Monday, May 23, 2022
The first few weeks of the common cold aren' fun, but the acute sinusitis that can develop afterwards doesn't help either. Unfortunately, sinus congestion and the common cold go hand in hand. Acute sinusitis frequently is caused by the common cold, but also can be caused by allergies and bacterial and fungal infections.
Sinus infection causes
Sinus infections are caused when the cavities around your nasal passages become inflamed and swollen. This inflammation eventually interferes with drainage and causes mucus to build up. This tends to get annoying, because it makes breathing through the nose difficult. It also affects the area around your eyes and face, and can cause a throbbing headache.
Antibiotics and sinus infections
When a sinus infection hits, it seems worse than what you remembered from the last time you had one. This may give you the idea that you need antibiotics, but most clear up without them. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses and aren't recommended within the first week of developing a cold. About 70% of sinus infections go away within two weeks without antibiotics.
Consider these other forms of treatments instead of antibiotics:
- Decongestants
These medications are available for over-the-counter purchase. Be careful to only take these medications for a few days at most, as they can cause the return of more severe congestions. - Over-the-counter pain relievers
Aspirins, acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help relieve temporary pain. - Saline nasal spray
This is used to spray into your nose several times a day to rinse your nasal passages. It can help to prevent and treat inflammation.
Antibiotics only will be needed if the infection is severe, recurrent or persistent.
The likelihood of bacterial infection increases when:
- Symptoms last seven days or more, particularly when symptoms initially improve and then worsen.
- Mucus is thick and yellow or green in color.
- There is facial or sinus tenderness, particularly if it's worse on one side of the face.
- Pain is present in the upper teeth and is worse on one side of the face.
If the infection becomes severe, recurrent or persistent, contact your provider.
Read more about your sinuses:
Leanna Munoz is a nurse practitioner in Urgent Care in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
For the safety of our patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a non-patient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.
You know the sickness scene: sweatpants, grimy ponytail, crumpled tissues strewn around the bed. When you're knocked down by a nasty cold, there's not much else you can do other than go to sleep and dream of your healthy days. But how do you know if it's actually a run-of-the-mill cold virus or something a little more hardcore like an actual sinus infection?
Health spoke to medical experts to find out exactly what a sinus infection is, how long one typically lasts, and what you can do to help the stuffiness and sinus pain go away ASAP.
(FYI: According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, 31 million Americans get a sinus infection each year).
So, a sinus infection is technically called sinusitis, and it's basically the term for when your sinuses are inflamed, according to the US National Library of Medicine (NLM). As for what those sinuses are, exactly, they're "pockets in the face next to the nose that are typically full of air," Philip Chen, MD, an otolaryngologist with UT Health San Antonio, tells Health. "These pockets have a lining of mucosa that helps keep the sinus healthy," which is what becomes inflamed when the sinuses are infected.
Another type of sinus infection, rhinosinusitis, occurs when the lining of the sinus cavities is swollen, along with the lining of the nasal cavity, says Dr. Chen.
As for what causes a sinus infection, it's typically a condition that blocks the sinuses, like a viral upper respiratory tract infection (aka, a cold), or allergies, Landon Duyka, MD, an otolaryngologist at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, tells? Health. The blockage ultimately "allows for an infection to develop and progress within the sinuses."
So if you've ever had a sinus infection before, you know they feel pretty miserable: "The more common symptoms are nasal congestion, discolored mucous from the nose, post nasal drainage, facial pain, facial pressure, decreased smell and taste," says Dr. Duyka. "Some patients also experience ear pain, upper tooth pain, sore throat, bad breath, and/or cough."
But here's some quick advice: That whole thing about the color of your snot (like, if it's green or yellow) telling you whether or not you have a bacterial or viral infection? That's a myth, Donald Ford, MD, a family medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic, tells Health. "The green-yellow color of mucus that can develop is a byproduct of our own white blood cells, which we use to fight any kind of infection, viral or bacterial, so we can't tell the cause from the color of the mucus," she says. "When the mucus is thick and dark it usually suggests some mild dehydration, and you should increase fluid intake and use lots of saline spray to keep the mucus thin."
RELATED: Are Sinus Infections Contagious?
Something else you need to know: There are two different types of sinusitis, acute and chronic sinusitis. Essentially, acute sinusitis is anything that lasts less than four weeks, says Dr. Ford, while chronic sinusitis lasts more than 12 weeks—but those are just ballparks.
"Typically acute sinusitis resolves by 10 days, but if not, then the possibility of a bacterial infection should be considered," says Dr. Chen. "Getting one or 2 sinus infections a year is considered normal. More than 4 should prompt a visit to an ear, nose, and throat surgeon."
However, if you have chronic sinusitis, it can last up to 3 months and may be caused by environmental factors. "Chronic sinusitis may have a number of causes, but the most common cause is allergies," says Dr. Ford. "Smoking causes the impaired function of the cilia, part of the nasal membranes that remove mucus, and can contribute to developing chronic sinusitis."
RELATED: What Does It Mean to Have a Chronic Sinus Infection?
If you suspect you have a sinus infection before you head to the doctor, you can try some at-home and over-the-counter treatment options first, says Dr. Duyka. "Start with conservative management, with nasal irrigation 2-3 times a day," he says. "You can use nasal steroid sprays such as Flonase, oral decongestants like Sudafed, and intranasal decongestants like Afrin for no more than three days."
If those remedies don't clear things up or at least improve symptoms, you may have to resort to antibiotics. "For most patients, one should wait at least 10 days before starting antibiotics, and the doctor can help determine this," says Dr. Chen. "Usually the sinusitis lasting less than 10 days is from a virus and antibiotics do not work against viruses."
For chronic sinusitis, surgery may be an option. "If the medications alone do not work, then sinus surgery may help to allow topical delivery of medications like topical steroids to the nasal and sinus lining," adds Dr. Chen.
As for prevention techniques, Since most sinus infections are caused by viruses, using proper sanitation tips is the best way to prevent getting one. "Like with all viruses, the most effective prevention is careful hand washing," says Dr. Ford.
And if you struggle with allergies, managing and treating those symptoms may also help prevent sinus infections. "Those with bad allergies might benefit from using nasal steroids and sinus irrigation techniques during symptomatic seasons," says Dr. Chen. "Allergy treatments may help these patients as well."
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