said.
People often turn to traditional methods of gurah (mucolytics) to deal with the illness, John said.
Gurah is performed by dropping an extract of sirgunggu (Clerodendron serratum spreng) plant into someone's nostrils. The patient then lies down, inhales deeply and exhales slowly before swallowing the extract. Ten minutes later, the patient is asked to lie facedown, as a large amount of mucus comes out of the nose and mouth.
John warned that, if their noses remain blocked for long period, children will start breathing through their mouths.
"When that happens, they will suffer more problems, including sore throat -- especially when they spend most of their time in air-conditioned rooms," he noted, as well as infection.
When children breath using their mouths, they might also experience a problem known as face growth.
"We call it 'fish face' because the kids' jaws aren't properly built due to their bad breathing," said John. "Most of them have to wear braces to fix their teeth when they are teenagers."
This can lead to a bigger problems down the road, physicians say. For instance, the children will be likely to snore when they grow up, said John.
He instructed parents to closely monitor their children's problem, and begin treatment early in childhood.
"Basically, they must know what causes the illness," and seek treatment first, said John. "Parents must avoid factors that cause allergy for their kids before getting medication that has no side effects. Then they can have therapy.
"The last effort is surgery, but it can be very traumatic for children," he added. "Surgery itself is divided into mild, moderate and severe -- depending on the illness."
Tips for parents of children with sinusitis: 1. Ensure nobody smokes in the house, car or air-conditioned room. 2. If children keep getting sick, they should be isolated from their school environment, which is an exposed area, for several days. 3. Don't carpet children's rooms, or have anything in the room that can absorb dust. 4. Do not allow furry pets (cats, dogs, birds) in the house. If the children insist on having pets, buy them goldfish. 5. Do not have toys or books in bedrooms because they collect dust. 6. Make sure there are no cockroaches in the bedrooms. 7. Do not keep your air conditioner on all the time. Make sure that it is cleaned at regular intervals. Leave windows open.