Chronic Sinusitis is different to acute sinusitis and can be much more debilitating. Patients present with frequently repeating symptoms of sinusitis are often never completely relieved of them. The illness then occurs in phases but never fully recedes. This can lead to four or more episodes of sinusitis per year. In these cases the causes of sinusitis are often due to anatomy. Narrow passages to the sinuses or adhesions of the mucosa (so called nasal polyps) can, for example, increase a patient’s propensity to developing chronic sinusitis. Symptoms and signs of chronic sinusitis in TCM include:

1. Syndrome of asthenic cold of the lung qi
Main symptoms and signs: Nasal discharge is whitish and sticky. Nasal obstruction is severe or mild, with hyposmia. Internal nasal sarolemma is reddish and swollen,with hypertrophy of conchae. Nasal obstruction and discharge worsen when the nose is stimulated by cold, etc.The general symptoms include dizziness, cerebral distension, cold body and limbs, short breath, fatigue and cough with sputum. The tongue is pale with whitish thin fur and the pulse is thready and weak.

2. Syndrome of qi deficiency of the spleen
Main symptoms and signs: Nasal discharge is whitish, sticky and profuse, but free from foul odour. Nasal obstruction is severer with hyposmia. Internal nasal sarolemma is reddish or deep red with severer swelling. The general symptoms include fatigue of limbs, anorexia, abdominal distension, loose stool and sallow complexion.
The tongue is pale with whitish thin fur and the pulse is slow and weak.