Sinusitis is inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, which may be due to infection, allergy or autoimmune issues. Most cases are due to a viral infection and resolve over the course of 10 days. It is a common condition with more than 24 million cases occurring in the United States annually.
What are some symptoms of acute sinusitis?
The location of your sinus pain depends on which sinus is affected.
* Headache when you wake up in the morning is typical of a sinus problem.
* Pain when your forehead over the frontal sinuses is touched may indicate that your frontal sinuses are inflammed.
* Infection in the maxillary sinuses can cause your upper jaw and teeth to ache and your cheeks to become tender to the touch.
* Since the ethmoid sinuses are near the tear ducts in the corner of the eyes, inflammation of these cavities often causes swelling of the eyelids and tissues around your eyes, and pain between your eyes. Ethmoid inflammation also can cause tenderness when the sides of your nose are touched, a loss of smell, and a stuffy nose.
* Although the sphenoid sinuses are less frequently affected, infection in this area can cause earaches, neck pain, and deep aching at the top of your head.
Most people with sinusitis, however, have pain or tenderness in several locations, and their symptoms usually do not clearly indicate which sinuses are inflamed.
Other symptoms can include:
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* Weakness
* Tiredness
* A cough that may be more severe at night
* Runny nose (rhinitis) or nasal congestion
In addition, the drainage of mucus from the sphenoids or other sinuses down the back of your throat (postnasal drip) can cause you to have a sore throat. Mucus drainage also can irritate the membranes lining your larynx (upper windpipe). Not everyone with these symptoms, however, has sinusitis.
On rare occasions, acute sinusitis can result in brain infection and other serious complications.