What is sinusitis?
Sinusitis is a symptom that can be caused by a number of minor infections such as the flu or a cold. It’s relatively common, and can sometimes be referred to as a sinus infection since the symptoms are felt in and around your sinuses.
In most cases, sinusitis clears up by itself, though you might feel sinus symptoms after the rest of your infection symptoms have cleared up. Medication may be needed in some cases where sinusitis symptoms persist for longer than 4 weeks.
How to know if you have sinusitis
The symptoms of sinusitis are commonplace, and in fact you might have experienced them before without realising that’s what it was. The main symptoms are:
- A high temperature or fever
- Yellow or green mucus from your nose
- A runny or blocked nose – which may make you sound odd when you speak
- Your sense of smell being worse than usual
- Pain and swelling around your forehead, eyes or cheeks – this is where the sinuses are located.
You might also experience:
- A feeling of pressure in your ears
- A headache
- A cough
- Toothache
- Bad breath, or a bad taste in the mouth
Young children experiencing sinusitis might:
- Breathe through their mouths instead of their noses
- Have difficulty feeding
- Be more irritable than usual.
Since many of these symptoms are also common signs of lots of minor illnesses, it’s not always easy to pinpoint sinusitis. But if you have these symptoms and they’ve lasted for longer than four weeks, that’s a sign that your body needs a little extra help to overcome the infection.
If that sounds familiar, you should speak to your local pharmacist. They’ll be able to recommend over-the-counter and pharmacy medications that can help to ease your symptoms, which may make it easier for you to get on with your everyday tasks.
In the vast majority of cases, sinusitis is caused by a viral infection, such as the flu. In these cases, treatment focuses on soothing pain and discomfort while your immune system takes care of the infection.
However, in roughly 2% of cases, sinusitis is caused by a bacterial infection. If that applies to you and you’ve had symptoms for longer than four weeks, you may be prescribed antibiotics to help tackle the infection.
Under the Pharmacy First scheme, pharmacists are empowered to offer antibiotic treatment for bacterial sinusitis if other treatments haven’t worked. This applies to adults and children over the age of 12. Most of the time, you’ll be offered a steroid nasal spray first – to reduce the swelling in your sinuses – plus painkillers to reduce discomfort in the meantime.
In any case, your local pharmacy is the best place to go if you suspect your sinusitis has gone on too long.
Is sinusitis contagious?
Sinusitis itself isn’t considered to be contagious. However, the infections that cause it typically are. To protect yourself and others from illness, you should:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.
- Catch coughs and sneezes in a tissue and dispose of it as soon as possible.
- Isolate yourself when sick, and keep a distance from loved ones who are feeling ill.
- Do not share cups, plates, cutlery or makeup with anyone who is sick or vulnerable.
- Stay up to date with vaccinations like the flu jab.
Not all instances of sinusitis are caused by infections, but most are. In rare cases, you can get sinusitis from:
- Seasonal allergies
- Conditions that narrow the nasal passages, such as a deviated septum
- Environmental pollutants such as smoke or petrol fumes.
These aren’t contagious, but it can be hard to identify what’s causing your sinusitis. When in doubt, assume you may be contagious and take the necessary precautions to keep others safe.
Resources:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sinusitis-sinus-infection/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/are-sinus-infections-contagious
