Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesAcute and Chronic SymptomsTreatment OptionsAre Antibiotics Needed?ComplicationsRecovery Time
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Acute and Chronic Symptoms
Treatment Options
Are Antibiotics Needed?
Complications
Recovery Time
Pansinusitisis a rare ailment that involves the infection of all four pairs of sinuses. The problem is a more intense version of a commonsinus infection, or sinusitis, which affects just one part of your four pairs of sinuses.
This type of problem causes more severe symptoms than a normal sinus infection. It is often more painful and has a higher risk of problems than an illness that affects just one sinus.
Most cases of normal sinusitis areacute (brief)and clear up without treatment. However, having more than one inflamed sinus can make treatment harder. It can lead to a chronic (long-term) problem that spreads to other parts of your body. Though rare, this can increase the risk of the disease harming your eye or brain.
This article describes how acute and chronic pansinusitis differ, common symptoms, and treatments.
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Pansinusitis: When Your Whole Head Feels Inflamed
Pansinusitis can feel like a severe sinus infection that attacks more than one part of your facial area. It affects the four pairs of air-filled hollow spaces within your nose and eyes, called the paranasal sinuses.
Your four paranasal sinus pairs are named after the bones that contain them. These include the following:
A sinus infection happens when the air spaces become inflamed, blocking drainage. As the fluid builds inside your sinuses it causes pain and pressure. It also allows germs likevirusesandbacteriato grow and multiply. When a sinus infection extends past one sinus, the pain and pressure become more intense as more areas are involved.
Causes of pansinusitis can involve the following:
What Is a Sinus Infection?
Is It Acute or Chronic Pansinusitis?
The symptoms of acute and chronic pansinusitis have many similar symptoms, including the following:
The key difference between acute and chronic pansinusitis is the length of time that symptoms persist without improving or resolving.
Acute pansinusitis lasts from 10 days to eight weeks. Chronic pansinusitis lasts longer. Chronic pansinusitis can involve repeated acute infections or an infection that does not improve during that time.
Symptoms of a Sinus Infection
Getting Care for Pansinusitis
A healthcare provider can diagnose pansinusitis and advise the most appropriate treatment for your condition. Aprimary care providercan determine the extent of your condition and whether you need treatment and/or the care of a specialist. If you don’t have a primary care provider, you can get the care you need from one of the following options:
Acute or Chronic, How Do You Get Relief for Pansinusitis?
Treatment for acute or chronic pansinusitis involves reducing inflammation and clearing sinus congestion. Options include home remedies, over-the-counter and prescription drugs, and surgical treatments.
Therapies that provide symptom relief can be useful in acute or chronic conditions while you wait for the problem to resolve itself or for prescribed medications to take effect. The type of therapy advised varies based on the underlying cause of your case of pansinusitis. The following treatments may help provide relief for pansinusitis.
Home Remedies
Home remedies can help reduce painful and annoying symptoms of pansinusitis, like congestion and sinus pressure but do not help the infection resolve faster. They include the following:
Over-the-Counter Therapies
Over-the-counter therapies include the following medications:
Pain relievers to manage headaches, pain, and sinus pressure, such as:
Nasal congestion treatments to thin mucus and help it drain easier include:
Over-the-counter steroid nasal sprays (most useful for chronic sinusitis) such as:
Prescription Medications
Prescription medication may be used to help relieve symptoms, especially in cases of chronic pansinusitis. These medications include the following:
Prescription steroid medications to open nasal passageways, relieve inflammation, or reduce nasal polyps include:
Leukotriene modifiers (useful if you have an aspirin allergy), such as:
Antibiotics (reserved for indications of bacterial infection) can include many options, such as the following:
Surgeries and Specialty Procedures
Surgeries and other procedures can help address physical malformations like enlarged tissues, scar tissue, and abnormal growths that block your sinuses and contribute to pansinusitis. These procedures include the following:
9 Tips to Treat Dry Nose
When Do Providers Prescribe Antibiotics for Pansinusitis?
While about 85% of sinus infections improve or resolve without treatment, the remaining 15% require treatment.Providers prescribe antibiotics when a sinus infection includes symptoms that distinguish it from a viral infection.
Antibiotics are typically prescribed when an episode of pansinusitis includes the following criteria:
Since pansinusitis may pose a more complex infection than common sinusitis, antibiotic treatment may involve a high-dose antibiotic, possibly administered intravenously, with or without a steroid.
Complications of Serious Pansinusitis
Complications of serious pansinusitis are rare but possible. The condition can lead to severe and potentially life-changing consequences without early diagnosis and treatment.
Generally, cases of acute pansinusitis that do not improve with two courses of conventional antibiotic treatment are an indication that the condition may be related to more severe complications.
Complications of serious pansinusitis include conditions in the following categories:
Local complications of the face, including:
Complications of the orbital area (bony structures of your skull that house your eyeball, its muscles, nerves, and blood vessels) complications include:
Intracranial complications, such as:
Emergency Symptoms of a Sinus Infection That Spreads to the Brain
Pansinusitis vs. COVID-19Pansinusitis and COVID-19share some common symptoms like congestion,headache, cough, and sore throat. However, the two conditions also cause symptoms that are distinct to each ailment.Symptoms more likely to occur with pansinusitis include:Bad breathSwollen eyesFacial painRunny nosePostnasal dripHeadachesFacial or sinus painBad breathSwelling around your eyesSymptoms more likely to occur with COVID-19 include:Shortness of breathMuscle achesLoss of smell or tasteDiarrheaFatigueNausea or vomitingChillsCongestion
Pansinusitis vs. COVID-19
Pansinusitis and COVID-19share some common symptoms like congestion,headache, cough, and sore throat. However, the two conditions also cause symptoms that are distinct to each ailment.Symptoms more likely to occur with pansinusitis include:Bad breathSwollen eyesFacial painRunny nosePostnasal dripHeadachesFacial or sinus painBad breathSwelling around your eyesSymptoms more likely to occur with COVID-19 include:Shortness of breathMuscle achesLoss of smell or tasteDiarrheaFatigueNausea or vomitingChillsCongestion
Pansinusitis and COVID-19share some common symptoms like congestion,headache, cough, and sore throat. However, the two conditions also cause symptoms that are distinct to each ailment.
Symptoms more likely to occur with pansinusitis include:
Symptoms more likely to occur with COVID-19 include:
Pansinusitis Recovery Time
Pansinusitis recovery time varies based on the type of pansinusitis you develop. Both acute and chronic sinus infections can be viral or bacterial. Some chronic infections can be fungal.
An acute pansinusitis infection can last up to eight weeks. A chronic infection can last longer, usually at least 12 weeks. In some cases, a chronic infection may seem to improve, and then it can return with symptoms just as bad as when they started. These infections can drag on for months before they are resolved.
Summary
Pansinusitis is a rare problem that involves the infection of all four pairs of sinuses. Common cases of sinusitis only involve one or two sinuses. Having four inflamed sinuses causes a more intense symptoms. It is also more likely to increase your risk of having severe problems that could threaten your life.
Acute cases may resolve on their own without treatment. Chronic cases may last for months or recur after they seem to improve.
15 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.National Cancer Institute.Paranasal sinus.Mount Sinai.Sinusitis.American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Sinus infection.Atta M, Ramlatchan SR, Ganti L, et al.An uncommon presentation of the common sinusitis.Cureus. 2020;12(7). doi:10.7759/cureus.9263Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sinus infection.Kaiser Permanente.Sinusitis: over-the-counter remedies.Rosenfeld RM, Piccirillo JF, Chandrasekhar SS, et al.Clinical practice guideline (update): adult sinusitis.Otolaryngol–head neck surg. 2015;152(S2). doi:10.1177/0194599815572097National Jewish Health.Sinusitis medications.Hitzeman N, Shoemaker J.Intranasal corticosteroids for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis.AFP. 2014;90(5):286-287.NYU Langone Health.Surgical treatment for chronic sinusitis.Harvard Health Publishing.Acute sinusitis.Kenealy T, Arroll B.Antibiotics for the common cold and acute purulent rhinitis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;2013(6):CD000247. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000247.pub3Haizul I, Umi Kalthum M.Dangerous diplopia: a case of pansinusitis.Malays Fam Physician. 2013;8(1):38-41.Chaiyasate S, Fooanant S, Navacharoen N, Roongrotwattanasiri K, Tantilipikorn P, Patumanond J.The complications of sinusitis in a tertiary care hospital: types, patient characteristics, and outcomes.Int J Otolaryngol. 2015;2015:709302. doi:10.1155/2015/709302UNC Health.Do you have COVID-19 or a sinus infection?
15 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.National Cancer Institute.Paranasal sinus.Mount Sinai.Sinusitis.American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Sinus infection.Atta M, Ramlatchan SR, Ganti L, et al.An uncommon presentation of the common sinusitis.Cureus. 2020;12(7). doi:10.7759/cureus.9263Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sinus infection.Kaiser Permanente.Sinusitis: over-the-counter remedies.Rosenfeld RM, Piccirillo JF, Chandrasekhar SS, et al.Clinical practice guideline (update): adult sinusitis.Otolaryngol–head neck surg. 2015;152(S2). doi:10.1177/0194599815572097National Jewish Health.Sinusitis medications.Hitzeman N, Shoemaker J.Intranasal corticosteroids for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis.AFP. 2014;90(5):286-287.NYU Langone Health.Surgical treatment for chronic sinusitis.Harvard Health Publishing.Acute sinusitis.Kenealy T, Arroll B.Antibiotics for the common cold and acute purulent rhinitis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;2013(6):CD000247. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000247.pub3Haizul I, Umi Kalthum M.Dangerous diplopia: a case of pansinusitis.Malays Fam Physician. 2013;8(1):38-41.Chaiyasate S, Fooanant S, Navacharoen N, Roongrotwattanasiri K, Tantilipikorn P, Patumanond J.The complications of sinusitis in a tertiary care hospital: types, patient characteristics, and outcomes.Int J Otolaryngol. 2015;2015:709302. doi:10.1155/2015/709302UNC Health.Do you have COVID-19 or a sinus infection?
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.
National Cancer Institute.Paranasal sinus.Mount Sinai.Sinusitis.American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Sinus infection.Atta M, Ramlatchan SR, Ganti L, et al.An uncommon presentation of the common sinusitis.Cureus. 2020;12(7). doi:10.7759/cureus.9263Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sinus infection.Kaiser Permanente.Sinusitis: over-the-counter remedies.Rosenfeld RM, Piccirillo JF, Chandrasekhar SS, et al.Clinical practice guideline (update): adult sinusitis.Otolaryngol–head neck surg. 2015;152(S2). doi:10.1177/0194599815572097National Jewish Health.Sinusitis medications.Hitzeman N, Shoemaker J.Intranasal corticosteroids for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis.AFP. 2014;90(5):286-287.NYU Langone Health.Surgical treatment for chronic sinusitis.Harvard Health Publishing.Acute sinusitis.Kenealy T, Arroll B.Antibiotics for the common cold and acute purulent rhinitis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;2013(6):CD000247. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000247.pub3Haizul I, Umi Kalthum M.Dangerous diplopia: a case of pansinusitis.Malays Fam Physician. 2013;8(1):38-41.Chaiyasate S, Fooanant S, Navacharoen N, Roongrotwattanasiri K, Tantilipikorn P, Patumanond J.The complications of sinusitis in a tertiary care hospital: types, patient characteristics, and outcomes.Int J Otolaryngol. 2015;2015:709302. doi:10.1155/2015/709302UNC Health.Do you have COVID-19 or a sinus infection?
National Cancer Institute.Paranasal sinus.
Mount Sinai.Sinusitis.
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Sinus infection.
Atta M, Ramlatchan SR, Ganti L, et al.An uncommon presentation of the common sinusitis.Cureus. 2020;12(7). doi:10.7759/cureus.9263
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sinus infection.
Kaiser Permanente.Sinusitis: over-the-counter remedies.
Rosenfeld RM, Piccirillo JF, Chandrasekhar SS, et al.Clinical practice guideline (update): adult sinusitis.Otolaryngol–head neck surg. 2015;152(S2). doi:10.1177/0194599815572097
National Jewish Health.Sinusitis medications.
Hitzeman N, Shoemaker J.Intranasal corticosteroids for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis.AFP. 2014;90(5):286-287.
NYU Langone Health.Surgical treatment for chronic sinusitis.
Harvard Health Publishing.Acute sinusitis.
Kenealy T, Arroll B.Antibiotics for the common cold and acute purulent rhinitis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;2013(6):CD000247. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000247.pub3
Haizul I, Umi Kalthum M.Dangerous diplopia: a case of pansinusitis.Malays Fam Physician. 2013;8(1):38-41.
Chaiyasate S, Fooanant S, Navacharoen N, Roongrotwattanasiri K, Tantilipikorn P, Patumanond J.The complications of sinusitis in a tertiary care hospital: types, patient characteristics, and outcomes.Int J Otolaryngol. 2015;2015:709302. doi:10.1155/2015/709302
UNC Health.Do you have COVID-19 or a sinus infection?
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