Why do sinuses swell?

Sinuses are part of the human anatomy that is most commonly associated with the body’s defenses. Derived from the Latin language, sinus can mean a bay, pocket, curve or bosom. A sinus is indeed a sac or cavity that is most commonly found in certain areas of the body such as the nose and the entire face. The term sinus is more frequently associated with the sinuses that located within the bones of the skull and the face. As air filled spaces, sinuses have the capacity to serve as communicating pathway with the nasal cavity. As humans possess a number of sinuses, there are 4 main subgroups that were specifically named according to the bones which such sinuses rest. The four subgroups are the maxillary sinuses, the frontal sinuses, the ethmoid sinuses and the sphenoid sinuses. These sinuses function as they were known to increase resonance of the voice, provide a buffer against blows to the face, and insulate sensitive structures like dental roots and eyes from rapid temperature fluctuations in the nasal cavity, and humidification and heating of inhaled air because of slow air turnover.

One of the most common conditions that sinuses experiences is its inflammation. Medically termed as sinusitis, the inflammation of the sinuses is attributed to the onset of infection. Once microorganisms or pathogens invade the paranasal sinuses, it has the greatest potential to inflame, get swollen and eventually cause pressure often in the cheek, eyes, nose, on one side of the head, and can even result in a severe headache. A mild flu or allergies are just two of the many causes for sinuses to swell. It is the bacteria that is present in the cell lining of the sinuses that cause it to swell, inflame and experience the condition, sinusitis.

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