Know In Details About The Symptoms, Causes And Treatment For Sinus Infection

Everyone is common with the phrase sinus pain. There are many people who tend to suffer from such a condition which is not at all bear worthy. Talking about sinuses, you need to know the brief overview of the same. If you are wondering where sinuses are located, it is located behind the cheekbones and the forehead which is directly connected to the nose. The sinuses are mainly small and create empty spaces in the located area.

What Is A Sinus Infection?

Also known as sinusitis, sinus infection is mainly a condition where there is swelling of the tissues connected to the nasal passage. As stated above that sinuses are very small and have empty spaces, the healthier ones are filled with air. There is a certain condition that might be the growth of germs inside or blockage of fluids, causing the inflammation and leading to swelling.

The swelling of the sinuses can be temporary or might even lead to a period of 2 to 3 weeks for getting cured. If it is proceeding further, proper intake of medication will solve the problem. The symptoms of sinus infection occur as per the condition of the same. Sinus infection is mainly categorized in the form of a chronic sinus infection and acute sinus infection.

When it comes to chronic sinusitis, which means the sinus infection is going to persist for more than 12 weeks. There might be symptoms where you will be facing facial pain, inflammation nasal, and discharge as nose blockage. On other hand, acute sinus infection does not tend to last for a longer time and the infection is mainly due to fever, cold or illness.

Sinus Infection Symptoms

Headache

The acute pressure and pain on the sinuses can lead to cause headaches. Due to the swelling of the sinuses, the headache becomes severe, especially in the morning. Few people have also been suffering the intense pain at the back of their neck. A headache might also worse due to the change of the weather.

Congestion

If you are suffering from a sinus infection, one of the main reason behind this might be due to a common cold or bacterial infection that reached the sinuses. If that occurs, gradually your sinuses tend to omit proper breathing through your nose and there might be sheer inflammation.

The fluid inside the nose starts building up blocks the passage of passing air through it, leading to nasal congestion. When that occurs, your taste buds does not tend to work, there is a sudden change in the voice note and also, you got to breathe through your mouth.

Fever

Another reason leading to sinus infection symptoms is a fever. Just like a common cold, the fever is another state where your body is prevented from harmful germs or outside factors. It is the immune system in your body that protects you from the same. This might even occur that you might be down with fever due to an acute sinus infection. This might also include that you will be feeling tired or might be you will be feeling cold than the normal temperature.

Coughing

Common cold, cough and fever are interrelated with each other. It might even happen that you enter into all the problems together and this might be one of the sinus infection symptoms. There might be stacking up of the mucus at the back of the throat which might feel itchy. You might not be able to gulp down food properly or the uncomfortable feeling might lead to constant coughing.

Sinus Pain And Pressure

Pain is a common symptom of sinusitis. You have several different sinuses above and below your eyes as well as behind your nose. Any of these can hurt when you have a sinus infection.

Inflammation and swelling cause your sinuses to ache with a dull pressure. You may feel pain in your forehead, on either side of your nose, in your upper jaws and teeth, or between your eyes. This may lead to a headache.

Another of the common symptom of sinus infection is a pain. Just like a headache, sinus pain is common that mainly arises from the eyes and hits your nose. This mainly happens when the fluid gets trapped inside the sinus that leads to immense pain and pressure. It might even be sensitive which might lead to a headache, cough or even cold. Sometimes you might not be able to sleep properly.

Nasal Discharge

When you are struggling with a sinus infection, you need to keep blowing your nose. The discharge from your nose will else go down to your throat, if not blown out. Due to the presence of viruses, bacteria or fungus in the mucus, you will be able to see the discharge in bright colours. This discharge is mainly produced due to the sinus infection, and if not blown away the above condition might go to the throat which is known to be as postnasal drip.

Other Symptoms of Sinus Infection

Sinus infection might also lead to fatigued where you will be exhausted pretty easily. Not only from the other sort of pain, there might be a severe toothache in some people and might also lead to bad breath. These symptoms are quite common when it comes to sinus infection continuing.

Sinus Infection Causes

There are common causes of sinus infection as well as there are causes due to the type of sinus you have, let’s get to know about the same –

Acute Sinus Infection

The main symptom mainly begins with the inflammation in the nasal passage to outside pollutants or germs. This further creates a blockage in the empty spaces of the sinus location preventing you to breathe properly. This further increases the chances of a sinus infection.

Chronic Sinus Infection

Sinus infection is mainly caused by germs or other harmful things getting stuck in the drainage passage of the sinuses. In a chronic sinus infection, the inflammation is constant. The reason might be many if you have low immunity system you are likely to suffer from fungal allergies, some sort of respiratory diseases, exposure to harmful irritants or contents being proper to fever.

There is also another sort of causes that lead to such sinus infection. This might include any sort of abnormalities in the nasal passage or any other form of problems where the sinus is not getting enough space for the proper functioning of the respiratory system.

Blockage

Considering each sinus, there is a space called ostium where the sinuses have a narrow spot which paves for the drainage opening. If there are any harmful irritants entering the drainage area, it is more likely to block the pathway leading to the cause of sinus infection.

Deviated Nasal Septum

It is mainly the condition where the separation of the nasal passage is through the thin wall of the bone and cartilage in your nasal septum. The proper lining is known as the center of the formation of your nose. But in certain cases, it might not be the same for everyone, the conditions might vary which for further treatment might be termed as the deviated nasal septum. When it occurs, the proper formation of the sinuses in the body might differ leading to another cause of sinus infection.

Narrow Sinuses or Sensitivity

As stated earlier, not everyone has the proper formation of the drainage space. The reasons might vary and do this, the sinuses might tend to be narrower or in normal structure. This might later be one of the causes of a sinus infection.

There might be conditions where you are allergic to outside pollutants or irritants. And if that is the condition, you might get attacked to such conditions that lead to the inflammation in your nasal passage. There might be also certain fungal infections which if not treated properly might lead to serious conditions. It is always better to seek the help of the doctor.

Sinusitis Treatment

Sinus infection treatment might vary as per the conditions. You can opt for home remedies which might be a boon to your within numbered days. If you are suffering from an acute sinus infection, there are nasal sprays or saline nasal spray which might be working wonders for you.

Chronic sinus infection tend to last for longer days or even weeks. It is better to head for a checkup to know the reason and which antibiotics might suit for the treatment. The range of the antibiotic taken might be from 3 days to even a month. But if you are a regular in suffering from such conditions, it is better to seek an alternative method.

You can also opt for taking antihistamine tablets or solutions. This actually helps in the reduction of the inflammation caused in the nasal passage.

Sinus Infection Cure & Treatment

Stay Hydrated –

Cold is the common cause for sinus infection due to which sinuses gets congested and fluid is trapped making breathing difficult and painful, due to this reason mucus membranes can become inflamed during sinus congestion the best treatment for sinus infection is staying hydrated to keep the membrane moist and function correctly. To keep yourself hydrated you must consume plenty of water or other fluids at regular interval of time.

Keep a water bottle near you throughout the day for consuming water regularly, a hot herbal tea will act as a natural agent for sinus infection, due to sinus infection you may feel fatigued and tired so instead of taking a large meal consume a bowl of hot soup in dinner as an energy booster. Staying hydrated will maintain energy level, hydrated body does not feel dry, sore and it also reduces your pain to some extent.

Steam Inhalation –

It is the best way to treat sinus infection, steam inhalation allows the warm air to travel your nasal passage which keeps the mucus moist, the most important fact regarding it is breathing of warm, moist, steam which helps easing irritation, swollen blood vessels, the moisture helps thin the mucus in your sinuses which allows its drainage easily. Steam inhalation provides rest to the body for a short period of time as it opens the blocked nasal passage, stuffy nose, congestion in chest and cold.

Steam inhalation is a quick and easy way to feel at ease during infection it provides relief for shorter period it does not kill the infection in your nasal passage neither it kills any virus responsible for the infection it just makes you feel better to fight the infection. Steam inhalation is not advised for children due to the risk of burn.

Rest –

Millions of people suffer every year from sinus infection making the life painful and uncomfortable, many people miss important attending, meetings, work or school. We all may recover from sinus infection if we take proper care and rest as it speed up your recovery and lower your risk complications. Resting helps in reducing headache, mental confusion, and stiff neck, swelling around forehead, cheeks, difficulty breathing, swallowing or speaking.

People suffering from sinus infection must rest as much as they can this helps the body to fight with foreign bodies, staying at home and resting can also help to prevent spreading infection to other people. Sinus infection takes long time to get cured i.e. more than 10 days so the working or earning member of the family cannot take leave for long and that is the reason they should maintain hygiene habits and some resting breaks at their work place.

Nasal Irrigation –

It is an important and most prevalent treatment for sinus infection. Nasal irrigation has increasingly become a popular method of removing mucus from the nose which remains trapped in sinuses it’s very simple process, nasal irrigation is sinus infection treatment in which nasal passage is washed using warm saline water this makes your nasal area light, clean and healthy.

Patients who suffers from sinus infection for them this treatment is most effective as it flushes out mucus or any buildup of material causing a blockage, relieves from facial pain, severe headaches, bad breath.
Nasal irrigation can be very effective therapy to relieve symptoms of both chronic and acute sinusitis, always make sure device used for nasal irrigation must be sterile before using also makes sure water used for saline solution must be boiled if you do not follow this instruction it may cause infection in your nose.

Nasal Decongestants –

To relieve stuffy nose, runny nose and the nasal congestion caused by the common cold in the upper respiratory tract nasal decongestrants are used from the nose through inhaling process and produce systematic effects, these medications shrinks the swollen nasal passage and allows the drainage from sinus, it also helps you relieving from heavy heads and difficult breathing. They are preferred over oral medication as they provide fairly immediate relief and fewer side effects.

Nasal decongestants must be used in a very low dose for not more than three or four days as over dosage will increase inflammation, irritation and itch in nasal passage, always be careful while using nasal decongestant sprays as misusing may cause harmful side effects. If you are allergic or has any medical condition or you are pregnant then it is best to consult your doctor before using any kind of nasal decongestant sprays.

Antibiotics –

For sinus infection treatment many people seek medical help from a doctor for fast relief as sinus infection takes a long time to cure on its own and the whole period is uncomfortable and painful. Sinus infection causes congestion in nasal passage heavy head, tight chest, high fever and facial pain.

People who work in offices, school, colleges or students who are regular to school and college cannot skip their work and studies for long due to sinus infection so they prefer taking antibiotics, it’s usually preferred not to take any antibiotics unless the symptoms prolonged more than 10 days with high fever.

There are several cases of chronic sinus infections with some rare infections like abscess in the nasal passage so if any person suffers from any rare symptom of the infection must seek medical advice and treatment also do not consume any antibiotic without doctors consent.

Final Words –

Sinus infection might be painful as well as uncomfortable. You need to wait for some time to delve into the reason of the condition. If you are suffering from the condition for more than a week or more, it is high time that you should visit the doctor for sinus infection cure. If the pain is immense and unbearable, consider visiting the doctor without any further delay. The treatment and cure of sinus infection completely depend upon the cause behind the infection. Thus, it is better to seek home remedies in the first place and if that still persists, seek help from the doctor.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sinus Infection

1. What Is The Fastest Way To Get Rid Of A Sinus Infection?

Fastest ways to get rid of infections:

• Keep yourself hydrated to flush out the virus from your body.
• Eat healthy and immune boosting food which are rich in antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant properties.
• Use saline nasal sprays and humidifier to keep nasal passage congestion free.
• Apply eucalyptus oil on the roof of your mouth and drink a glass water to get rid of sinus infection.

2. What Happens If You Let A Sinus Infection Go Untreated?

If sinus infection is left untreated and you are not under regular supervision of doctor then it can lead to dangerous and worsening conditions such as Meningitis, Cellulitis, Thrombosis, Osteomyelitis, Encephalitis or Abscess. In rare case sinus infection in the rear center of head can spread into brain causing redness, swelling around the eyes, reduced vision leading to blindness. An untreated sinus infection becomes much nastier and difficult to treat.

3. How Do Doctors Check If You Have A Sinus Infection?

Doctors check through a small conversation regarding your sinus infection he may ask you about the symptoms prevailing and then he may begin with an Otoscope to examine your nose if doctor is not sure of anything he may go for nasal endoscopy to look inside sinuses for a clear picture. Swab tests, allergy tests, CT scan, X-Ray can also be done for the perfect diagnosis of Sinus Infection.

4. Do Sinus Infections Go Away On Their Own?

Sinus infection is very common and millions suffer everyday with common cold, hay fever, facial pain and respiratory diseases. The sinus infection goes away on its own if the body has strong immunity to fight against bacteria, about 70 % of people having sinus infection get relief within 7 to 10 days without an intake of any antibiotics, taking self-help makes the sinus infection go away on its own.

5. How Can You Tell If A Sinus Infection Is Viral Or Bacterial?

It can easily be explained if a sinus infection is viral or bacterial. Viral infection infects the lining of nasal cavity of ear nose and throat whereas bacterial sinus infection infects lining of nasal cavity causing strep throat. Viral infection causes upper respiratory infections such as common cold whereas bacterial infection takes 7-12 days to cure but before that it causes high fever, facial pain, headache and nasal drainage.

6. When Should I Go To The Doctor For A Sinus Infection?

Sinus infection occurs when nasal cavities become infected, itchy, swollen and inflamed you can see you doctor for sinus infection treatment if you have high fever, congestion, facial pain and nasal discharge that lasts for 10 days or more. Fever is not a typical symptom of chronic or acute sinus infection but certain health conditions may cause chronic sinus infection for which you may need special treatment to overcome.

7. What Is The First Sign Of Sinusitis?

There are several symptoms which indicates sinus infection, they are mentioned below:

• First sign of sinusitis is inflamed air cavities with several air prone pollutants.
• Severe headaches.
• Facial tenderness.
• Pain in ears, tooth and sinuses.
• High fever.
• Cloudy discolored nasal drainage
• Stuffy nose
• Sore throat, cough and occasional facial swelling
• Pressure or pain due to mucus pressing on sinus tissue

8. Do I Need Antibiotics For Sinus Infection?

Antibiotics are consumed if the sinus infection is caused by bacteria but on the contrary whether or not you consume antibiotic it won’t be able to treat sinus Infection.

Infection if caused by air irritants then it take its own time to get cleared, consuming antibiotics may cause side effects such as stomach problems, dizziness rashes etc. A person takes antibiotics if the infection lasts 2 weeks to cure.

9. How Can I Get Rid Of A Sinus Infection Without Antibiotics?

There are several ways through which sinus infection is cured without antibiotics

• Nasal Sprays: using nasal spray relieves you from swelling and congestion in the nasal passage but it must be taken in low dose
• Humidifiers: it is used to add some moisture in the air to soften up dried mucus and reduce congestion.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• Stay home and rest.

10. How Can You Tell If A Baby Has A Sinus Infection?

Most of the time children suffer from sinus infection which can be cured after identifying the symptoms. Below here are mentioned symptoms that can tell you if baby has sinus infection.

• Cold lasting for more than 10 days.
• High fever.
• Thick yellow green nasal drainage for at least three days in a row
• Post-nasal drip sometimes with sore throat, cough, bad breath, nausea and vomiting.

11. How Do You Tell The Difference Between A Cold And A Sinus Infection?

There are different viruses that cause cold whereas sinusitis is the infection of the space behind the nose. Cold gets resolve in 5 to 10 days but sinus infection lasts for 4 weeks or longer. Cold spreads when someone is infected and transmits the virus into air by coughing or sneezing whereas sinus infection is the swelling up of sinuses, air mucus and bacteria gets trapped in swollen sinuses

12. Is Flonase Good For Sinus Infection?

Prescribed nasal sprays like nasonex and flonase eases the sinus infection symptoms by reducing inflammation, itch dryness and promotes sinus drainage. Many people get relieved within 12 hours of starting Flonase products the full effectiveness is achieved after 12 hours and 3 to 4 days of use but with the lowest effective dose, sinus infection goes away after consuming good amount of  time whether you consume antibiotic or not.

13. Can Sinusitis Make You Feel Sick?

Yes, sinusitis can make you feel sick as the sinus infection begins with cold.

Sinusitis symptoms such as stuffy nose, fever, scratchy throat, feeling fatigued, chest tightness, dizziness and congestion can make you feel tired and restless all day or for six to seven days. You may feel your nose lining heavy and would feel to drain it out, your work stamina will also decrease due to sinusitis sickness.

14. Can You Have Body Aches With A Sinus Infection?

Pain is common symptom of sinus infection, inflammation, cough, sore throat, tight chest and swelling cause your sinuses to ache with a dull pressure, you may also feel pain in your forehead, on the either side of your nose in your upper jaws teeth and between your eyes causing severe headache, It can also make sleeping difficult. Sinus infection also causes pain in the face especially while leaning over.

15. Can A Sinus Infection Cause Flu Like Symptoms?

It’s difficult to determine the difference between sinus infection symptoms and flu as symptom are overlapped with allergies, cold, congestion and flu symptoms but there are some unique symptoms like mucous become too thick and does not cycle in the system as it goes normally, cold in sinus infection progresses gradually whereas in flu symptoms like fever, cough, muscle ache, and severe lethargy progresses in 24 to 48 hours.