Symptoms of sinusitis

Sinusitis symptoms often start like a cold but last longer and bring pressure and pain in the face. The symptoms can vary depending on which sinuses are affected.

Common symptoms

• Blocked or stuffy nose.
• Thick yellow or green nasal discharge, or mucus running down the back of the throat (post-nasal drip).
• Pain, pressure or fullness around the cheeks, eyes, forehead or nose, often worse when bending forward.
• Reduced sense of smell and taste.
• Headache, typically in the forehead or around the eyes.
• Cough, which is often worse at night or on lying down.
• Bad breath, sore throat and a feeling of tiredness.

Other symptoms

• Fever, usually mild, and ear pressure or fullness.
• Toothache in the upper teeth.
• In children: a cold lasting more than 10 days, cough, bad breath, irritability and a runny nose.

Acute versus chronic

• Acute sinusitis lasts less than four weeks, and mostly follows a cold.
• Chronic sinusitis lasts more than 12 weeks, with ongoing blockage, discharge, facial pressure and reduced smell.

Signs that need urgent care Seek medical help at once for:

• Swelling, redness or pain around the eye, or double vision.
• Severe headache, stiff neck, confusion or drowsiness.
• High fever with severe facial pain.
• Swelling of the forehead. These can signal a complication that has spread beyond the sinus.

When to see a doctor Symptoms lasting more than 10 days, a fever above 39 degrees Celsius, or symptoms that return repeatedly.

Ayurvedic view (interpretive) Heaviness of the head, blocked nose, thick discharge and loss of smell are described in pratishyaya. This matches the medical picture but is not a diagnosis.

Remember A cold that lasts beyond ten days or gets worse after seeming to improve is a reason to see a doctor.