Acute sinusitis can cause a long list of unpleasant symptoms, but it usually only lasts seven to 10 days. | Towfiqu Barbhuiya / Unsplash
Acute sinusitis can cause a long list of unpleasant symptoms, but it usually only lasts seven to 10 days. | Towfiqu Barbhuiya / Unsplash
Along with cold and flu season, you may also have to be on the lookout for acute sinusitis.
According to Mayo Clinic, acute sinusitis causes the spaces inside your nose (sinuses) to become inflamed and swollen. This interferes with drainage and causes mucus to build up, which can leave sinus sufferers feeling pretty miserable.
"Sinus headaches essentially come from either air or mucus getting trapped in your sinuses," Dr. Brian Lee of Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center told NE Valley Times. "And that drainage pathway, or that drainage hole... that can get plugged up from inflammation just from simple allergies or a cold. One of the best ways to try to quickly alleviate that would be to take a decongestant like a Sudafed, which helps shrink down some of the some of that inflammation to get those sinuses to ventilate a little bit or relieve the pressure."
With acute sinusitis, patients might find it difficult to breathe through their nose. The area around the eyes and face might feel swollen, and patients may have throbbing facial pain or a headache, according to Mayo Clinic.
"I think most people who don't have issues with their nose or sinuses have no idea," Lee said. "For the unfortunate millions of people who are suffering with chronic sinus issues, all of these sinus issues trickle down into every facet of their life because when you're not breathing through your nose, you're not sleeping well. And then you don't have the proper energy, and you feel foggy all the time. Unfortunately, this happens kind of slowly and chronically, and people accept this as the new norm and figure, well, most people are like this, or this is just kind of the way it is and something they've got to live with. Luckily that's not the case, and there are a lot of easy, simple things we can do to really improve their quality of life."
Acute sinusitis is most often caused by the common cold. Unless a bacterial infection develops, most cases resolve within a week to 10 days. Home remedies may be all you need to treat acute sinusitis. Sinusitis that lasts more than 12 weeks, despite medical treatment, is considered chronic sinusitis.
To evaluate your symptoms, take the sinus quiz provided by Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center.
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