Every year, 31 million people suffer from sinus infections—costing the U.S. billions of dollars and millions of days in lost productivity. Sinus infections are caused by blockages in our sinus cavities (the skeletal pockets behind our eyes and cheeks), which allows mucus to build up and bacteria to grow.
Unfortunately, countless people labor under the pain of a sinus infection because they think it’s a cold. They suffer needlessly, too—while colds are viruses and can’t be cured with medication, sinus infections are bacterial, so antibiotics would help. The issue is that colds and sinuses have nearly identical symptoms (except for the tell-tale sign of sinus headaches).
However, there are some symptoms that differ. There’s no such thing as a fail-safe test, but there are some hints that you have an infection.
You likely have a bacterial infection if:
- Symptoms persist for 7+ days
- Your mucus is yellowish green
- You have a mild fever
- You have uncharacteristically bad breath
Colds do not cause sinus infections, but having a cold increases the possibility of developing one. If you have a cold, avoid touching your face (which exposes your nose to more bacteria). If your symptoms have persisted for 10+ days, it’s possible that what started as a cold has become a sinus infection. Call your doctor for a prescription!
If you believe you’re suffering from frequent sinus infections, contact Dr. Han at Florida ENT. Utilizing the latest advances in medicine and state-of-the-art techniques, our goal is to treat our patients with comfort and compassion. To learn more about the services we provide, give us a call at (877) EAR-NOSE!
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