Sinusitis, sphenoid, chronic (DC 6514)

Rating levels

• 50% — You qualify for this rating if you've had major sinus surgery that resulted in chronic bone infection (osteomyelitis), or if you have nearly constant sinus problems after multiple surgeries that cause frequent headaches, pain and tenderness around your sinuses, and ongoing thick infected discharge or crusting in your nose and sinuses.
• 30% — To qualify for this rating level, you must have either three or more severe sinus infection episodes per year that are so bad they prevent you from working or doing daily activities, and each episode requires antibiotic treatment for 4-6 weeks. Alternatively, you can qualify if you have more than six milder episodes per year that involve headaches, facial pain, and thick infected discharge or scabbing in your nose and sinuses (purulent discharge means pus-like mucus, and crusting refers to dried discharge that forms scabs).
• 10% — You qualify if you have either 1-2 severe sinusitis episodes per year that knock you down and require 4-6 weeks of antibiotic treatment, or 3-6 less severe episodes per year with symptoms like headaches, facial pain, and thick infected discharge (pus) or crusty buildup in your nose and sinuses. The severe episodes are the kind that really interfere with your daily activities and work, while the less severe ones still cause regular uncomfortable symptoms but don't completely disable you.
• 0% — Your sphenoid sinusitis (inflammation of the sphenoid sinus, which is located deep behind your nose near your brain) can only be seen on X-rays or other imaging scans. You don't have any noticeable symptoms like facial pain, headaches, nasal congestion, or discharge that affect your daily life.