What are the symptoms of sinusitis?

The symptoms of sinusitis include the nose draining a thick, yellow or green discharge. Sometimes this discharge drains downward into the rear of the throat. Nasal congestion, headache, tenderness, sore throat, ear pain, fever, irritability, throbbing face pain, and coughs that get worse during the night are additional symptoms of sinusitis. Your eyes and your face may also feel or appear swollen.

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The symptoms of sinusitis include the nose draining a thick, yellow or green discharge. Sometimes this discharge drains downward into the rear of the throat. Nasal congestion, headache, tenderness, sore throat, ear pain, fever, irritability,... More

Johns Hopkins Medicine answered:

Rhinosinusitis - more commonly known as sinusitis - occurs when one or more of the paranasal sinuses become inflamed. There are two kinds of sinusitis, acute and chronic. Acute sinusitis is inflammation usually caused by an infection, lasting less than four weeks. It generally resolves with medication such as antibiotics. Chronic sinusitis is sinonasal inflammation lasting for more than 12 weeks. Recurrent and chronic sinusitis can negatively impact a person's life. When the mucosal lining of the nose and sinuses becomes inflamed over and over again, it may even lead to the formation of nasal polyps. Surgery can be effective in eliminating the symptoms, if medications are not adequate.

Symptoms of sinusitis include:

•Nasal congestion
•Nasal discharge
•Postnasal drip
•Facial pressure or pain
•Decreased sense of smell
•Cough
•Fever

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More Related Answers from Johns Hopkins Medicine

Rhinosinusitis - more commonly known as sinusitis - occurs when one or more of the paranasal sinuses become inflamed. There are two kinds of sinusitis, acute and chronic. Acute sinusitis is inflammation usually caused by an infection, lasting... More

Sanford Health answered:

Many of the symptoms that bring in patients are listed following and are some of the many reasons that people seek the support of an ENT surgeons when dealing with their sinus issues: need to blow nose, sneezing, runny nose, cough, post nasal discharge, thick nasal discharge, ear fullness, dizziness, ear pain, facial pain or pressure, difficult falling asleep, waking up at night, lack of sleep, waking up tired, fatigue, reduced productivity, reduced concentration, frustrated/restless/irritable, sad or embarrassed.

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More Related Answers from Sanford Health

Many of the symptoms that bring in patients are listed following and are some of the many reasons that people seek the support of an ENT surgeons when dealing with their sinus issues: need to blow nose, sneezing, runny nose, cough, post... More

Healthwise answered:

Pain and pressure in the face along with a stuffy or runny nose are the main symptoms of sinusitis. You also may have a yellow or greenish discharge from your nose. Leaning forward or moving your head often increases facial pain and pressure.

The location of pain and tenderness may depend on which sinus is affected. See a picture of the location of normal facial sinuses.

Other common symptoms of sinusitis include:

Headache.
Yellow or greenish discharge from the nose or down the back of the throat.
Bad breath.
Stuffy nose.
Cough that produces mucus.
Fever.
Tooth pain.
Reduced sense of taste or smell.

Acute (sudden) sinusitis is usually caused by a viral infection and often develops rapidly. It usually lasts for 4 weeks or less, and the symptoms often begin to clear up within a week without any treatment. Acute sinusitis caused by a bacterial infection is less likely to clear up on its own and may lead to chronic sinusitis or to complications in which the infection spreads beyond the sinuses. Nasal discharge that contains pus and gets worse after 5 days or persists for more than 10 days may be a sign of acute sinusitis caused by a bacterial infection.

Chronic (long-term) sinusitis is usually caused by a bacterial or fungal infection. These infections may be difficult to treat. If chronic sinusitis is not cured after trying two or more different antibiotics, you may want to talk with your doctor about surgery or allergy testing. Chronic sinusitis can lead to permanent changes in the mucous membranes that line the sinuses and may make you more prone to sinus infections.

Symptoms of sinusitis in children include coughing, nasal discharge that lasts more than 7 to 10 days and complaints of headache and facial pain. Many children age 2 or older with chronic sinusitis may also have allergies and frequent ear infections.

Other conditions that have symptoms similar to sinusitis may include allergies, toothaches and colds or other upper respiratory infections. But if you've had a cold that returns or gets worse after 7 days, you may have a sinus infection rather than a cold or other upper respiratory infection.