A sinus infection, sometimes called sinusitis, is an inflammation of the tissues in your sinuses. If you suspect you have a sinus infection, you should review common symptoms and keep track of how long you’re feeling unwell. That’s because a sinus infection may sometimes require a doctor visit or telehealth appointment.
As a general rule, you should see a physician if symptoms persist for more than seven to 10 days. There are certain circumstances that may suggest a more complicated infection; if this is the case, you might need to see a doctor before the seventh day.
Here’s what you need to know about sinusitis, including common symptoms, causes and treatment options.
What is a Sinus Infection?
You have four paired spaces above, below, behind and between your eyes. These are called sinuses, and they’re connected by thin, tissue-lined passageways. Your sinuses naturally make thin mucus that drains through your nose to get rid of bacteria and keep you healthy.
Many things might make those passageways swell up, including infections (which can be viral, bacterial and rarely fungal). In the case of an infection, your body is producing more mucus to combat the problem. This can lead to a blockage in your sinuses — which, in turn, may become a sinus infection.
The structure of your sinuses can help explain why you may feel pain or pressure on one side of your face but not the other. When healthy, your body has a nasal cycle where one side of the nose is congested and the other decongests; they switch back and forth regularly. However, when your sinus tissues are swollen, this normal congestion becomes more noticeable and makes you feel like you can only breathe through one nostril at a time.
In some cases, all this can lead to an additional issue: a bacterial infection. That’s because stagnant, built-up mucus is a breeding ground for bacteria. This may lead to bacterial sinusitis.
Types of Sinus Infections
There are two main types of sinus infections:
- Viral sinus infection: Viral sinus infections are generally characterized by symptoms that improve after five to seven days.
- Bacterial sinus infection: In a bacterial sinus infection, symptoms may persist for more than 10 days and could worsen over time.
These can be broken into even more specific categories:
- Acute sinusitis: If you suddenly start to notice symptoms such as nasal discharge and pain, you may have acute sinusitis. Symptoms may last between 5 and 30 days and might seem to improve before worsening again.
- Recurrent acute sinusitis: If symptoms return four or more times in a single year but last less than two weeks each time, these recurring sinus infections may indicate recurrent acute sinusitis.
- Chronic sinusitis: If you have symptoms for at least 12 weeks, you may have a chronic sinus infection.
No matter what kind of sinus infection you may have, it’s important to see a doctor if symptoms persist after seven to 10 days. Beyond this point, most sinus infections will only improve with a prescribed antibiotic.
Sinus Infections, Flu and COVID-19
“Sinus infection” is a non-descript term referring to any infection of the sinuses. This can be caused by bacteria or a virus such as the flu or COVID-19. However, when that’s the case, your condition is no longer called “acute sinusitis” or just a sinus infection; instead, it would be called the flu or COVID-19 because there are specific antivirals to treat these infections.
For this reason, you should always keep track of your symptoms. If you start to suspect you have the flu or COVID-19, seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Sinus Infection Symptoms
A sinus infection may involve discomfort, pressure and pain around the face and nose. Different people have different symptoms, which may include:
- Nasal tissue or nasal passage swelling or obstruction.
- Postnasal drip.
- Discolored nasal discharge (typically yellow or green).
- Stuffy nose or nasal congestion.
- Frontal headache (sometimes called a “sinus headache”).
- Teeth and sinus pain.
- Fever.
- Fatigue.
- Runny nose.
If you have any of the above sinus symptoms, you might suspect a common cold or guess that sinusitis is to blame. However, not every symptom is so clearly related to your nose, including these indicators a doctor might ask about:
- Redness and enlargement of your tonsils at the back of your throat.
- Facial tenderness under your eyes and around the bridge of your nose.
- Ear pain.
- Coughing.
- Bad breath.
When to See a Doctor
Most sinus infections — about 70% — go away on their own within two weeks, per Mayo Clinic Health System. In some cases, however, you’ll need to reach out to a physician. Don’t hesitate to call your doctor if you have:
- Symptoms that seem to improve but suddenly worsen again.
- Severe symptoms, such as a throbbing headache or facial pain.
- Symptoms that worsen over time.
- Symptoms lasting more than 10 days without improving.
- A fever that lasts longer than three to four days.
- Multiple sinus infections within the past year.
If your regular primary care physician is unavailable for same-day appointments, a telemedicine clinic is a great solution for treating a sinus infection. Most telemedicine practices are able to see patients within an hour — all from the comfort of your home.
A telehealth doctor can diagnose sinusitis by quickly assessing your symptoms, determining if you need a prescription and sending your medicine directly to your local pharmacy in less than 45 minutes.
Common Treatment Options
Your doctor will make recommendations based on your symptoms and the type of sinus infection you have.
For bacterial sinusitis, you might get an antibiotic prescription. Your physician will base this decision on a few key factors:
- Penicillin allergies: If you have an allergy to penicillin, you may be prescribed one of the following antibiotics:
- Doxycycline.
- Cefixime.
- Cefpodoxime.
- No penicillin allergies: If you’re not allergic to penicillin, your doctor will consider other risk factors before prescribing antibiotics such as:
- Amoxicillin.
- Amoxicillin-clavulanate.
- Lack of improvement: If your symptoms don’t improve after 72 hours, you need to contact your physician. They’ll reevaluate and likely recommend a different approach, prescribing an antibiotic in a different class from your first medication. These may include:
- Amoxicillin-clavulanate.
- Levofloxacin.
- Moxifloxacin.
- Doxycycline.
In some cases, you might not need antibiotics. Instead, your doctor might recommend:
- Nasal decongestant sprays: This type of treatment shrinks the swollen nasal passages, allowing the sinuses to drain fluid more efficiently.
- Nasal antihistamine sprays: Decrease the severity of inflammation caused by an allergic reaction.
- Topical nasal corticosteroids: Minimize inflammation and swelling in the nasal passages and sinus openings associated with sinus infections.
It generally takes about one or two days for discomfort and symptoms to lessen or disappear completely.
Additional Analysis
After two rounds of antibiotics, sinus infection symptoms should go away. If they don’t, your doctor might recommend additional steps:
- A mucus culture helps determine the cause of your sinusitis. This involves taking a sample of mucus directly from your nose or sinuses, which your doctor will test.
- Sinus cavity imaging helps detect possible abscesses, deviated septums and sinus or nasal polyps.
How Do You Get a Sinus Infection?
Many things can cause a sinus infection. Here are just a few examples:
Causes of a Viral Sinus Infection
Viruses are responsible for viral sinus infections, and you can get them by:
- Touching or standing too close to someone who’s ill.
- Breathing in germs expelled by a sick person through coughing, sneezing or saliva.
- Touching a contaminated surface (such as a doorknob or hand railing) and then directly making contact with your face.
If a virus causes your sinus infection, then it can be contagious.
Causes of a Bacterial Sinus Infection
Bacterial sinus infections are often started by some kind of inflammation. This can be caused by a virus, but also everyday things such as allergies or cigarette smoke.
This inflammation creates an opportunity. The normal bacteria in your nose and sinuses are able to produce a bacterial infection, leading to symptoms such as nasal discharge, facial pain and more.
Risk Factors
Risk factors for this condition include:
- Allergies.
- Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke.
- Dental issues.
- Immune system issues.
- Air travel.
- Swimming.
- Asthma.
- Drug use.
Prevention Tips
What can you do to keep yourself more protected and safe against sinus infection? You should:
- Frequently wash your hands with hot water and soap for at least 20 seconds.
- Receive the recommended vaccines, such as the flu vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine.
- Avoid close contact with people who have colds or other upper respiratory infections.
- Refrain from smoking and avoid inhaling secondhand smoke.
- Use a clean humidifier to moisten the air at home and reduce nasal cavity swelling and congestion.
Get Help for Your Sinus Infection Symptoms
Do you suspect that you have a sinus infection or related condition? There’s no need to suffer through your symptoms.
The Kingsley Clinic can help you get better as quickly and effortlessly as possible. Just grab your favorite device for a telehealth visit and our doctors will do the rest. We can even have antibiotics sent to your preferred pharmacy in less than one hour — that way, you can get back to feeling better.
Talk to one of our telehealth doctors by setting up an appointment today.