Acute Sinusitis: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Symptoms

Some common symptoms you need to watch out for to check for acute sinusitis include:

• Congestion in the nasal passage

• Mucus discharge (usually green or yellow coloured)

• Sore throat

• Frequent bouts of cough

• Fatigue

• Mild to high temperature

• Tooth pain

• Ear pain

• Headache

• Pain or discomfort at the back of your nose, forehead, cheekbones, or eyes

• Reduced appetite

• Unable to smell properly

• Difficulty in breathing through the nose

• Bad breath

Causes

The most common acute sinusitis causes include common cold and/or viral infections. However, swelling or inflammation of the sinuses can also be caused due to other causes, such as:

• Bacterial or fungi infections

• Allergies in the intranasal region

• Structural problems in the nose (for example, deviated nasal septum, nasal tumours, nasal polyps, and more)

• Infection in the adenoids located at the back of the nose

• Cystic fibrosis (a condition causing thick mucus to accumulate inside the body)

• Over-exposure to infection-prone areas such as hospitals, preschools, and daycare centres

Treatment

Acute sinusitis treatment usually involves home remedies as the sinus inflammation easily goes away within a week or 10 days with simple remedies; however, if the condition persists even after 10 days, you should consult a doctor.

Home Remedies For Acute Sinusitis

Home remedies to treat acute sinusitis are —

• Take a warm shower. This will relieve you from the pressure felt in the sinuses. Soak a clean piece of cloth in hot water and place it over your face for 10 to 15 minutes to get rid of the pain caused by sinus inflammation.

• Decongesting your nasal passage is one of the best acute sinusitis treatment option. Using a saline nasal spray as many times as you want in a day, can help you clear the blockage created due to the trapping of the mucus in your nasal area.

• Keep yourself well-hydrated throughout the day. Along with water, you can also keep drinking warm beverages and lemon juice. This will reduce thickness of the trapped mucus and provide you with quick relief.

• The air around you should have enough moisture content to help you get rid of the pain due to acute sinusitis. Hence, it is highly recommended to use a humidifier or vaporiser in your room.

• Take good rest. Always sleep with your head in a raised position to encourage free drainage of mucus.

• You can use over=the-counter pain relievers to get rid of the feverish feeling and pain in the nasal area.

Other Treatment Options

If your symptoms persist after 10 days, your doctor may ask you to opt for a nasal endoscopy and/or undergo various imaging tests like X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs. Based on the results of these diagnostic tests, your physician may suggest the following:

• Allergy treatment –

If your symptoms are due to intranasal allergies, your doctor may prescribe medicines or give you an injection to control these allergies. This will eventually reduce your acute sinusitis symptoms.

• Surgery –

If your symptoms are due to structural issues in your nose (deviated septum, tumours, and polyps) or an infection in your tooth, doctors may consider surgery as the best treatment option.