What's Up with Sinusitis?

Millions of Americans are affected by sinusitis every year. Even so, it's often misdiagnosed and misunderstood by people with the condition.

Sinusitis affects four pairs of sinuses called the paranasal air sinuses, which connect to the nasal passages. Sinusitis is an infection or inflammation in these sinuses. Inflammation can be caused by allergies, certain medications, changes in the air, or abnormalities in the sinuses themselves. People who have allergies or chronic nasal or sinus inflammation are more prone to infectious flare-ups of sinusitis, caused by either viruses or bacteria. Acute sinusitis is the most common form of this condition.

"Acute sinusitis usually starts with a cold caused by a virus," says Timothy Craig, D.O., an allergy and asthma specialist in State College, Pa., and a spokesman for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. "Colds don't cause sinusitis, but they do inflame the sinuses."

Similar symptoms

Because your nose can get stuffy when you have a cold, it's easy to confuse nasal congestion with sinusitis. Acute sinusitis lasts longer than a cold and causes some unique symptoms. It usually begins about 10 days after the start of a cold.

With sinusitis, you may have some or all of these symptoms:

• Pain in the upper jaw and teeth

• Headache when you wake up in the morning

• Pain when your forehead or cheek is touched

• Tenderness when the sides of your nose are touched, a loss of smell and a stuffy nose

• Earaches, neck pain, and deep aching at the top of your head

• Fever

• Weakness

• A cough that may be more severe at night

• Runny nose or nasal congestion

• Sore throat

Get treatment

If you have sinusitis, your health care provider may prescribe decongestants, pain relievers, antibiotics, a steroid nasal spray, or a combination of these.

You should use decongestant nose drops or sprays for only a few days. If you use these medicines for longer periods, they can lead to more congestion and swelling of your nasal passages.

Try prevention

Doing the following may help reduce the number and severity of attacks and possibly prevent acute sinusitis from becoming chronic.

Drink plenty of water during the day. A humidifier may help, but it may aggravate problems if you have dust mite or mold allergies.

• Don't smoke and avoid secondhand smoke and other air pollutants.

• See your doctor if you suspect your sinus inflammation may be related to dust, mold, or pollen.

• Avoid alcohol, which causes nasal and sinus membranes to swell.

• If you get a cold, clean your sinuses with saline to keep mucus liquid.

"By avoiding triggers and keeping yourself well-hydrated, you may be able to avoid sinusitis attacks or chronic sinusitis," says Dr. Craig.