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The upper respiratory tract—the nose, the nasal passages or sinuses, and the throat—cleans and warms the air we breathe. But problems in the nasal cavity, such as nasal polyps, may affect kids with CF. A polyp is like a little finger of skin that grows in the wrong place. Polyps may not be a problem unless they get too big and make it very hard to breathe.
| | Click on the buttons in the gray bar above the picture to see the difference between normal and sinuses with CF. |
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Sinus Disease
Chronic Sinusitis
When your sinuses—the hollow air spaces around your nose and eyes—become infected or inflamed by thick mucus, you have a condition called sinusitis. This is especially a problem for kids with CF because mucus in their sinuses, as in their lungs, can not be cleared. The result is a buildup of bacteria and inflammation that creates even more mucus, we call that chronic sinusitis. But you can fight it with long-term antibiotic medicines. | | A CT scan of a child with CF shows that the right maxillary sinus is completely filled with mucus. |
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