Acute sinusitis: what it is, symptoms, causes and treatment

Acute sinusitis is an inflammation of the mucosa that lines the sinuses and around the nose. Most of the time, acute sinusitis occurs due to a viral infection or allergic reaction, with few cases involving bacterial infection.

Symptoms of acute sinusitis include coughing, pain in the face and nasal discharge, and it is not possible to distinguish the cause without carrying out more specific tests. Learn how to identify the symptoms and differentiate the types of sinusitis.

To be considered acute, sinusitis must last a maximum of 4 weeks, and your symptoms must improve naturally or with treatment prescribed by your general practitioner or otorhinolaryngologist. When left untreated, or when caused by resistant microorganisms, sinusitis can progress to subacute sinusitis, which lasts up to 3 months, or chronic sinusitis, which lasts more than 3 months.

Main symptoms

The main symptoms of acute sinusitis are:

• Nasal or facial painusually in the area of ​​the inflamed sinus, which is worse in the morning;
• Headachewhich worsens when lying down or lowering the head;
• Nasal obstruction and secretiongenerally yellowish or greenish;
• Cough which worsens when lying down;
• Fever of around 38ºC, is present in half of the cases;
• Bad breath.

It can often be difficult to differentiate the cause of acute sinusitis from symptoms alone, but most of the time it is caused by a cold or a bout of allergic rhinitis, which can also cause symptoms such as sore throat, conjunctivitis and sneezing. .

Difference Between Acute and Chronic Sinusitis

In general, the difference between acute and chronic sinusitis is the duration of the symptoms: while in acute sinusitis the symptoms last about 4 weeks, in chronic sinusitis the symptoms can last for more than 3 months and can be progressive. Furthermore, chronic sinusitis can occur as a result of untreated or incorrectly treated chronic sinusitis. See more about chronic sinusitis.

Symptom Test

To find out if you have sinusitis, select the symptoms shown in the test below:

The symptom test is only a guidance tool and does not serve as a diagnosis or replace consultation with a general practitioner or otorhinolaryngologist.

Cause of acute sinusitis

Acute sinusitis can be caused by a virus infection, occurring as a consequence of a cold or flu, an allergic rhinitis attack or an infection by bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae e Moraxella catarrhalis. These situations can cause inflammation of the nasal sinuses and increase secretion production, favoring the development of the characteristic symptoms of sinusitis.

How to confirm the diagnosis

The diagnosis of sinusitis is clinical, that is, made only with medical evaluation and physical examination. Only in some cases of doubt, or in cases of chronic sinusitis, to better determine the cause, the doctor may order some tests such as x-ray, computerized tomography of the face or nasal endoscopy.

How the treatment is carried out

The treatment of acute sinusitis must be guided by an otorhinolaryngologist and is generally done with anti-inflammatories, nasal decongestants and general measures such as staying well hydrated throughout the day, nebulization and nasal washing with saline solution.

The use of antibiotics is only recommended when a bacterial infection is suspected. In more serious and chronic cases, drainage of accumulated secretion may be necessary. Find out more details about how sinusitis is treated.

See also the home remedies that can help, in the following video: