How to Identify Chronic Sinusitis

Many people have experienced a bout of sinusitis, inflammation or infection, that has gone away on its own or with treatment. Conversely, symptoms of chronic sinusitis, known as chronic rhinosinusitis, last several weeks or more but may be mistaken for another condition such as allergies. A physician can identify chronic sinusitis with an evaluation and testing, but knowing some of the signs and symptoms can help avoid diagnostic delays.

Instructions

How to Identify Chronic Sinusitis Symptoms

• 1

  Consider how long your nasal and related symptoms have been present and how they've progressed. If you've experienced symptoms for more than few weeks, with or without improvement, it is important to talk to your doctor despite prior treatment, if any. Acute sinusitis and infections may be followed by chronic sinusitis.

• 2

  Realize that facial pain, headache and excess sinus drainage may or may not occur with chronic sinusitis. You may instead feel that your primary symptom is difficulty breathing through the nose. Inflammation of the sinuses has multiple causes, several are unrelated to infection.

• 3

  Identify chronic sinusitis symptoms such as excess mucus drainage, which may cause an irritated throat, bad breath, or nausea. When left untreated, this can lead to other problems, including upper respiratory or ear infections because the bacteria has a place to flourish.

• 4

  Talk to your doctor about significant fatigue you experience as it is more recently recognized as a prominent symptom of chronic sinusitis, especially when combined with feeling unwell in general and head and nasal stuffiness. Fatigue is often an overlooked chronic sinusitis symptom and it is mistaken for cold or another bug.

• 5

  Seek a referral to a specialist to identify chronic sinusitis that co-exists with allergies, asthma and/or possible immune deficiency—especially if infections in the sinus, lungs, ears, eyes or elsewhere are also recurring. An immunologist, allergist or infectious disease specialist are frontline choices.

• 6

  Know that, technically speaking, chronic sinusitis lasts 12 weeks or more. However testing, including blood work and X-rays, may be recommended earlier to identify chronic sinusitis or other potential causes for your symptoms. Treatment recommendations will vary depending on these results.