A Stark Reminder That Sinusitis Can Kill

Sinusitis is often caused by bacterial infections. These invading populations gain a foothold in the sinuses when inflammation stops them from draining mucus properly, creating fertile breeding grounds.

For most people, sinus infections lead to pressure and pain, but in rare cases the infection can spread into surrounding tissues and present an acute danger. That’s what happened to a young man in Britain whose relatives recently won a major lawsuit for hospital negligence when the hospital twice failed to diagnose or treat an abscess that had formed on his brain from a spreading sinus infection:

In the weeks leading up to his death he suffered severe headaches, was frequently being sick and lost so much weight he looked ‘like a prisoner of war’.

Only when the man finally died from respiratory arrest was the abscess was discovered. The story is a clear reminder that sinusitis can be dangerous if left untreated, and that sinus infections can become systemic with enough time.

If you have experienced steady or worsening sinusitis symptoms for several weeks, it’s time to speak with a sinus expert in Los Angeles. Call or write my practice today.