Sinusitis Symptoms

Sinusitis symptoms are similar to symptoms of other respiratory diseases. They can easily be confused with other conditions. Probably the symptoms that most people complain about with sinusitis are; pain, pressure, congestion, and postnasal drip.

Most people feel miserable when they are dealing with sinusitis. A lot of the sinusitis symptoms are internal and have no outward signs such as; earaches, headaches, loss of smell, nasal stuffiness, pain, sore throat, etc. They suffer in silence and the people around them such as their family, their boss, their teachers and friends have no idea how miserable they feel or that they are even sick at all.

Even though the symptoms listed below may be related to other conditions, treatment for them concerning sinusitis may be quite different. It is important that if you experience any of the sinusitis symptoms below for any length of time, visit with your doctor to determine the cause. If they are a result from sinusitis, your physician can help you develop a treatment plan that will be effective for you.

One of the most important points about sinusitis symptoms is that you don't want to wait to take action. For long term health, it is important to try to prevent sinusitis from becoming a chronic condition.

Allergies: The allergic reaction from nasal allergies can cause inflammation in the nose. This can easily affect the mucous membrane and the drainage of mucus out of the sinuses and down the throat. If allergies are not taken care of, sinusitis can develop.

Asthma: Asthma is a respiratory disease characterized by airway restriction. It causes the sufferer to wheeze and grasp for air when trying to breathe. Asthma is known to be related to nasal allergies and sinusitis. Consult with your doctor to find out if your asthma has any relationship to allergies or sinusitis.

Bad Breath: Mucus that is discolored from bacterial infection can produce a foul odor. When bad breath is related to sinusitis, the foul odor can be even stronger due to the bacteria in the mouth. Mouthwash is usually only a temporary solution when sinusitis is involved.

Cough: A cough may be a symptom of many conditions. It can even be related to something serious. If you have a cough for more than two weeks, you should consult with your doctor. A dry cough is more typical of sinusitis. Furthermore, sinusitis may be suspected if the cough is worse upon awakening because mucus from the nose and sinuses can pool in the throat overnight.

Earaches: Although most frequent in children, earaches can occur at any age. The infection is usually known as otitis media. Sometimes it can be difficult in determining where the infection began because of the close connection between the ears and the sinuses.

Ear Fullness: If there is inflammation in the sinus cavities, the mucus may possible block the Eustachian tubes. This is the passageway that connects your ears to the back of your nose. They must be open to equalize pressure in the ears with the outside world. When they are block, pressure builds up and an uncomfortable feeling of pressure or fullness develops. This is experienced in airplane flights.

Fever: At times, the body may produce a fever in response to inflammation and the presence of a large quantity of bacteria from a sinus infection. A high temperature following sinusitis is much more common in children that in adults. The high fever is the body is telling you that there may be a more severe infection going on.

Headache: A headache may be a symptom of many conditions. By far, the most common cause of a headache is stress. However, a headache can also be a sinusitis symptom and common for it to occur in the morning. When the sinus headache is present, it is usually the one that gives the sufferer the most problems and influences them to seek medical advice. It is usually a dull pain of slight to moderate intensity. It can be located between the eyes or behind the eyes. It can be located in the cheeks or the back of the head. Or it can be located in the brow area. It just depends on which sinus is being affected.

Hoarseness: Hoarseness can be caused by a number of things. Most commonly, it is cause by inflammation of the vocal cord and is viral in nature. It usually goes away by itself. However, hoarseness can be another sinusitis symptom. It can be caused by mucus draining down into the larynx. This can cause inflammation, irritation, and swelling of the vocal cords.

Irritability: People who suffer from chronic sinusitis often have a feeling of general discomfort. The medical term that describes this phenomenon is malaise. This is often accompanied by significant irritability.

Itchy and Watery Eyes: These symptoms are a very common condition for allergic rhinitis. But it can also be a sinusitis symptom. The tear ducts drain into the sinuses. If an infection is present in the sinuses, it can affect the area around the eyes. Persistent watery eyes can be a result of acute sinusitis.

Loss of Smell: Decreased sense of smell is a common sinusitis symptom. The nose contains specific smell receptors that are triggered by the odor molecules that we breathe in. Inflammation can block these molecules from reaching the smell receptors, which results is a reduce sense of smell.

Loss of Taste: Olfaction is the medical term for the sense of smell. Gustation is the medical term for our sense of taste. Our ability to taste depends on our sense of smell! About 90 percent of what we taste is actually smell. When inflammation occurs in the nose, often our sense of taste is affected. These sinusitis symptoms continually show how this condition reduces the quality of our lives.

Nasal Congestion: Difficulty in breathing and nasal congestion are symptoms of many conditions. Most commonly, it is related to hay fever. Sinusitis also cause the nasal membranes to swell, the turbinates to swell, and puts excess mucus in the nose. This impairs the function of the cilia. The results are the sinusitis symptoms of nasal congestion and difficulty in breathing.

Pressure or Pain: Pressure or pain are the major sinusitis symptoms that people experience. The dull, throbbing pain, ache, or pressure, results from the inflamed tissue putting pressure on the nerves of the sinuses.

• Maxillary: Cheek pain or upper teeth pain, particularly in the molars. Pain might also occur under the eyes.
• Frontal: Forehead pain or a headache or pain over the eyes.
• Ethmoid: Pain around the eyes or across the bridge of the nose. Tenderness when pressure is applied to the sides of the nose.
• Sphenoid: Pain behind the eyes or along the back of the head. It produces a generalized pain, deep in the head. It can be perceived as a headache in the back of the head at the base of the skull.

Postnasal Drip: Mucus produced by the sinuses and nose has only two places to go; out the nose or down the throat. In good health, this substance is clear and watery and we don't even know that we are swallowing it even though we are doing so continuously. With sinusitis, the consistency changes and the quantity increases which irritates the throat and esophagus.

Sinus Pain: This type of pain is felt all over the face and not localized to just the sinus area. It can be felt over the side of the face and head or it may be felt in the jaw just in front of the ear. Pain also can be felt in the back of the neck, next to the hairline. This kind of pain can be throbbing and constant. People often complain that it gets worse when they bend over.

Sore Throat: When the mucus that we swallow become infected, it can irritate the lining of the throat. When sinusitis is the cause, the sore throat is usually not consistent throughout the day. It is much worse in the morning upon wakening. Often, the dry air that we breathe in our bedrooms at night don't help the throat either.

Swelling of the Eyelids: The ethmoid sinuses are near the tear ducts in the corner of the eyes. When the ethmoids become inflamed, the eyelids and tissues around the eyes can also become swollen or discolored. This condition is sometimes referred to as 'allergic shiners.' Swelling of the eyelids then, can also be a symptom of sinusitis.

Swollen Lymph Nodes: A swollen lymph node, particularly in the neck, can be a symptom of an infection in the sinuses. This has to do with them working hard to produce lymphocytes which battles bacteria, viruses and fungi. The lymphocytes attempt to destroy the germ before it can multiply and cause a disease. When the lymph nodes remain swollen, something more serious may be indicated.

Facial Sensitivity: When the sinuses are filled with a thick mucus instead of air, pressure is created. Because some of the sinuses are located near the surface of the face, your cheeks or jaws may be tender to the touch.

Tiredness and Fatigue: These are common sinusitis symptoms because the body uses extra energy to mount an immune response to infection of any kind. Chronic sinusitis can also affect sleep and make you more tired during the day. In addition, poor breathing and coughing during the night can affect the quality of sleep that you get resulting in less energy during the day.

Toothache: The maxillary sinuses are located just above the upper teeth. An infected maxillary sinus can put pressure on the nerves of the teeth.

Summary

Sinusitis symptoms may vary from person to person. Not all symptoms experienced are exclusive to sinusitis. But if any of the symptoms above occur and last a while, seek medical attention so that your physician can find the cause. Determining the cause will dictate what sinusitis treatment is best to combat the annoying symptoms. As stated above, if any symptoms are related to acute sinusitis, the sooner you address the problem, the better. The goal is to not let acute sinusitis turn in to chronic sinusitis.

The University of Maryland Medical Center provides great information about sinusitis symptoms.

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