Sinusitis: Symptoms and Treatments

Sinus infections, also known as sinusitis, are an extremely common health concern for many patients. It’s easy to mistake a head cold for a sinus infection, since some of the symptoms like headache, facial pain, runny nose, and nasal congestion are the same. However, unlike a cold, your sinus infection can be due to bacteria and require antibiotic treatment. It’s important to know what symptoms to watch out for and your treatment options with our ENT specialists.

Symptoms of a Sinus Infection

The most common symptoms of sinusitis are:

• Nasal congestion, postnasal drip, and stuffiness
• Green-colored nasal discharge
• Dental pain
• Frontal headaches and tenderness in your face
• Fatigue
• Coughing
• Bad breath
• Fever

These symptoms can change based on the type of your sinusitis, which can be acute, chronic, or recurrent.

Treatments for Sinusitis

There are a few treatment options for sinusitis that depend on your type and state in treatment. Your ENT specialist can recommend the best ones for you:

Medications

If your sinus infection is bacterial, then an antibiotic regimen can be an effective treatment option. However, if your infection is viral, then your symptoms can be eased by things like saline sprays and anti-inflammatory medications. These options are usually a first step in your treatment process in order to establish how severe your sinusitis is.

Balloon Sinuplasty

This is a safe and effective in-office treatment used in the case of chronic sinusitis. The procedure makes use of a small, soft, and flexible device that is introduced into the nostrils. This device is capable of dilating the sinus canal that can become inflamed with sinusitis, preventing drainage. The recovery period from a balloon sinuplasty procedure varies for each patient, but most people can return to their normal routine within 24 hours of their treatment. We recommend this as the best available treatment for sinusitis because of its effectiveness and lack of downtime.

Endoscopic Surgery

With the latest advancement in technology, your sinus surgery can be performed easily using a nasal endoscope with no incisions outside of the nose. The nasal endoscope is attached to a light source and camera and is placed within the nostrils, allowing the ENT specialist to have visual access and to trim away inflamed tissue blocking the sinus passageway. However, sinus surgery is only performed in severe cases of sinusitis that doesn’t respond to other treatment options.

Schedule a Consultation

Many people live with sinusitis but don’t have to. Discussing your treatment options with our ENT specialists is one of the first steps towards relief, so be sure to schedule a consultation by calling our Tuscaloosa office or filling out our online form.