Sinus infections or the proper medical term, sinusitis, happens when the sinus tissues swell or get inflamed. It can be very painful for sufferers. Normally, it happens when sinuses get blocked. Germs and bacteria then grow and cause the infection in the sinuses. The cause of the sinuses getting blocked in the first place can be due to a cold, allergies, nasal polyps, or a shift in the nose called a deviated septum.
There are different kinds of sinus infections: acute, subacute, recurrent, and chronic. Mostly they differ on how long they last and how often the symptoms come back. Chronic sinus infections can last for 4-8 weeks and recur several times a year. Acute infections can be over in just 4 weeks and happen all of a sudden, but do not necessarily recur.
Symptoms of sinusitis include:
Pain or pressure in the face
Yellow or green mucus
Stuffiness in the nose
Loss of smell
Congestion
Fever
Teeth pain
Tiredness
Headache
Coughing up mucus
Bad breath
While those symptoms generally point to sinus infections, they also can point to other medical issues so it is best to ask your doctor to be sure.
What else could your symptoms be pointing to?
There are several medical problems that share similar symptoms with sinus infections so it helps to pay close attention to the symptoms. Migraine or other types of headaches have similar symptoms with the pressure in the face or head; fever; tiredness; and headache. If you have allergies, those can feel like a sinus infection sometimes. Allergies also are causes of sinusitis because they block the nasal passage.
Rhinitis not related to allergies can seem like sinusitis because it also involves inflammation and irritation of the nose’s mucus membranes. With rhinitis, you will get a stuffy or runny nose, and post-nasal drip. Rhinitis that is caused by medicines can give you sinusitis-like symptoms.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD as the medical acronym goes, can have similar symptoms to a sinus infection although it affects the esophagus and the stomach. If you have a medical condition that affects your smell or taste, that could make you think you have one as well. Same goes for medicine you take that may affect your sense of smell or taste. For example, some diabetes medicines or blood pressure medicines can alter how you smell or taste things.
Of course, your sinus infection could be a common cold as well. You will get yellow or green mucus with a common cold. Your nose will be stuffy and you will feel congested as well. You may even have a so-called productive cough, which means you are coughing up phlegm. There may be pain or pressure in your face, too. You also may run a fever and feel tired all the time. And to top it off, you could definitely get a headache when you have a common cold.
The best way to know exactly what you are dealing with is to visit a doctor. Your doctor will know what you most likely have and can give you the proper medicines or aid to fight it.. If left untreated, sinus infections can become more serious and rarely lead to meningitis, a very serious disease to consider. So do not wait for it to get better on its own.
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Sinus Congestion Home Remedies For The Serious Sufferer
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