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This Week - S : Sinusitis (Sinus Infection)

Symptoms of sinusitis

Sinusitis is common after a cold or flu.

The main symptoms of sinusitis include:

• pain, swelling and tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead
• a blocked or runny nose
• a reduced sense of smell
• green or yellow mucus from your nose
• a high temperature

Other symptoms include:

• a headache
• toothache
• bad breath
• a cough
• a feeling of pressure in the ears

You may also snore at night and sound nasal when you speak.

Young children may also be irritable, have difficulty feeding and breathe through their mouth.

How you can treat sinusitis yourself

You can usually treat mild sinusitis yourself by:

• getting plenty of rest
• drinking plenty of fluids
• taking painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen (do not give aspirin to children under 16)
• avoiding things that trigger your allergies
• not smoking
• cleaning your nose with a salt water solution

If you have a high temperature or you do not feel well enough to do your normal activities, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until you feel better.

See a pharmacist if:

See a GP if:

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

Treatment for sinusitis

If your sinusitis needs treatment, a pharmacist or GP may prescribe medicines such as:

• steroid nasal sprays or drops to reduce the swelling in your sinuses - you might need to take these for a few months
• antihistamines if an allergy is causing your symptoms

Rarely, you may need antibiotics. This is not common as sinusitis is usually caused by a virus, not bacteria.

A GP may refer you to see an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist if you:

• still have sinusitis after 3 months of treatment
• keep getting sinusitis
• only have symptoms on 1 side of your face

An ENT specialist may recommend surgery for some people.

Surgery for sinusitis

Surgery to treat chronic sinusitis is called functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS).

FESS is carried out under general anaesthetic (where you're asleep).

The surgeon can widen your sinuses by either:

• removing some of the blocked tissue
• inflating a tiny balloon in the blocked sinuses, then removing it

If you want to find out more about this week's subject you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.