Text C. Nonallergic Rhinitis

 

Nonallergic rhinitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose, characterized by a runny nose and stuffiness and usually caused by an infection.

The nose is the most commonly infected part of the upper airways. Rhinitis may be acute (short-lived) or chronic (long-standing).

Acute rhinitis is the usual sign of a cold. It can be caused by a variety of viruses and by bacteria. If it's caused by bacteria, a doctor identifies the bacteria and prescribes an appropriate antibi­otic. If the rhinitis is caused by a virus, antibiotics are not effective. In either case, symptoms can be relieved by taking phenylephrine as a nasal spray or pseudoephedrine by mouth. These drugs, available over the counter, cause the blood ves­sels of the nasal mucous membrane to constrict. Nasal sprays should be used for only 3 or 4 days.

Chronic rhinitis is usually caused by smoking, air pollution, or allergies. It may also result from infections, such as syphilis, tuberculosis, rhinoscleroma, rhinosporidiosis, leprosy, leishmania­sis, blastomycosis, and histoplasmosis. These in­fections destroy soft tissue, cartilage, and bone. Symptoms of chronic rhinitis include blocked na­sal passages and a runny nose. When the rhinitis is caused by an infection, discharges of pus and frequent nosebleeds are typical. A doctor tries to identify the microorganism causing the infection by performing a biopsy (removing a small piece of tissue for microscopic examination) or taking a sample of the nasal discharge for culture (grow­ing microorganisms in a laboratory). Treatment depends on the microorganism identified.

Atrophic rhinitis is chronic rhinitis in which the mucous membrane thins (atrophies) and hard­ens, causing the nasal passages to widen—the major difference between atrophic and other forms of chronic rhinitis. The cause is unknown, although a bacterial infection is probably in­volved. Crusts form inside the nose, and an offen­sive odor develops. The cells normally found in the mucous membrane of the nose—cells that secrete mucus and have hairlike projections to move dirt particles out—are replaced by cells like those normally found in the skin. A person loses the sense of smell (anosmia) and may have recur­ring severe nosebleeds. Treatment is aimed at re­ducing the crusting and eliminating the odor. An­tibiotics, such as bacitracin sprayed into the nose, kill bacteria; estrogens and vitamins A and D sprayed into the nose or taken by mouth may help by promoting mucosal secretions. Blocking or narrowing the nasal passages, by surgery or with a pad of lamb's wool, reduces the crusting because it decreases airflow, which dries the thinned mucous membrane.

Vasomotor rhinitis is chronic rhinitis marked by swollen blood vessels in the mucous membrane of the nose, sneezing, and a runny nose. Its cause is unknown but doesn't appear to be an allergy. The condition comes and goes but is worsened by dry air. The swollen mucous membrane varies from bright red to purple. No crusts form and no pus is discharged. Treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms but isn't always effective. Increased humidity from a humidified central heating sys­tem or a vaporizer at home and work may be beneficial.

Notes:

crust корка, струп

odor, odour запах; аромат, благоухание

pad подушка, прокладка

humidify мочить, смачивать, увлажнять

vaporizer испаритель, пульверизатор

 

Text D. Sinusitis

 

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses caused by an allergy or a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection.

Sinusitis may develop in any of the four groups of sinuses: maxillary, ethmoid, frontal, or sphenoid.

Causes

Sinusitis may be acute (short-lived) or chronic (long-standing). Acute sinusitis maybe caused by a variety of bacteria and often develops after a viral infection of the upper airways, such as the common cold. Occasionally, chronic sinusitis of the maxillary sinus results from a tooth infection.

During a cold, the swollen mucous membrane of the nasal cavity tends to block the openings of the sinuses. When this happens, air in the sinuses is absorbed into the bloodstream, and the pres­sure inside the sinuses decreases, resulting in negative pressure that’s painful—a condition called vacuum sinusitis. If the vacuum remains, fluid is drawn into and fills the sinuses, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. White blood cells and more fluid enter the sinuses to fight the bac­teria; this influx increases the pressure and causes more pain.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Acute and chronic sinusitis produce similar symptoms, such as tenderness and swelling over the affected sinus, but the precise symptoms depend on which sinus is affected. For example maxillary sinusitis produces pain over the cheeks just below the eyes, toothache, and headache. Frontal sinusitis produces headache over the forehead. Ethmoid sinusitis produces pain behind and between the eyes and headache, often described as splitting, over the forehead. The pain produced by sphenoid sinusitis doesn't oc­cur in well-defined areas and may be felt in the front or back of the head.

A person also may feel generally sick (malaise). Fever and chills suggest that the infection has spread beyond the sinuses. The nasal mucous membrane is red and swollen, and yellow or green pus may be discharged from the nose.

In sinusitis, the sinuses appear opaque on an x-ray, so a computed tomography (CT) scan may be used to determine the extent and severity of sinusitis. If a person has maxillary sinusitis, the teeth are x-rayed to check for tooth abscesses.

Treatment

Treatment of acute sinusitis is aimed at improv­ing sinus drainage and curing the infection. Steam inhalation helps blood vessels in the mucous membrane constrict and improves sinus drain­age. Drugs that cause blood vessels to constrict, such as phenylephrine, can be used as nasal sprays but for only a limited time. Similar drugs, such as pseudoephedrine, taken by mouth aren't as effective.

For both acute and chronic sinusitis, antibiot­ics such as amoxicillin are given, but people who have chronic sinusitis take antibiotics longer. When antibiotics aren't effective, surgery may be performed to improve sinus drainage and remove infected material.

Notes:

breeding разведение, размножение

tenderness болезненность

splitting разделение (расслоение), раскалывание, расщепление

malaise недомогание

chill простуда, озноб

opaque непрозрачный, непроницаемый

inhalation вдыхание, ингаляция (вдыхание с лечебной целью паров или распыленных лекарственных веществ)

 

ThroatDisorders

 

Disorders of the throat and voice box include inflammation and infections, noncancerous growths such as vocal cord polyps and nodules, contact ulcers, cancer, vocal cord paralysis, and laryngoceles.