GeezerVison is showing medlineplus.gov — Sinus Infection | Sinusitis | Sinus infection Symptoms | MedlinePlus

Sinusitis

On this page

Basics

Summary
Start Here
Diagnosis and Tests
Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

Related Issues
Specifics

See, Play and Learn

No links available

Summary

Sinusitis means your sinuses are inflamed. The cause can be an infection or another problem. Your sinuses are hollow air spaces within the bones surrounding the nose. They produce mucus, which drains into the nose. If your nose is swollen, this can block the sinuses and cause pain.

There are several types of sinusitis, including:

Acute, which lasts up to 4 weeks
Subacute, which lasts 4 to 12 weeks
Chronic, which lasts more than 12 weeks and can continue for months or even years
Recurrent, with several attacks within a year

Acute sinusitis often starts as a cold, which then turns into a bacterial infection. Allergies, nasal problems, and certain diseases can also cause acute and chronic sinusitis.

Symptoms of sinusitis can include fever, weakness, fatigue, cough, and congestion. There may also be mucus drainage in the back of the throat, called postnasal drip. Your health care professional diagnoses sinusitis based on your symptoms and an examination of your nose and face. You may also need imaging tests. Treatments include antibiotics, decongestants, and pain relievers. Using heat pads on the inflamed area, saline nasal sprays, and vaporizers can also help.

Start Here

Sinus Infection Basics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

CT of the Sinuses (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Panoramic Dental X-Ray (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Sinus X-Ray (Johns Hopkins Medicine)

Treatments and Therapies

Decongestants: OTC Relief for Congestion (American Academy of Family Physicians)
Humidifiers: Ease Skin, Breathing Symptoms (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Is Rinsing Your Sinuses with Neti Pots Safe? (Food and Drug Administration)
Nasal Sprays: How to Use Them Correctly (American Academy of Family Physicians)
Nasal Wash Treatment (National Jewish Health) Also in Spanish
Saline Sinus Rinse Recipe (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) Also in Spanish
Treating Chronic Sinusitis (Department of Veterans Affairs)

Related Issues

Colds, Allergies and Sinusitis - How to Tell the Difference (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) Also in Spanish
How to Safely Rinse Sinuses (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Marvels of Mucus and Phlegm: The Slime That Keeps You Healthy (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
Post-Nasal Drip (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
Sinus Headaches (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Sinus Infection and Toothache: Any Connection? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Specifics

Acute Sinusitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Chronic Sinusitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Fungal Sinusitis (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Sinusitis (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

Sinuses / Sinusitis / Rhinosinusitis Defined (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)

Find an Expert

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery
American Rhinologic Society
Find an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist) (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Children

Difference Between a Sinus Infection (Sinusitis) and a Cold (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
Pediatric Sinusitis (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
Sinusitis (Sinus Infection) (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
When Sinuses Attack! (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

Saline nasal washes (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Sinus CT scan (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Sinus MRI scan (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Sinus x-ray (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Sinusitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Sinusitis in adults - aftercare (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Stuffy or runny nose - adult (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Stuffy or runny nose - children (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Sinusitis is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.

GeezerVison