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.
If your sinus infection just won't go away or keeps coming back, it may be time to see an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist. An ENT treats conditions of the ear, nose, throat, head, face, and neck. It may be time to see an ENT if: You've completed several courses of antibiotics without success.
If after 10 days, your symptoms have not improved, see your primary care doctor. You may have an acute sinus infection. If it lasts four weeks, you potentially have a sub-acute sinus infection that needs more aggressive treatment. If symptoms last over 12 weeks, you're likely dealing with a chronic infection.
Acute sinusitis lasts for less than four weeks. Chronic sinusitis can last for more than 12 weeks. The majority of sinus infection sufferers will see their symptoms start to resolve after about 10 days. While one to two infections a year is considering normal, more than four requires medical attention.
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.
Serious Sinus Infections
While rare, the infection from a sinus issue can spread to the eyes or brain. If the infection reaches the eyes you can experience redness, swelling around the eyes and reduced vision. Cavernous sinus thrombosis is a rare infection that can lead to blindness.
If your sinus infection does not improve within five to seven days after you finish the whole course of antibiotics, or if you experience another sinus infection within a few weeks, you may be referred to an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist for treatment.
See a doctor if you have: Severe symptoms, such as severe headache or facial pain. Symptoms that get worse after improving. Symptoms lasting more than 10 days without getting better.
Inhaling steam from hot water helps moisturize the sinuses and can loosen mucus. Nasal irrigation using a neti pot or a bulb syringe effectively relieves congestion, and warm and cold compresses over your nose, cheeks and forehead may help too.
Acupresssure Point LI 20: Located at the base of your nose, this pressure point can help relieve sinus pressure. Acupresssure Point SI18: Located where your cheekbones meet your nose, this pressure point can relieve sinus congestion.
Acute, subacute, chronic and recurrent sinusitis
It's usually caused by viruses like the common cold. Subacute sinusitis symptoms last four to 12 weeks. Chronic sinusitis symptoms last at least 12 weeks. Bacteria are usually the cause.
Blocked or stuffy nose (congestion) causing difficulty breathing through your nose. Pain, tenderness, swelling and pressure around your eyes, cheeks, nose or forehead that worsens when bending over.
You can also help your cause by blowing your nose gently without pinching it tightly; forceful blowing can force bacteria up into your sinuses.
The most common indoor allergens include dust, cockroaches, mold, and cats and dogs. These allergens often lead to postnasal drip, runny nose, nasal congestion, headache, sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, itchy skin, fatigue, and for some people, even difficulty breathing as well as wheezing.
Blowing the nose can worsen the feeling of congestion due to pressure build-up within the nostrils, which may shoot up the mucus into the sinuses instead of ejection through the nose.
As your body works hard to fight off the sinus infection, you'll feel more tired than usual. Fatigue can be also be caused by head pain, a lack of adequate sleep, and difficulty breathing due to sinusitis.
Chronic sinusitis can be caused by several factors. These include: Blocked airways from asthma or allergies or from conditions such as cystic fibrosis. Infections, which can be bacterial, viral or fungal.