Serious complications of chronic sinusitis complications are rare, but may include: Vision problems. If your sinus infection spreads to your eye socket, it can cause reduced vision or possibly blindness that can be permanent.
If the infection spreads to your eye socket, it can cause reduced vision or even blindness that can be permanent.
Problems in the sinuses can cause facial pressure, feeling of fluid or fullness in the ears, and even eye pain. Since sinuses are located behind the eye and near the inner corners of the eyes it is possible that eyes can be affected by infections in the sinuses.
A sinus infection ('sinusitis') is caused when your sinus cavity becomes infected with either a bacterial or viral infection. These infections often lead to swelling of the sinuses, which can result in added pressure to the face, including behind the eyes.
Under a lot of pressure
With the eye's drainage channel completely blocked, eye pressure skyrockets in a very short amount of time. This spike often leads to intense, sudden pain in the eye that can even cause vomiting. The pain can further spread to the head, causing intermittent headaches.
Your body uses up a lot of energy to fight off a sinus infection, and this can cause you to feel fatigued for the time you have it. Some of the other symptoms of the condition, such as dizziness and a cough, can also make you feel more and more tired with time.
Sinus problems such as chronic sinusitis can also cause blurry vision, vision loss and other problems due to optic nerve damage caused by chronic inflammation, although this is rare.
Left untreated, a sinus infection has the potential to spread to your meninges (the protective coverings around your brain and spinal cord), causing them to become inflamed — a condition called meningitis. Meningitis gives rise to the following signs and symptoms: Sudden, high-grade fever. Neck stiffness.
An “acute” sinus infection lasts anywhere from ten days up to eight weeks. A “chronic” infection lasts even longer. It is ongoing — it may seem like it's improving, and then it comes right back as bad as it was at first. Chronic sinus infections may drag on for months at a time.
Your doctor will determine if you have a sinus infection by asking about symptoms and examining you. Antibiotics are not needed for many sinus infections. Most sinus infections usually get better on their own without antibiotics.
Your sinuses are located close to your ear canal, and when they become congested, swollen, and clogged, these issues can affect your ear's hearing function. Your Eustachian tubes, which connect the middle of your ear to your throat, will become clogged, preventing fluid from moving through.
Whether you develop glaucoma depends on the amount of pressure your optic nerve can handle — and this amount is different for each person. For most people, eye pressure above 21 is higher than normal. Getting regular dilated eye exams can help your eye doctor figure out what level of eye pressure is normal for you.
Drinking a quart of water in less than five minutes has been shown to increase intraocular pressure; instead, advise your patients to drink small amounts of water often to stay hydrated.
Migraines and tension headaches
Tension and migraine headaches are two types of headaches that can induce a sense of pressure behind the eyes. Tension headaches are the most frequent type of headache, with over 80% of people suffering from them.
Typically, antibiotics are needed when: Sinus infection symptoms last over a week. Symptoms worsen after starting to get better. Sinusitis symptoms are severe (high fever, skin infection or rash, extreme pain or tenderness around the eyes or nose)
Vicks VapoRub — a topical ointment made of ingredients including camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol that you rub on your throat and chest — doesn't relieve nasal congestion. But the strong menthol odor of VapoRub may trick your brain, so you feel like you're breathing through an unclogged nose.