Bad cold? When to see your doctor for a sinus infection



Each and every day millions of Americans suffer from a sinus infection. Also known as sinusitis, this miserable condition sometimes develops after a cold, when the sinuses swell and become inflamed.

Most cold symptoms start to go away after three days without medical treatment. It’s time to see your doctor if your cold symptoms don’t begin clearing up after 72 hours. A doctor’s visit is also recommended if you continue to have pain around your face and eyes along with a thick yellow or green discharge from your nose.

“A cold virus causes sinusitis by attacking the lining of the sinuses, causing them to swell and narrow.” says Mariah Salloum, M.D., Otolaryngologist at Cleveland Clinic Elyria Family Health Center.  “In response, your body produces more mucus, which then gets blocked by the swollen sinuses. The build-up of mucus provides an ideal environment for bacteria, which then causes the sinus infection.”

Your primary physician can easily treat a routine sinus infection and may prescribe medication. Decongestants and other drugs can help decrease swelling in the sinuses and nasal passages. Antibiotics are often used if symptoms persist for more than one week.

Your doctor may also recommend steam and hot showers to loosen mucus, and a nasal saline to wash mucus from your nose. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as Tylenol and Advil can ease headache and sinus pain.

Sinus infections are not always the result of a cold, as they can be caused by just about anything that causes swelling in your sinuses or keeps the cilia from moving mucus. Allergies, changes in temperature or air pressure, overuse of decongestant nasal sprays, smoking, swimming or diving can increase your risk of developing sinusitis. The growth of nasal polyps can also block sinus passages and cause sinusitis.

If allergies are causing your sinusitis, your doctor may treat the allergy. Then the sinusitis will usually clear up on its own.

However, if you continue to have persistent symptoms, recurring infections or complications, your doctor may want to refer you to an ear-nose-and throat specialist. In rare instances, when sinusitis becomes chronic or long lasting, long-term antibiotics or surgery may be needed to establish adequate drainage.

“Fortunately, nasal steroid sprays have reduced the need for sinus surgeries for people with persistent sinus problems,” says Dr. Salloum. “If the sprays do not help, sinus surgery can often open the sinus passages to enable better drainage and prevent sinus infection.”
 

Mariah Salloum, MD Otolaryngology   To make an appointment with Dr. Salloum, call 440.204.7400 Cleveland Clinic  Elyria Family Health Center 303 Chestnut Commons Drive Elyria, OH 44035