The Link Between Lyme’s Disease and Sinusitis

In recent years, there have been reports of patients suffering from sinusitis being diagnosed with Lyme disease – a tick borne disease. Studies are being conducted to find and establish the link between the two. The present research data indicates that sinusitis can be one of the many early symptoms of Lyme disease. Accounts from patients indicate that as a symptom, sinusitis can last several years or as long as it takes to diagnose Lyme disease.

This situation has been illustrated in the case of a man who suffered from incessant sinus headaches for a few years. He was on medication for treating sinusitis, yet the antibiotics did not reduce his symptoms. Following a series of events, the patient realized that he had been bitten by a tick a few months before the onset of the symptom (sinusitis). When he reported this to his doctor, he was tested and found positive for Lyme disease. The doctor then put him on a set of tablets that helped control most of his symptoms like headaches and dizziness.  

Another key link between Lyme disease and sinusitis (rare chronic cases) is that both are sometimes characterized by vertigo, a sensation of moving even when you are stationary. This is illustrated in the case of a woman whose daughter had been suffering from vertigo for over three years. The girl was diagnosed as having fungal frontal sinus. She then underwent three surgeries on her infected sinus to alleviate the condition, yet it gave her no respite from vertigo. Later tests confirmed that the girl was suffering from Lyme disease.

According to preliminary conclusions drawn by her doctor, the girl had been suffering from the disease all through the three years. So a symptom that was understood to be connected with sinusitis appeared to be linked to Lyme disease. This young girl is not the only one to have had this experience - there have been several others like her.

As Lyme disease has been associated with causing immuno-suppression, it has an ability to cause recurrent upper respiratory tract infections – a precipitating cause for acute sinusitis. If a person suffering from sinusitis contracts Lyme disease, he or she may experience a worsening of sinusitis. Also, it is possible that typical medication for the condition can have a markedly less effect on sinusitis.

Yet another link between Lyme disease and sinusitis is orbital myositis. This condition is characterized by the inflammation of the eye (extraocular) muscles. A study indicates that orbital myositis, a condition that in some is associated with Lyme disease, can make sinusitis worse.