Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City received nearly 300 people with sinusitis in a month, including many recurrent cases, an increase of 20% over the same period last year.
On April 5, M.D. Truong Tri Tuong, Ear, Nose and Throat Center, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said the above information, adding that patients with recurrent sinusitis who come for examination almost always have the habit of Get used to turning on the air conditioner at low temperatures (16-22 degrees Celsius).
Doctor Tuong explained that sinusitis is common when the weather changes. Prolonged heat increases the need for air conditioning, and many people use it incorrectly, creating conditions for the disease to recur and become worse.
When the air conditioner is turned on, the air in the room loses its natural moisture, becomes dry, and body temperature decreases, causing an imbalance in the body’s adaptive heat production. This is the ideal condition for bacteria and viruses to attack, causing respiratory diseases, especially sinusitis, and aggravating symptoms.
Air that is too dry also leads to dry nasal mucosa, affecting the ability of the sinuses to clean. The mucus that already exists in the sinuses can also become drier and thicker, reducing its ability to drain through the nose.
Air conditioners that have been left for a long time without being cleaned can contain a lot of dirt and bacteria. They can enter the air and penetrate into the respiratory tract, causing sinusitis to recur.
In addition, many habits such as eating too cold food or drinking ice water to cool down dry out the throat mucosa, creating opportunities for bacteria and viruses to invade, causing sore throat. The nose and throat are connected, so when a sore throat occurs, bacteria can easily enter the nose, affecting the sinus cavities. Other factors such as dust and exhaust from vehicles can also be factors.
Nhu Phat, 17 years old, went to Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for examination due to a thick, yellow nasal discharge, cough, and nasal congestion for more than a week, causing insomnia, pain, and numbness in the forehead and cheeks. The pain tends to get worse and sometimes spreads to the top of the head, and the breath has a strong odor.
Phat’s nasopharyngoscopy results showed that his nose had a lot of cloudy mucus, pus accumulated in the nasal passages, and the mucosa was edematous.
Dr. Tuong said that Phat had recurrent acute sinusitis and was prescribed nasal suction to reduce mucus, clear the nasal cavity and use nasal aerosol to increase treatment effectiveness.
Similarly, Mr. Dung, 35 years old, has a history of sinusitis. It’s been hot lately, so he sits in the air conditioner continuously, 8 hours in the office and overnight at home, the temperature is often at 22-25 degrees Celsius.
In the past two weeks, Mr. Dung has had a headache, sinus pain, runny nose, constant sneezing, occasional fever, and no relief from taking medicine. He went to Tam Anh Hospital for examination. Nasopharyngoscopy results showed swelling of the nasal mucosa and little mucus in the nasal passages. The doctor diagnosed him with recurrent acute sinusitis, received medical treatment and re-examination for monitoring.
Doctor Tuong recommends that people with sinusitis should not use air conditioning in hot weather (15-16 degrees Celsius), but should only keep the room temperature around 26-27 degrees Celsius. Avoid changing the air conditioner temperature. suddenly, do not enter an air-conditioned room immediately after going out in the sun, clean this device regularly.
Sinusitis that is not treated promptly and properly can easily progress to become chronic, causing serious complications such as orbital infection, cavernous sinus thrombophlebitis, brain abscess, and meningitis.
People with sinusitis can increase humidity or compensate for humidity in air-conditioned rooms by placing a basin of water, using a humidifier… Drink enough water (about two liters per day) to avoid dehydration and provide adequate water. Humidity thins mucus, making it easier for airways to circulate. Do not drink ice water, eat cold or hot foods, avoid dusty places, keep your nose and throat clean, and comply with your doctor’s treatment.
