Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFrequent SymptomsRare SymptomsComplicationsWhen to See a DoctorFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Sinus Infection GuideHow a Sinus Infection Is Diagnosed
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Frequent Symptoms
Rare Symptoms
Complications
When to See a Doctor
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Sinus Infection Guide
Asinus infectionis one of the most common complications that can occur after a cold or allergy attack. It can be difficult to tell when a regular cold has turned into a sinus infection, which is also calledsinusitis, but some key indications includepainand pressure in the face; thickgreen or yellow mucus; and upper/back toothache.
While most symptoms resolve in two weeks or less (with or without treatment, depending on the cause), you may also develop a chronic sinus infection that can linger for months.
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The symptoms of sinus infection often develop following arespiratory infectionlike a cold or after a bout of allergic rhinitis.Sinusitisis classified based on how long you have had the symptoms:
Acute Sinus Infection
Symptoms of an acute sinus infection include:
Symptoms of an acute sinus infection in children are similar to those in adults, although it’s important for parents to remember that kids may not always be able to adequately explain how they are feeling.
Other symptoms to look out for in children include:
Many of these symptoms overlap with those of a cold, and if you’ve had them for a few days to a week, you probably don’t have sinusitis.
If your acute symptoms have continued past four weeks, it is defined assubacute sinusitis. The symptoms ofrecurrent sinusitisare the same as for acute sinusitis. The symptoms resolve completely between episodes.
Chronic Sinus Infection
Symptoms of chronic sinusitis are similar to acute sinusitis, but milder, and have been present for more than 12 weeks.
You must have two or more of these symptoms to be diagnosed:
Other symptoms of chronic sinus infection may include tooth and jaw pain, ear pain, bad breath, and a cough thatgets worse at night.Very often, people report fatigue.
Sinus Infections: Are They Contagious?
Because viral inflammation should improve and go away after a few days, a bacterial infection is suspected if symptoms have lasted more than 10 days without improvement or they got better, then worse (what’s known as “double sickening”). Only about 2% of acute sinus infections are bacterial.
This is the kind ofsinus infection that may need an antibiotic. The sinuses are adjacent to important structures, including the eyes and brain. A bacterial sinus infection has an extremely small possibility of spreading to these areas.
When to Seek Emergency Care
Understanding Acute and Chronic Pansinusitis
Your sense of smell can be reduced, or you may lose it completely with sinusitis. This can be due to the blockage, or it may be due to damage to the olfactory nerve and other structures. While the loss of smell is often temporary, you can have permanent alterations or loss.
Serious complications from acute bacterial sinusitis are rare: they’re only seen in about one in 1,000 cases.
The most concerning of the rare eye complications is the formation of a clot in the blood vessels behind the eye. This can lead to permanent vision impairment or blindness. Acute or chronic invasive fungal sinusitis can also damage the structures of the eye and around the eye.
Rarely, a bacterial or fungal sinus infection can spread to the bones of the skull (osteomyelitis) or into the brain,causing meningitis or an abscess in the brain. The signs of confusion, sleepiness, severe headache, or a stiff neck may point to this complication.
These growths make it more difficult for the sinuses to drain, which increases the risk of further sinus infections. A patient may have other sinus problems such asenlarged turbinates (concha bullosa)or adeviated septum. Sinus surgery may be needed to remove the polyps or correct the problem to allow better sinus drainage.
Can a Sinus Infection Go Away on Its Own?
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Most of the time sinusitis will resolve in 10 days or less without the need to see your healthcare provider for treatment or a prescription. If you have been dealing with your symptoms for 10 days to two weeks and your symptoms are not improving, it is time to consider contacting your healthcare provider.
When to Call Your Healthcare ProviderYour symptoms are severe or they are getting worse after seven days.Your headache is severe and over-the-counter pain relievers don’t put a dent in it.You are running a fever of 100.4 degrees or more.You finished a course of prescribed antibiotics, but you still have symptoms.
When to Call Your Healthcare Provider
Your symptoms are severe or they are getting worse after seven days.Your headache is severe and over-the-counter pain relievers don’t put a dent in it.You are running a fever of 100.4 degrees or more.You finished a course of prescribed antibiotics, but you still have symptoms.
If you have been having frequent bouts of sinusitis, you should see your healthcare provider to get a full diagnosis and check for problems that might be contributing to your episodes.
It can be hard to tell based on symptoms. Both types include symptoms such as facial pain, thick nasal congestion, and fever. Your healthcare provider will look at how long you’ve been sick to help provide a diagnosis. Viral sinus infections usually improve in about a week, while bacterial sinus infections may stay the same or get worse in that time.
What Is a Sinus Infection?
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Rosenfeld RM, Piccirillo JF, Chandrasekhar SS, et al.Clinical practice guideline (update): adult sinusitis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;152(2 Suppl):S1-S39. doi:10.1177/0194599815572097Ah-See K.Sinusitis (acute). BMJ Clin Evid. 2011;2011:0511. Dec 21, 2011.Kwon E, O’Rourke MC.Chronic Sinusitis. StatPearls Publishing; 2019.Sanan A, Shumrick C, Nyquist G, Rosen M.Intra-optic nerve abscess: A rare complication of acute sinusitis. Otolaryngology Case Reports. 2017;2:13-15. doi:10.1016/j.xocr.2016.12.003Pincus DJ, Armstrong MB, Thaller SR.Osteomyelitis of the craniofacial skeleton. Semin Plast Surg. 2009;23(2):73-9. doi:10.1055/s-0029-1214159Sinus Infections That Don’t Quit: When You Should Worry. Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic. Sept 17, 2014.Cleveland Clinic.Killer sinus infection? How to tell if yours if viral or bacterial. January 18, 2021.Additional ReadingAmerican College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Sinus Infection. https://acaai.org/allergies/types/sinus-infection.Litvack, J.Complications of Sinusitis. American Rhinologic Society. http://care.american-rhinologic.org/complications_sinusitis.MedlinePlus.Sinusitis. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000647.htm.NHS Inform.Sinusitis. https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/ears-nose-and-throat/sinusitis.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Rosenfeld RM, Piccirillo JF, Chandrasekhar SS, et al.Clinical practice guideline (update): adult sinusitis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;152(2 Suppl):S1-S39. doi:10.1177/0194599815572097Ah-See K.Sinusitis (acute). BMJ Clin Evid. 2011;2011:0511. Dec 21, 2011.Kwon E, O’Rourke MC.Chronic Sinusitis. StatPearls Publishing; 2019.Sanan A, Shumrick C, Nyquist G, Rosen M.Intra-optic nerve abscess: A rare complication of acute sinusitis. Otolaryngology Case Reports. 2017;2:13-15. doi:10.1016/j.xocr.2016.12.003Pincus DJ, Armstrong MB, Thaller SR.Osteomyelitis of the craniofacial skeleton. Semin Plast Surg. 2009;23(2):73-9. doi:10.1055/s-0029-1214159Sinus Infections That Don’t Quit: When You Should Worry. Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic. Sept 17, 2014.Cleveland Clinic.Killer sinus infection? How to tell if yours if viral or bacterial. January 18, 2021.Additional ReadingAmerican College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Sinus Infection. https://acaai.org/allergies/types/sinus-infection.Litvack, J.Complications of Sinusitis. American Rhinologic Society. http://care.american-rhinologic.org/complications_sinusitis.MedlinePlus.Sinusitis. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000647.htm.NHS Inform.Sinusitis. https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/ears-nose-and-throat/sinusitis.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Rosenfeld RM, Piccirillo JF, Chandrasekhar SS, et al.Clinical practice guideline (update): adult sinusitis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;152(2 Suppl):S1-S39. doi:10.1177/0194599815572097Ah-See K.Sinusitis (acute). BMJ Clin Evid. 2011;2011:0511. Dec 21, 2011.Kwon E, O’Rourke MC.Chronic Sinusitis. StatPearls Publishing; 2019.Sanan A, Shumrick C, Nyquist G, Rosen M.Intra-optic nerve abscess: A rare complication of acute sinusitis. Otolaryngology Case Reports. 2017;2:13-15. doi:10.1016/j.xocr.2016.12.003Pincus DJ, Armstrong MB, Thaller SR.Osteomyelitis of the craniofacial skeleton. Semin Plast Surg. 2009;23(2):73-9. doi:10.1055/s-0029-1214159Sinus Infections That Don’t Quit: When You Should Worry. Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic. Sept 17, 2014.Cleveland Clinic.Killer sinus infection? How to tell if yours if viral or bacterial. January 18, 2021.
Rosenfeld RM, Piccirillo JF, Chandrasekhar SS, et al.Clinical practice guideline (update): adult sinusitis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;152(2 Suppl):S1-S39. doi:10.1177/0194599815572097
Ah-See K.Sinusitis (acute). BMJ Clin Evid. 2011;2011:0511. Dec 21, 2011.
Kwon E, O’Rourke MC.Chronic Sinusitis. StatPearls Publishing; 2019.
Sanan A, Shumrick C, Nyquist G, Rosen M.Intra-optic nerve abscess: A rare complication of acute sinusitis. Otolaryngology Case Reports. 2017;2:13-15. doi:10.1016/j.xocr.2016.12.003
Pincus DJ, Armstrong MB, Thaller SR.Osteomyelitis of the craniofacial skeleton. Semin Plast Surg. 2009;23(2):73-9. doi:10.1055/s-0029-1214159
Sinus Infections That Don’t Quit: When You Should Worry. Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic. Sept 17, 2014.
Cleveland Clinic.Killer sinus infection? How to tell if yours if viral or bacterial. January 18, 2021.
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Sinus Infection. https://acaai.org/allergies/types/sinus-infection.Litvack, J.Complications of Sinusitis. American Rhinologic Society. http://care.american-rhinologic.org/complications_sinusitis.MedlinePlus.Sinusitis. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000647.htm.NHS Inform.Sinusitis. https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/ears-nose-and-throat/sinusitis.
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