Sinusitis
- Symptoms
What are the symptoms of sinusitis?
There are four main symptoms of sinusitis:
- Difficulty breathing through the nose
- Pain or discomfort in the cheek, forehead area or between the eyes (which can feel like throbbing pain or sensation of fullness or heaviness)
- Thick yellowish or greenish nasal discharge – this can drain out through the nose or drip back into the throat
- Altered smell/taste (hyposmia – reduced smell/taste) or cacosmia (foul smell in the nose)
Some people may also experience other general symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting or general tiredness.
When should you see a doctor?
- Your sinusitis symptoms last longer than ten days
- If they worsen after initially improving
- If you experience severe pain, high fever or persistent nasal discharge
- If you have recurrent sinus infections
- Difficulty breathing
- Swelling around the eyes or forehead
- If you develop vision changes
- If over-the-counter treatments provide no relief
- You have an underlying condition such as asthma
- You have a weakened immune system and medical condition
