How do you know if you have a sinus infection or a cold?
If you have persistent facial pain, pressure or tenderness, you may have a sinus infection. What color is your discharge? If you have clear mucous, you probably have a cold. If you have yellow or green mucous, it’s probably a sinus infection.
Can a cold turn into a sinus infection?
Sometimes, a cold may cause swelling in the sinuses, hollow spaces in your skull that are connected to each other. The swelling can prevent the flow of mucus. This can lead to a sinus infection. If you have pain around your face and eyes — and thick yellow or green mucus for more than a week — see your doctor.
When should I go to the doctor for a sinus infection?
When to see your doctor for sinus infection
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have a fever, nasal discharge, congestion, or facial pain that lasts longer than ten days or keeps coming back.
How do I know if my sinus infection is bacterial or viral?
Even your doctor can’t tell if your infection is viral or bacterial based solely on symptoms or an exam. Instead, your doctor looks at symptom duration to determine the source of your infection. A viral sinus infection will usually start to improve after five to seven days.
What is the medicine of choice for sinusitis?
Amoxicillin (Amoxil) is acceptable for uncomplicated acute sinus infections; however, many doctors prescribe amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin) as the first-line antibiotic to treat a possible bacterial infection of the sinuses. Amoxicillin usually is effective against most strains of bacteria.
Do I need antibiotics for sinus infection?
Antibiotics are not needed for many sinus infections. Most sinus infections usually get better on their own without antibiotics. When antibiotics aren’t needed, they won’t help you, and their side effects could still cause harm.
Will sinus infection clear on its own?
Sinus infections are very common. Symptoms normally go away on their own within 10 days. OTC medications and natural remedies may help relieve your symptoms. If your symptoms last more than 10 days, talk to your doctor.
What happens if a sinus infection is left untreated?
What Happens if Sinusitis Isn’t Treated? You’ll have pain and discomfort until it starts to clear up. In rare cases, untreated sinusitis can lead to meningitis, a brain abscess, or an infection of the bone. Talk to your doctor about your concerns.
What helps with sinus infection?
Treatment
- Saline nasal spray, which you spray into your nose several times a day to rinse your nasal passages.
- Nasal corticosteroids. These nasal sprays help prevent and treat inflammation.
- Decongestants.
- OTC pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or aspirin.
When will my sinus infection go away with antibiotics?
Patients will usually respond to antibiotics within two to three days after a bacterial sinus infection is diagnosed and treated. After that, sinus infections can resolve anywhere between seven and 14 days.
Why isn’t my sinus infection going away with antibiotics?
If your sinus infection just won’t go away or keeps coming back, it may be time to see an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist. An ENT treats conditions of the ear, nose, throat, head, face, and neck. It may be time to see an ENT if: You’ve completed several courses of antibiotics without success.
Why is my sinus infection worse at night?
When you lie down, blood pressure changes and blood may remain in the upper body longer than it does when you sit or stand. In addition, the pull of gravity on the body’s internal tissues can compress blood vessels in the sinuses. This can cause tissue to swell up, leading to worse sinus symptoms.
Do sinus infections make you tired?
Fatigue: Sinusitis patients typically feel tired and achy. Getting plenty of rest and drinking lots of fluids can help to combat this symptom and get you on the road to recovery more quickly.
Why do I feel so tired with a sinus infection?
Fatigue. Fighting a sinus infection demands energy from the body, so it is common to feel fatigued. Some people feel exhausted because they cannot breathe easily or are in pain.
Can you have a sinus infection with clear mucus?
But “you can have perfectly clear mucus and have a terrible ear and sinus infection,” Kao says. If you do have an infection, you‘ll likely also have other symptoms, such as congestion, fever, and pressure in your face, overlying the sinuses, Johns says. Multi-hued mucus also relates to concentration of the mucus.
Should I stay home from work if I have a sinus infection?
The only time you should definitely not go to work with a sinus infection is if you also have a fever. This may be a sign of something more contagious, as it isn’t very common with a sinus infection alone. If you’re suffering from a fever, do yourself (and your co-workers) a favor, and stay home to recover.