Sinus Infection (Sinusitis)

Symptoms

One of the most common symptoms of sinusitis is pain, and the location depends on which sinus is affected.

• If you have a pain in your forehead over the frontal sinuses when you are touched, your frontal sinuses may be inflamed.
• If your upper jaw and teeth ache, and your cheeks become tender to the touch, you may have an infection in the maxillary sinuses.
• If you have swelling of the eyelids and tissues around your eyes, and pain between your eyes, you may have inflammation of the ethmoid sinuses that are near the tear ducts in the corner of your eyes. Ethmoid inflammation also can cause a stuffy nose, a loss of smell, and tenderness when you touch the sides of your nose.
• If you have earaches, neck pain, and deep achiness at the top of your head, you may have infection in the sphenoid sinuses, although these sinuses are less frequently affected.

Most people with sinusitis have pain or tenderness in several locations, and their symptoms usually do not clearly indicate which sinuses are inflamed.

In addition to the pain, people with sinusitis frequently have thick nasal secretions that are yellow, green, or blood-tinged. Sometimes these secretions, referred to as post-nasal drip, drain in the back of the throat and are difficult to get rid of. Also, acute and chronic sinusitis are strongly associated with nasal symptoms such as a stuffy nose, as well as with a general feeling of fullness over the entire face.

Less common symptoms of sinusitis can include

• Tiredness
• Decreased sense of smell
• Cough that may be more severe at night
• Sore throat
• Bad breath
• Fever

On rare occasions, acute sinusitis can result in brain infection and other serious complications.

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