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What Causes Sinus Infection?

Sinus infections occur when mucus becomes trapped in the sinus cavity and nasal passages. Doctors look at a number of symptoms to figure out what's causing the infection so they can determine whether to treat it with medication, surgery or natural methods. Accurately describing your symptoms can help your doctor determine what's causing your sinus infection.

  1. Nasal Blockage

    • Sinuses are air-filled pockets in the bones of your face and nose. They're lined with mucus that helps remove foreign particles from your sinuses. Openings between sinus cavities and nasal cavities are small and can become blocked easily. This prevents normal drainage of mucus and causes inflammation and infection that traps air in the sinuses, causing pain, pressure and headaches.

    Cold and Flu

    • If your head feels full, your nose is stuffy or runny, and you're sneezing or coughing, your sinus infection is probably caused by a cold. Your eyes and nose could be itchy, your throat feels scratchy, your head aches and you're tired. If you develop all these symptoms without warning and you also have fever, chills and body aches, your infection could be caused by the flu. Both colds and the flu are caused by viruses.

    Allergies

    • If your nose is running and the fluid is clear, you can't control coughing and sneezing, your nose and eyes itch or burn, and you have a red, itchy rash, allergies could be causing your sinus infection. Even if you've never had allergies before, you can develop them. Allergens that cause these symptoms may include food, medicine, mold, smoke, pet dander, pollen, dust or pollution. Infections from allergies stay until whatever you're allergic to is gone.

    Sinusitus

    • Pain and pressure in your face and behind your eyes accompanied by yellow or green discharge from your nose and a cough could be caused by inflammation of the lining of your sinus membrane. This inflammation is known as sinusitus and is a common cause of sinus infection.

    Hormones and Pressure Changes

    • Women who use birth control pills or become pregnant can develop sinus infections because of hormonal changes that can inflame nasal passages. Activities that involve changes in pressure, such as flying, swimming and scuba diving, can cause sinus infection.

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