Barosinusitis

Sinus barotrauma is a condition characterized by damage and inflammation of the sinus mucosa, resulting from a failure to equalize the negative pressure within the paranasal sinuses with the rapidly changing ambient atmospheric pressure. The paranasal sinuses are a group of air-filled spaces within the skull surrounding the nasal cavity, including the maxillary, ethmoid, sphenoid, and frontal sinuses. Sinus barotrauma commonly affects the frontal and maxillary sinuses. Pilots and divers are particularly susceptible to this condition. Symptoms primarily include frontal headache or numbness in the cheeks and teeth, with intermittent epistaxis. Nasal discharge is often thick and may be streaked with blood.