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Sinus has a uniqueness about it. No, we are not stating about the disease itself but it is probably one of the infections that have been outrageously misunderstood with that of a common cold. Many of the symptoms are very much similar to an everyday cold and more times than we could count, we take a wrong prescription and medication assuming ourselves. However, the similarities just end there. In many ways, sinus is completely different from a common cold and it affects a good percentage of the population every year. It basically occurs when the sinus region or the nasal cavities tend to get inflamed and swelled up. This causes a disruption to your respiratory behavior and half the time getting it can be a major dent on the day to day affairs due to the irritation it causes. Most of the sinus episodes are short but there are cases where they keep on reoccurring and in some cases may last up to a couple of months. If left untreated sinus can have a major impact on your system. It can severely affect your ear functionalities and can cause difficulties in vision. A common cold in probability will go away after a week. In case if this doesn’t happen, there are every chances that the infection could be sinusitis. We have given out a complete breakdown of the symptoms that are associated with sinus. Watch out for them and give due diagnosis for it.
6 Warning Signs Of Sinus That You Should Know About:
1. Facial Pain
This is probably the best method to distinguish a common cold from a sinus illness. Sinusitis is always associated with a pain in your face and this is especially more prone around your nose regions. It can also affect the upper jaw and the jaw intersections in your mouth. You may also feel unwanted pressure and heaviness in your face on the whole and this does not get relieved even after you have taken up medications. In some extreme cases, the pressure may be such that you might experience difficulty even when you turn your head sideways. Seek medical attention for such pains and do look out for the sinus infection while taking up a diagnosis.
2. Yellowish Nasal Discharge
Under normal circumstances, your nasal discharge would be colorless. However, in the case of sinus, your discharge could be bright yellowish and in some cases even greenish. The same occurs even while you spit the discharge out from your mouth. The presence of sinus virus causes the discolorization and in many instances, the mucus can turn out be hard and associated with pain when you blow your nose. This is also one of the major differences between a common cold and a sinus infection. If the symptoms prolong, get a consultation with a specialist soon.
3. Coughing Attacks
Coughing attacks and the tendency to cough are more serious and of a longer duration, during a sinus infection. It worsens up especially during the night and can hamper your sleep patterns. When you lie down sinus makes the discharge to travel at the back of your throat. This intensifies the coughing sensations and in some cases, the cough attacks can even stretch for hours. Also, under such scenarios, your body produces phlegm which a cough tries to get rid of. It is advisable to sit upright and sleep when you have such cough attacks as lying down can only worsen it. Do seek medical guidance if it persists for a longer duration.
4. Bad Breath
You might not believe it but an extremely bad breath is an indication that you have been affected by a sinus infection. Generally, bad breath originates from the back of your mouth – from the tongue region. The area is prone to the bacterium that causes the bad breath. During sinus, excess mucus gets accumulated in this region and hence naturally your bad breath gets spiked up. This occurs irrespective of whether you have a good oral hygiene. Take this sign in a positive way and get adequate care for the sinus infections. These signs of bad breath usually go away once the virus stops spreading.
5. Stuffy Ears
Ears and sinus infection go together very well and you may experience a stuffed ear syndrome when you have a sinus infection. It may also be accompanied by a dull pain in the earlobes and can put additional pressures on your ear drum. Usually, such ears do not un-pop very easily as the sinus region and the ears are interconnected. You might even experience dizziness as a result of it. Take necessary care of your sinus region and once the symptoms go away, your ears will get back to normaly.
6. Toothache
Pains in the teeth, especially in the upper region are sometimes a simple indication of a sinus infection. But this pain is often confused with a regular tooth ache. The pressure starts to build up in the sinus region and this put additional pressure on the upper levels of your jaw. This starts a series of tooth ache issues with our mouth and though it resembles a common toothache, the usual medications may not work in favor for it. Get a consultation with a dentist about your pain and in case the usual gum related problems are ruled out then take a complete diagnosis. Chances are you may be suffering from sinusitis.
