The medical term for sinusitis or a sinus infection is rhinosinusitis. Sinus infection is an inflammation or swelling of the sinus nerves. It affects and blocks the nasal passage.
Sinusitis arises due to infections from bacteria or virus. Allergens like chemicals or particulates also cause sinusitis. Sometimes the sinus infection is caused due to pollutants and fungi.
Types of sinus
There are two kinds of sinus infections, namely acute and chronic. Acute sinus lasts for a maximum of eight weeks. It can recur up to three times per year and lasts for ten days. Chronic sinus lasts longer than eight weeks. It occurs more than four times per year and lasts for twenty days.
The lesser forms of sinus are subacute sinus, infection sinus, and noninfectious sinus. Most doctors think that sinus is not a contagious disease. The initial symptoms of sinus are similar to that of a common cold. The actual symptoms of sinus show up after 7-10 days.
Diagnosis
If you find the symptoms of sinus persisting for over ten days, you must consult your doctor. Symptoms of sinus include pain and throbbing in your sinus cavities. Initially, you will have these along with running nose, coughs, and mild fever. Your doctor will put you under careful medical supervision. He might suggest tests like CT scan and ultrasound. This will further help him detect the intensity of the infection and infected perimeter.
Symptoms of sinus
As discussed earlier, the primary symptoms of sinus are similar to a common cold. It can only be detected if the symptoms don’t cease after ten days. A throbbing pain in the sinus cavities is a primary symptom of a sinus.
A severe sinus infection shows the following symptoms.
- Yellowish and greenish nasal phlegm with a pungent odor.
- Bad breath in your mouth.
- Puffiness around the eye.
- An intense headache.
- Pressure and pain in the sinus cavities.
- Bouts of coughing.
Severe symptoms of sinus
Pain in sinuses
Pain is the most common symptom of a sinus. Numerous sinuses are surrounding your eyes and nose. So, you will feel pain in your eyes and head when either of them is affected. The inflammation and swelling often lead to pain in the sinus region. The pain can meander around the face, jaws, teeth, nose, and forehead. This gives rise to throbbing headaches.
Nasal discharge
Nasal discharge is another common symptom of a sinus. You seem to blow your nose often when under a sinus attack. The discharges are yellow or green with a pungent smell. These discharges flow from the sinuses to the nasal passages. Sometimes the discharge trickles down the throat causing a throat infection. This is called a post nasal drip. Post nasal drip often triggers a dry cough especially at night or early in the morning. You may experience a hoarse voice due to sores in the throat.
Nasal congestion
The continuous drip of discharges from the sinuses leads to nasal blockage. A blockage in the nasal passage indicates difficulty in breathing through the nose. You also face difficulty in smelling, and food seems tasteless. Your voice sounds stuffy due to the congestion.
Sinus headaches
The excessive swelling and inflammation of the sinuses can give you a terrible headache. A sinus headache can rivet down to aches in the nasal area and facial nerves. You also feel the pressure on your teeth and jaws at times. Sinus headaches are most severe in the morning as the fluid blocks up at night. A sudden change in the environment like pressure or temperature aggravates your sinus headaches. So, if you are suffering from severe headaches, it might be a symptom of sinusitis.
A sore throat and cough
When the sinus discharges flow back from the throat, it causes coughs. The coughs intensify when you are lying down, so you have difficulty in sleeping. A continuous nasal drip makes your throat itchy and rouses dry coughs. The problem occurs in the morning as the discharge piles up throughout the night. Sitting upright or resting your head on a big pillow can ease the irritation.
Hoarse and stuffy voice
The constant discomfort in the throat bruises the inner membranes. Prolonged coughs and nasal drips make your voice sound hoarse. The same phenomenon occurs in the nose. The post nasal drip dries up the nasal passage. This blockage makes your voice sound stuffy.
Facial swelling and tenderness
The intense swelling and inflammation of your sinuses may result in facial swelling. Your facial nerves become tender and react to even light touches. The pain often burrows down to the teeth and jaws. So, along with the other symptoms of sinus, you may experience tooth ache.
Other symptoms of sinus
Apart from the symptoms mentioned above, a person can experience secondary symptoms. These secondary symptoms of sinus include nausea and vomiting. You will find these more often in children. Fever, earaches and watery eyes are other symptoms of sinus.
