Enlarged Sinuses?

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AR - 12 Oct 2007 16:13 GMT

The first indication that I had that I had sinus problems was a CAT
scan in preparation for a sinus lift. They had the scan showed that my
sinuses about the top teeth were quite enlarged.
The only symptoms I really had most of my life was that my ears felt a
bit stuffed up all the time. I had no pain at all or bad pressure, but
I would get colds that lingered for weeks sometimes with laringytis,
that I now realize were infections.

I'm a bit confused though. Isn't the point of surgery to enlarge a
portion of the sinus? Mine are already enlarged. Why would the sinus
enlarge on it's own, and do they ever shrink back with treatment? Any
help is much appreciated ;-).

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Steven L. - 12 Oct 2007 18:39 GMT

> The first indication that I had that I had sinus problems was a CAT
> scan in preparation for a sinus lift. They had the scan showed that my
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> enlarge on it's own, and do they ever shrink back with treatment? Any
> help is much appreciated ;-).

The sinus cavities themselves aren't widened because in reality they are
just part of your skull. Sinus surgery is often used to scrape away
thickened, infected or inflamed tissue that lines the sinus cavities.
On the CT scan the sinus cavities appear as black spaces. Any abnormal
growth of tissue appears as gray areas.

Sinus cavities vary in size; that's a normal anatomical variant. In
fact, we are born without frontal sinuses; in most of us they appear as
we grow to adulthood. But in a few people, they never appear. A friend
of mine was totally lacking her left frontal sinus--nothing there but bone.

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Steven L.
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