Table of Contents
Symptoms
Symptoms Suggesting a Bacterial Infection
Sinus symptoms are very common during a cold or the flu, but in most cases they are due to the effects of the infecting virus and resolve when the infection does. It is important to differentiate between inflamed sinuses associated with cold or flu virus and sinusitis caused by bacteria.
The signs and symptoms that are associated with the diagnosis of sinusitis include one or two of the following:
- Nasal congestion and discharge that typically is thick and becomes yellowish to yellow-green
- Facial pain, pressure, congestion, or fullness (that is also accompanied by other symptoms of sinusitis)
- Symptoms that continue for 10 days or more after the start of a cold or flu
- Symptoms that worsen after 5 - 7 days, or return after initial improvement in a cold (called double sickening)
- Reduced or absent sense of smell
- Fever that is also accompanied by other symptoms of sinusitis
Other symptoms of sinusitis that usually occur in adults may include:
- A persistent cough (particularly during the day)
- Ear pain, pressure, or fullness
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- Dental pain
- Fatigue
However, many studies have shown that symptoms used to diagnose sinusitis often do not predict prognosis or response to antibiotic treatment.
Sneezing, sore throat, and muscle aches may be present, but they are rarely caused by sinusitis itself. Muscle aches may be caused by fever, sore throat by post-nasal drip, and sneezing from cold or allergies.
Rare complications of sinusitis can produce additional symptoms, which may be severe or even life threatening.
Symptoms Indicating Medical Emergency
- Increasing severity of symptoms
- Eyes may be red, bulging, or painful if the sinus infection occurs around the eyes
- Swelling and drooping eyelid
- Loss of eye movement (possible orbital infection, which is in the eye socket)
- Vision changes
- Pupil fixed or dilated
- Symptoms spreading to both sides of face (may indicate blood clot)
- Development of severe headache, altered vision
- Mild personality or mental changes (may indicate spread of infection to brain)
- A soft swelling over the bone (may indicate bone infection)
Symptoms in Children
Children are most likely to develop infection in the ethmoid sinuses, located between the eyes. Children with sinusitis are also less likely to experience facial pain over the affected sinus and headache, which are the primary signs in adults. Symptoms of bacterial sinusitis in children may be less specific than in adults and include:
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Review Date: 05/10/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical
School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
