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Sinus Infection
You may think you have a common cold. Your nose is congested, your head hurts and you have developed an irritating cough. But your symptoms don't seem to go away in the week or two that it usually takes to say goodbye to a cold, and you are trying to go through the motions of your life feeling completely miserable. Finally, you head to your doctor's office in the hope that he will be able to provide a remedy that will bring relief from your painful symptoms. His diagnosis? You have acute sinusitis, or a sinus infection.
A sinus infection can be defined as an inflammation of your nasal and sinus passages. This inflammation can make it difficult for secretions and air to pass through the passages, resulting in pressure and pain. While sinus infections may be a common complaint that doctor's see and treat, the symptoms of one of these infections can be painful enough to effectively disrupt your daily life. Couple that pain with other symptoms, like a sore throat, cough, fatigue and fever, and you have the makings of an illness that is enough to keep you out of play for a period of time. The good news is that there are plenty of treatments available for sinus infections that will put you back on the road to good health in no time.
Differences between the Common Cold and a Sinus Infection
While many of the symptoms of a common cold and sinus infection are similar, such as nasal congestion, cough and sore throat, there are other symptoms that are unique to a sinus infection. These signs will tell you whether you need to take a trip to the doctor's office for antibiotics, or if you simply need to nurse your virus from home until it passes. For example, while both illnesses can include nasal congestion, a sinus infection will generally have nasal secretions that are thicker, and green or yellow in color. Pain is another telltale sign of an infection, and can be felt in the forehead around the eyebrows or on the cheekbones just under the eyes.
Sinus infections also come on most often at the tail end of a cold, rather than on their own. Most people will find that they are just beginning to recover from a common cold when they see a relapse in their symptoms, accompanied by some of the other signs listed above. If you suspect that you might have a sinus infection, it is a good idea to make an appointment with your doctor to get the necessary prescription medication that will be necessary to kick the infection out of your system completely. Your doctor has plenty of choices in effective sinus infection relief and remedies so don't wait to call if you think that your cold has turned into an infection.
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