Sinus Infection (Sinusitis): Types, Causes, Symptoms ...

The sinuses are four paired cavities (spaces) in the head. They are connected by narrow channels. The sinuses make thin mucus that drains out of ... ThinkyoumayhaveCOVID-19? Findoutwhereyoucangettested Needavaccineorbooster? Nowschedulingforages6monthsandup ComingtoaClevelandCliniclocation? Visitationandmaskrequirements Home / HealthLibrary / Disease&Conditions SinusInfection(Sinusitis) Sinusitisisaninflammationofthesinusesthatcancausethemtogetblockedandfilledwithfluid.Itisusuallycausedbycoldorallergies.Aninfectioncouldresultfromtheblockage. Appointments&Access ContactUs Overview SymptomsandCauses DiagnosisandTests ManagementandTreatment Prevention LivingWith SinusInfection(Sinusitis) Overview SymptomsandCauses DiagnosisandTests ManagementandTreatment Prevention LivingWith BackToTop Overview Whatissinusitis? Sinusitisisaninflammation,orswelling,ofthetissueliningthesinuses.Thesinusesarefourpairedcavities(spaces)inthehead.Theyareconnectedbynarrowchannels.Thesinusesmakethinmucusthatdrainsoutofthechannelsofthenose.Thisdrainagehelpskeepthenosecleanandfreeofbacteria.Normallyfilledwithair,thesinusescangetblockedandfilledwithfluid.Whenthathappens,bacteriacangrowandcauseaninfection(bacterialsinusitis). Thisisalsocalledrhinosinusitis,with“rhino”meaning“nose.”Thenasaltissueisalmostalwaysswollenifsinustissueisinflamed. Whatarethedifferenttypesofsinusesnearthenoseandeyes? Theparanasalsinusesarelocatedinyourheadnearyournoseandeyes.Theyarenamedafterthebonesthatprovidetheirstructure. Theethmoidalsinusesarelocatedbetweenyoureyes. Themaxillarysinusesarelocatedbelowyoureyes. Thesphenoidalsinusesarelocatedbehindyoureyes. Thefrontalsinusesarelocatedaboveyoureyes. Thebiggestsinuscavityisthemaxillarycavity,anditisoneofthecavitiesthatmostoftenbecomesinfected. Therearedifferenttypesofsinusitis: Acutebacterialsinusitis:Thistermreferstoasuddenonsetofcoldsymptomssuchasrunnynose,stuffynose,andfacialpainthatdoesnotgoawayafter10days,orsymptomsthatseemtoimprovebutthenreturnandareworsethantheinitialsymptoms(termed“doublesickening”).Itrespondswelltoantibioticsanddecongestants. Chronicsinusitis:Thistermreferstoaconditiondefinedbynasalcongestion,drainage,facialpain/pressure,anddecreasedsenseofsmellforatleast12weeks. Subacutesinusitis:Thistermisusedwhenthesymptomslastfourtotwelveweeks. Recurrentacutesinusitis:Thistermisusedwhenthesymptomscomebackfourormoretimesinoneyearandlastlessthantwoweekseachtime. Whogetssinusitis? Asinusinfectioncanhappentoanyone.However,peoplewithnasalallergies,nasalpolyps,asthmaandabnormalnosestructuresareallmorelikelytogetsinusitis.Smokingcanalsoincreasehowoftenyougetasinusinfection. Thereareanestimated31millionpeopleintheUnitedStateswithsinusitis. HowcanItellifIhaveasinusinfection,cold,ornasalallergy? Itcanbedifficulttotellthedifferencebetweenacold,allergies,andasinusinfection.Thecommoncoldtypicallybuilds,peaks,andslowlydisappears.Itlastsafewdaystoaweek.Acoldcantransformintoasinusinfection.Nasalallergyisinflammationofthenoseduetoirritatingparticles(dust,pollen,anddander).Symptomsofanasalallergycanincludesneezing,itchynoseandeyes,congestion,runnynose,andpostnasaldrip(mucusinthethroat).Sinusitisandallergysymptomscanhappenatthesametimeasacommoncold. Ifyouarefightingoffacoldanddevelopsymptomsofasinusinfectionornasalallergy,seeyourhealthcareprovider.Youwillbeaskedtodescribeyoursymptomsandmedicalhistory. SymptomsandCauses Whatcausessinusitis? Sinusitiscanbecausedbyavirus,bacteria,orfungusthatswellsandblocksthesinuses.Afewspecificcausesinclude: Thecommoncold. Nasalandseasonalallergies,includingallergiestomold. Polyps(growths). Adeviatedseptum.Theseptumisthelineofcartilagethatdividesyournose.Adeviatedseptummeansthatitisn’tstraight,sothatitisclosertothenasalpassageononesideofyournose,causingablockage. Aweakimmunesystemfromillnessormedications. Forinfantsandyoungchildren,spendingtimeindaycares,usingpacifiersordrinkingbottleswhilelyingdowncouldincreasethechancesofgettingsinusitis. Foradults,smokingincreasestherisksforsinusinfections.Ifyousmoke,youshouldstop.Smokingisharmfultoyouandtothepeoplearoundyou. Issinusitiscontagious? Youcan’tspreadbacterialsinusitis,butyoucanspreadvirusesthatleadtosinusitis.Remembertofollowgoodhandwashingpractices,toavoidpeopleifyouaresickandtosneezeorcoughintoyourelbowifyouhavetosneezeorcough. Whatarethesignsandsymptomsofsinusitis? Commonsignsandsymptomsofsinusitisinclude: Postnasaldrip(mucusdripsdownthethroat). Nasaldischarge(thickyelloworgreendischargefromnose)orstuffynose Facialpressure(particularlyaroundthenose,eyes,andforehead),headacheandorpaininyourteethorears. Halitosis(badbreath) Cough. Tiredness. Fever. ## DiagnosisandTests Howissinusitisdiagnosed? Yourhealthcareproviderwillaskyoualotofquestionsinordertodevelopadetailedmedicalhistoryandfindoutaboutyoursymptoms.Theywillalsodoaphysicalexamination.Duringtheexam,yourcareproviderwillcheckyourears,noseandthroatforanyswelling,drainingorblockage.Anendoscope(asmalllighted/opticalinstrument)maybeusedtolookinsidethenose.Insomecases,youmightbereferredtoanear,noseandthroat(ENT)specialist.Ifyouneededanimagingexam,yourproviderwouldorderacomputedtomography(CT)scan. ManagementandTreatment Howissinusitistreated? Sinusitisistreatedinseveralways,eachdependingonhowseverethecaseofsinusitisis. Asimplesinusitisinfectionistreatedwith: Decongestants. Over-the-countercoldandallergymedications. Nasalsalineirrigation. Drinkingfluids(sinusitisisaviralinfectionandfluidswillhelp). Ifsymptomsofsinusitisdon'timproveafter10days,yourdoctormayprescribe: Antibiotics(forsevendaysinadultsand10daysinchildren). Oralortopicaldecongestants. Prescriptionintranasalsteroidsprays.(Don'tusenon-prescriptionspraysordropsforlongerthanthreetofivedays—theymayactuallyincreasecongestion). Long-term(chronic)sinusitismaybetreatedbyfocusingontheunderlyingcondition(typicallyallergies).Thisisusuallytreatedwith: Intranasalsteroidsprays. Topicalantihistaminespraysororalpills. Leukotrieneantagoniststoreduceswellingandallergysymptoms. Rinsingthenosewithsalinesolutionsthatmightalsocontainothertypesofmedication. Whensinusitisisn'tcontrolledbyoneoftheabovetreatments,aCTscanisusedtotakeabetterlookatyoursinuses.Dependingontheresults,surgerymaybeneededtocorrectstructuralproblemsinyoursinuses.Thisismostlikelytohappenifyouhavepolypsand/orafungalinfection. Whatcomplicationsareassociatedwithsinusinfection? Althoughitdoesnothappenveryoften,untreatedsinusinfectionscanbecomelife-threateningbycausingmeningitisorinfectingthebrain,eyes,ornearbybone.Meningitisisaninfectionofthemembranes(meninges)thatcoverthebrainandspinalcord. DoIneedantibioticsforeverysinusinfection? Manysinusinfectionsarecausedbyviruses,theonesthatcausethecommoncold.Thesetypesofinfectionsarenotcuredbyantibiotics.Takinganantibioticforaviralinfectionunnecessarilyputsyouatriskforsideeffectsrelatedtotheantibiotic.Inaddition,theoveruseofantibioticscanleadtoantibioticresistance,whichmaymakefutureinfectionsmoredifficulttotreat. Arecomplementaryandalternativetherapiesusefulfortreatingsinusitis? Youmightfindacupressure,acupunctureorfacialmassagehelpfulinreducingsymptomsofsinusitis,includingpressureandpain.Theymightalsohelpyoutorelax.Thesetreatmentsdonotusuallyhaveunwantedsideeffects. Istherearightwaytoblowyournose? Ifyouhaveastuffynose,tryingtoforceyourselftoblowyournosecouldmakeitworse.Thebestthingtodoistoblowonesideofyournoseatatimegentlyintoatissue.Youmightwanttofirstusesometypeofnasalrinsetoloosenanymaterialinyournosebeforeblowing.Makesureyoudisposeofthetissueandthencleanyourhandswithsoapandwateroranantimicrobialsanitizer. Prevention HowcanIpreventsinusitis? Someofthehomeremediesusedtotreatsinusinfectionssymptomsmayhelppreventsinusitis.Theseincluderinsingyournoseoutwithsaltwaterandusingmedicationsthatyourprovidermightsuggest,suchasallergymedicationsorsteroidnasalsprays. Youshouldavoidthingsyouareallergicto,likedust,pollenorsmoke,andtrytoavoidsickpeople.Washyourhandstoreduceyourchanceofgettingacoldorflu. LivingWith WillIneedtomakelifestylechangestodealwithsinusinfections? Ifyouhaveindoorallergiesitisrecommendedthatyouavoidtriggers—animaldanderanddustmites,forexample—aswellastakemedications.Smokingisneverrecommended,butifyoudosmoke,stronglyconsideraprogramtohelpyouquit.Smokecanalsotriggerallergiesandpreventremovalofmucousbythenose.Nospecialdietisrequired,butdrinkingextrafluidshelpstothinnasalsecretions. WhenshouldIgoseethedoctoraboutasinusinfection? Itisprettyeasytocareformostsinusconditionsonyourown.However,ifyoucontinuetohavesymptomsthatconcernyouorifyourinfectionscontinuetohappen,yourprimarycaredoctormightsuggestyouseeaspecialist.ThiscouldalsohappenifyourCTscanshowssomethingthatdoesnotlookright. AnotefromClevelandClinic Sinusitis,orswellingofthetissuesofthesinuscavities,isacommonconditionwithmanycauses,includingvirusesandbacteria,nasalpolypsorallergies.Signsandsymptomsmayincludingfacialpressure,feverandtiredness.Youcantreatsymptomsathomebyresting,takingover-the-counterproductsandincreasingyourfluidintake.Makesureyoucontactyourhealthcareproviderifsymptomsdonotimprove,ifsinusitishappensoftenorifyouhaveanysymptomthatworriesyou. Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Getuseful,helpfulandrelevanthealth+wellnessinformation enews ClevelandClinicisanon-profitacademicmedicalcenter.Advertisingonoursitehelpssupportourmission.Wedonotendorsenon-ClevelandClinicproductsorservices. 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