Radiology: diseases — симптомы, диагностика и лечение

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the maxillary (maxillary) sinus, the most common type of sinusitis. Almost every runny nose is accompanied by mild inflammation of the sinuses, and in most cases it goes away on its own within 7–10 days. The problem begins when swelling blocks the anastomosis - a narrow channel connecting the sinus to the nasal cavity. The mucus stops flowing, bacteria multiply in the closed cavity, and bursting pain and purulent discharge appear. The good news is that a puncture is rarely required today, but the bad news is that neglected sinusitis easily becomes chronic.

A typical location for a radius fracture is a fracture of the lower end of the radius, two to three centimeters above the wrist joint. It ranks first in frequency among fractures in adults, and the scenario is almost always the same: a person falls and instinctively puts his arm forward. The most persistent misconception is: “if your fingers move, it means there is no fracture.” The fingers are moved by muscles in the forearm and not in the wrist, so they continue to work even with a completely broken bone, and a person can hold a cup, fasten a button and write. Only an x-ray in two projections can distinguish a fracture from a bruise, and it must be done on the first day: the sooner the displacement is eliminated, the better the hand will work in a year.

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung tissue, in which the alveoli are filled with inflammatory fluid and cease to participate in gas exchange. Unlike bronchitis, where only the respiratory tract is affected, the lung tissue itself is affected, resulting in shortness of breath and decreased oxygen saturation in the blood. Pneumonia remains one of the leading causes of death from infections, especially in the elderly. At the same time, most patients are successfully treated at home - it is important to recognize the disease in time and correctly assess the severity.

An ankle fracture is the most common fracture in the ankle area, and it almost always starts the same way: a twisted foot on a curb, on a staircase, on a rough road or on a sports field. The dangerous misconception here mirrors the story with the wrist: “I step on my foot, so it’s just a sprain.” In fact, when the lateral ankle is fractured without displacement, a person often walks home on his own, and sometimes continues to work for several days. The ankle is not just a junction of bones, but a load-bearing structure that with each step can withstand a load several times greater than the weight of the body. Therefore, even a slight displacement here changes the distribution of pressure in the joint and after years leads to arthrosis.

Pulmonary tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, also known as Koch's bacillus. It is transmitted through the air, which means that anyone can encounter it - in transport, in line, in the office, at a party. This is fundamentally important to understand, because there is still an unfair stereotype around tuberculosis: that only people without home and work suffer from it. In fact, teachers, students, drivers, doctors, entrepreneurs—those who have coincided with contact with the infection and temporarily weakened body defense—get sick. For Central Asia, the topic remains relevant, and the main practical rule is simple: a cough that lasts longer than two to three weeks is not a “lingering cold,” but a reason to take a photo of the lungs and give sputum. Tuberculosis is curable, and if detected in time, it is almost always curable.

Scoliosis is a three-dimensional deformation of the spine with lateral curvature and rotation of the vertebrae. Most often it is idiopathic, that is, it develops without an established cause, and appears during a period of rapid growth, much more often in girls. The main feature of scoliosis is that it progresses during the child’s growth and stops after its completion. Therefore, timing is everything: scoliosis detected in time can be supported with a corset, but if missed, it will require surgery. Posture and “correct sitting” have almost no effect on true scoliosis, and it’s worth knowing this so as not to waste months.

Flat feet is a flattening of the longitudinal or transverse arch of the foot, in which it partially loses the ability to spring and absorb shock with each step. More misconceptions have accumulated around this diagnosis than around any other orthopedic topic. The main one concerns children: until about five or six years of age, a child’s flat foot is not a disease, but a normal stage of development, because the arch at this age is covered with a fat pad, and the ligaments are physiologically elastic. The second misconception concerns adults: it is believed that any flat feet need to be treated with insoles. In fact, painless flat feet that do not interfere with walking and working most often do not require any treatment at all. But the arch, which began to fall after forty years on one leg and is accompanied by pain on the inside of the ankle, is a completely different situation, and it needs to be taken seriously.

Hallux valgus is when the first toe deviates outward with the formation of a protruding “bunion” at its base. Almost everyone who encounters it describes the problem the same way: “the bone is growing.” This is the most persistent and most harmful misconception on the topic. No new bone is growing. Something else happens: the first metatarsal bone gradually deviates inward, towards the middle of the body, and the big toe, under the pressure of the shoe and the pull of its own tendons, moves outward, towards the other toes. The head of the metatarsal bone remains in place and simply begins to protrude under the skin - it is mistaken for a growth. Understanding this mechanism immediately explains the main practical consequence: what sticks out cannot be “dissolved,” softened, tightened with a bandage, or dissolved with a compress. The displaced bone can only be returned to its place, and this is done exclusively surgically.