Symptoms and Signs of Sinus Problems
What exactly are the signs and symptoms of sinusitis? Are they the same as a cold? If they are, how do you know the difference? Are there special symptoms that you should know about? If you have problems with your sinuses these are questions you may be asking.
The number one question is, how do you know if you have a sinus infection? How do you know it is not just a cold? This question is the one that keeps most people from seeing their health professional when they have a sinus infection. They think they have a cold so they don’t look for treatment.
First of all, a cold can precede sinusitis. If you were feeling fine and all of a sudden you get a runny nose, you feel congested and you have a headache, and this is the first time you have felt this way in a long time then chances are you have a cold.
The important thing that sets this apart from sinusitis is that this is a first case of symptoms and you were feeling just fine before the onset of the symptoms. Sinusitis doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. It comes on due to many different factors but those factors all produce symptoms first. So the first set of symptoms in this case are most likely just those of a cold.
If those symptoms clear up within two weeks and you feel fine then you just had a cold and don’t need to be concerned with the possibility that you have sinusitis. On the other hand if you have lingering problems beyond the two week period, then you may have developed a sinus infection.
Here are some of the symptoms that may indicate a sinus infection. One of the most prevalent is coughing all night because of a continuous thick post nasal drip that runs down the back of your throat. If this coughing has been going on for some time it is a good indicator of a sinus infection.
Painful headaches is another symptom of sinus infections. They can be pounding headaches, or dull headaches but if they occur a lot and on a regular basis, a probable cause is sinusitis.
Constantly clearing your throat all day long and the hoarseness and discomfort that comes with it is another sign of sinusitis. It can also be accompanied by the coughing mentioned earlier.
Constant pressure around the nose, next to and above the nose in the face is a common symptom of sinus sufferers. Congestion and trouble breathing clearly is another symptom. The major difference, again, from these symptoms and those of a common cold is longevity. The symptoms of a cold will go away. The symptoms of a sinus infection will linger.
Other things to look for are sore throat, ear pain and fatigue. Even dental pain can be a symptom of sinusitis. There have been many cases where an individual has had teeth pain, seen a dentist and the dentist finds absolutely nothing wrong. If the patient subsequently sees an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat specialist) and is diagnosed with a sinus infection and is then treated properly the dental pain goes away.
As you can see, the symptoms generally associated with sinusitis are also symptoms that could be attributed to other problems. The significant indicators of sinus infections would be how many of these symptoms have you been experiencing and for how long. One or more of these symptoms that have lingered for a while could certainly be diagnosed as sinusitis.
