More than half of the patients with chronic rhinosinusitis complain of chronic fatigue, with fatigue severity scores similar to the severity scores of facial pressure, headache, and nasal discharge.
Symptoms of sinusitis can include fever, weakness, fatigue, cough, and congestion. There may also be mucus drainage in the back of the throat, called postnasal drip. Your health care professional diagnoses sinusitis based on your symptoms and an examination of your nose and face.
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.
Chronic sinusitis can be caused by an infection, growths in the sinuses (nasal polyps) or swelling of the lining of your sinuses. Signs and symptoms may include a blocked or stuffy (congested) nose that causes difficulty breathing through your nose, and pain and swelling around your eyes, cheeks, nose or forehead.
Is chronic sinusitis dangerous? This condition is rarely life-threatening, but it can be dangerous at times. Infections can spread beyond the sinuses into your bones, brain or spine.
What happens if sinusitis is left untreated? You don't necessarily need to treat sinusitis — it often goes away on its own. Very rarely, untreated sinus infections can lead to life-threatening infections. This happens if bacteria or fungi spread to your brain, eyes or nearby bone.
Chronic sinusitis develops when the passages and sinus cavities are unable to drain mucus efficiently due to blockage, inflammation, or a buildup of mucus, germs, and bacteria.
If you have acute sinusitis, your symptoms likely will go away within a week to 10 days, but some people have symptoms that last up to four weeks. Chronic sinusitis symptoms last 12 weeks or more. Acute sinusitis (sinus infection) can clog your nose with mucus, make your face hurt and make you feel exhausted.
Fatigue, brain fog and breathlessness: People who have chronic sinusitis are unable to breathe as well as they need to, resulting in a decrease in cognitive function.
Fatigue: Sinusitis patients typically feel tired and achy. Getting plenty of rest and drinking lots of fluids can help to combat this symptom and get you on the road to recovery more quickly.
“It is often best-and many times, company policy-that employees stay out of work until they are fever-free for 24 hours, especially with the flu.” Nasal congestion with sinus or facial pain suggests a sinus infection. Sinus infections can be viral or bacterial. “Either way, it's best to stay home,” Wigmore says.
Chronic sinusitis is a long-lasting infection or inflammation of the sinuses. It lingers longer than subacute sinusitis. Those with chronic sinusitis have sinusitis that lasts over 12 weeks. It may even persist for years.
Fiberoptic nasal endoscopy is a diagnostic exam that provides detailed images of sinus cavities and nasal passages. It can reveal potential causes and signs of chronic sinusitis, such as inflammation, a slow drainage of mucus from the sinuses, the presence of a deviated septum, enlarged turbinates, or nasal polyps.
Permanent cures for chronic sinusitis and sinus headaches are sometimes possible, but it can depend on the reasons why you are affected. If your sinusitis is linked to allergies, then you can try allergy testing to find out the cause and then take steps to avoid the trigger.
If you have a weak immune system , you are more likely to develop sinus infection from bacteria or mold. Other things that can cause sinus infections are colds, seasonal allergies, nasal polyps or a deviated septum.
A cold typically causes peak symptoms around days three to five and then will improve over the next week. A sinus infection can cause symptoms for longer, with up to 10 or 12 days of more consistent symptoms. If your peak symptoms last for more than a week you can suspect a sinus infection.
Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
Sinus surgery using a nasal endoscope is the most commonly recommended procedure for people with chronic sinusitis. The surgeon uses the same type of thin endoscope used during the diagnostic exam. This procedure requires no visible incisions, is performed under general anesthesia.
Chronic sinusitis affects approximately 14.6 percent of the US population and is currently the 5th most common condition treated with antibiotics, accounting for 18–22 million physician visits and costing 3.4–5 billion annually [1].
Chronic sinusitis may have several different causes. People with asthma or allergies are more likely to develop this long-lasting inflammation. This is often exacerbated by smoking, second-hand smoke, and environmental factors. It can also be caused by an infection of some sort.
Furthermore, in the elderly, the clearance of the mucus from the nose is less efficient. “The combination of a thick mucus which the body is unable to clear efficiently together with the lower immunity results in a higher risk of sinusitis in the elderly,” says Dr Teo.
Sinusitis and earache are closely related as a sinus congestion often develops into an ear congestion. Infected sinuses tend to swell and become congested with mucus, in turn exerting painful pressure on nearby body parts, such as the middle ear. This leads to experiencing severe discomfort in one or both ears.