Can A Sinus Infection Make Your Body Ache

Distinguishing Between Chronic Sinusitis

Sinus infection headaches and migraines are simple to confuse because the symptoms and signs of both types of headaches might overlap.

Both migraine headache and sinusitis pain frequently become worse when you bend forward. Migraine can also be accompanied by a variety of nasal symptoms and signs, including:

• Facial pressure

• A watery, clear nasal discharge

Migraines are often misdiagnosed as sinus headache in around 42% of individuals because they share:

• Overlapping symptoms

• Common areas with chronic rhinosinusitis

• Precipitating triggers

Also, migrainous and sinonasal conditions might often co-exist as comorbidities. Chronic rhinosinusitis might increase migraine-linked frequency and morbidity through aggravation of trigeminal nerve receptors.

Studies have found around 90% of individuals who visit their doctor for sinus headaches receive a migraine diagnosis instead. However, sinusitis typically isn’t aggravated by bright light or noise or associated with nausea or vomiting all common with migraines.

Sinusitis typically occurs after a cold or viral upper respiratory infection and includes:

• Discolored, thick nasal mucus

• Pain in upper teeth or one cheek

Sinus infection-related headaches frequently last days or longer, whereas migraines often last hours to a day or two.

Sinus Infection And Facial Pain

So, is your facial pressure or facial pain due to a sinus infection? Pain is a common sinusitis symptom. You have a few different sinuses below and above your eyes and behind your nose. When you have a sinus infection, these can hurt.

Swelling and inflammation make your sinuses ache with dull pressure. You might feel pain:

• On either side of your nose

• In your forehead

• Between your eyes

• In your teeth and upper jaw

The relentless sinus infection and facial pressure and sinus swelling can cause headache symptoms. Sinus pain can also give you:

• Dental pain

• Earaches

• Pain in your cheeks and jaws

Sinusitis headaches are frequently worse in the morning since fluids have been gathering all night long.

How Can You Treat Nasal Discharge

Your recommended treatment plan will depend on the underlying cause of your nasal discharge. In many cases, you can take steps to relieve your symptoms using simple home remedies. In some cases, your doctor may recommend medications or other treatments.

If a cold or flu is causing your nasal discharge, your treatment options may be limited. In most cases, your body will recover on its own. You should be sure to get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. Over-the-counter medications may help relieve some of your symptoms. If your flu symptoms are severe, your doctor might prescribe you an antiviral medication. This may reduce the time it takes for you to heal.

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How To Relieve A Head Cold And Head Congestion

If you start to feel bad from nasal swelling or a stuffy nose, you can take steps to improve your symptoms and make yourself more comfortable. Here are some remedies for head congestion. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.

Rest

Whether you catch the cold or flu, what your body needs most is rest. Go to bed early, take naps when needed, and dont be afraid to take time off work or keep your children home from school. Not only will this prevent you from overexerting yourself, but it also helps avoid spreading your germs to others.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking lots of fluids is key to helping your immune system function properly, so consume even more than you do when healthy. Water, fruit juices with vitamin C, clear broth or warm lemon water with honey do the best job of keeping you hydrated and loosening congestion. Alcoholic and caffeinated beverages like coffee or soda make dehydration worse, so avoid them until symptoms improve.

Add Moisture to the Air

Though it seems counterproductive, you dont want your nasal passages to dry up. Dry airways can increase nasal swelling that leads to a stuffy nose and nasal congestion. Keep moisture in the air with a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier be sure to change the water and clean the unit properly. Steam from a shower or a hot cup of tea can also add extra moisture to the nasal passages to help with drainage.

Dont Use Antibiotics to Treat Colds

When Its Time To See A Doctor

Make an appointment to see your doctor if you experience sinus infection symptoms of fever, facial pain, congestion, or nasal discharge that last longer than ten days or that keep coming back.

Dethlefs says you should see a medical provider, If nasal drainage changes from clear to thick and yellow. If fever spikes and persists more than 24-48 hours or symptoms arent adequately treated with OTC therapies.

Fever represents a rare symptom of a sinus infection, indicating you have another illness or underlying condition. Your doctor can perform an evaluation and the necessary testing to identify and treat the root cause of your symptoms.

Reviewed for medical accuracy by

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Nasal Discharge: Cause Treatments And Prevention

• Prevention

What is nasal discharge?

Mucus isnt just a slimy material in your nose it actually has a useful purpose. It traps bacteria, other germs, and debris, and prevents them from entering your lungs.

In some cases, such as when you have a cold or allergies, mucus may flow out of your nose or down your throat. When mucus comes out of your nose, its called nasal discharge. It can also be called post-nasal drip or rhinorrhea.

Although its annoying, nasal discharge is common and usually goes away on its own. But in some cases, its a sign of an underlying health problem that might require medical attention.

There are many potential causes of nasal discharge. Some of the most common include infections and allergies.

When Should I Go See The Doctor About A Sinus Infection

It is pretty easy to care for most sinus conditions on your own. However, if you continue to have symptoms that concern you or if your infections continue to happen, your primary care doctor might suggest you see a specialist. This could also happen if your CT scan shows something that does not look right.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Sinusitis, or swelling of the tissues of the sinus cavities, is a common condition with many causes, including viruses and bacteria, nasal polyps or allergies. Signs and symptoms may including facial pressure, fever and tiredness. You can treat symptoms at home by resting, taking over-the-counter products and increasing your fluid intake. Make sure you contact your healthcare provider if symptoms do not improve, if sinusitis happens often or if you have any symptom that worries you.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 06/04/2020.

References

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Sinus Infection And Neck Pain: Is There A Correlation

People with allergies or chronic colds understand that sinus infections can be a real pain in the neck. Most cases of acute sinusitis get better on their own. Your doctor may recommend treatments to help relieve sinusitis symptoms, but acute sinusitis can cause potentially dangerous complications. Read on if youre wondering if sinus infections can cause neck pain.

How Is Sinus Infection Diagnosed

Diagnosis depends on symptoms and requires an examination of the throat, nose and sinuses. Your allergist will look for:

• Redness
• Discolored nasal discharge
• Bad Breath

If your sinus infection lasts longer than eight weeks, or if standard antibiotic treatment is not working, a sinus CT scan may help your allergist diagnose the problem. Your allergist may examine your nose or sinus openings. The exam uses a long, thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera and a light at one end that is inserted through the nose. It is not painful. Your allergist may give you a light anesthetic nasal spray to make you more comfortable.

Mucus cultures: If your sinus infection is chronic or has not improved after several rounds of antibiotics, a mucus culture may help to determine what is causing the infection. Most mucus samples are taken from the nose. However, it is sometimes necessary to get mucus directly from the sinuses.

Knowing what kind of bacteria is causing the infection can lead to more effective antibiotic therapy. A fungus could also cause your sinus infection. Confirming the presence of fungus is important. Fungal sinus infection needs to be treated with antifungal agents, rather than antibiotics. In addition, some forms of fungal sinus infection allergic fungal sinus infection, for example do not respond to antifungal agents and often require the use of oral steroids.

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Home Treatment For Sinus Complications

Sinus complications can be cured with home treatment. At your home, act like a doctor and take your kitchen like your clinic. There are several ingredients in the kitchen, which you can use to reduce sinus complications including body aches. In these kitchen products, here we suggest you go use Neti Pot which is a kind of small sized tea pot containing narrow spout. Now, Neti pot should be filled with water, some salt and then let it be dissolved. Tilt the head of the patient on left side and keep spout over right nostril. Keep pouring the solution in the nose. Repeat the process with left nostril too. This will give you amazing result for sure.

Get Ahead Of Cold Symptoms

Though theres no promise youll escape cold and flu season without a runny nose or sore throat, there are some steps you can take to increase your chances of staying healthy.

• Wash your hands frequently to help prevent coming into contact with or spreading harmful germs.
• Disinfect your environment and frequently clean commonly touched surfaces such as sink handles, doorknobs and handrails.
• Avoid sharing personal items, especially those that come in contact with your eyes, nose or mouth like utensils, washcloths or cups.
• Do not come in close contact with people who have colds or other upper respiratory infections.

Overall, pursue a healthy lifestyle to boost immunity by eating nutritious food, sleeping eight hours, drinking water, exercising and managing stress.

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How To Overcome Nausea Caused By A Sinus Infection

There are some simple and easy tricks to relieve nausea associated with sinus infections. These include:

1. Ginger

Ginger can help calm your stomach and ease nausea. It is also a natural antibiotic and anti-inflammatory. Ginger can also help with nausea caused by dizziness. You can take ginger in capsule form or boil one cup of water and steep one teaspoon in a tea bag. They also make ginger lozenges to suck on that work very quickly.

2. Hot Tea

It’s really annoying to suffer a sinus infection. Nausea makes it much worse. This is when hot tea can come to help. Hot tea is one of the oldest and best remedies for any upper respiratory infection including the sinuses. The steam will help open things up and the warmth will settle your stomach. Plus, you can drink tea all day long for relief.

3. Dry Toast

Dry toast can help to soak up stomach acid and mucus, relieving nausea.

4. Peppermint

Not only does the menthol oil in peppermint help relieve sinus congestion, it can also help relieve nausea by soothing the stomach. Suck on a peppermint hard candy or even just breathe in the essential oil.

5. Nasal Rinses

6. Steam

Getting into a hot shower and breathing in steam can help relieve sinus pressure fast. This will help you breathe better and get rid of excess mucus that causes nausea.

7. Rest

Sinus Infection Vs Covid

Some sinus infection and COVID-19 symptoms may overlap. Both illnesses can cause a fever, headaches, nasal congestion, fatigue or a sore throat. Symptoms unique to COVID-19 include body aches, nausea, shortness of breath and vomiting. Learn the difference between the cold, flu and COVID-19 based on your symptoms.

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What Are The Different Types Of Sinuses Near The Nose And Eyes

The paranasal sinuses are located in your head near your nose and eyes. They are named after the bones that provide their structure.

• The ethmoidal sinuses are located between your eyes.
• The maxillary sinuses are located below your eyes.
• The sphenoidal sinuses are located behind your eyes.
• The frontal sinuses are located above your eyes.

The biggest sinus cavity is the maxillary cavity, and it is one of the cavities that most often becomes infected.

There are different types of sinusitis:

• Acute bacterial sinusitis: This term refers to a sudden onset of cold symptoms such as runny nose, stuffy nose, and facial pain that does not go away after 10 days, or symptoms that seem to improve but then return and are worse than the initial symptoms . It responds well to antibiotics and decongestants.
• Chronic sinusitis: This term refers to a condition defined by nasal congestion, drainage, facial pain/pressure, and decreased sense of smell for at least 12 weeks.
• Subacute sinusitis: This term is used when the symptoms last four to twelve weeks.
• Recurrent acute sinusitis: This term is used when the symptoms come back four or more times in one year and last less than two weeks each time.

Types Of Sinus Infections: Chronic Vs Acute

There are four types of sinus infections. These classifications depend on the length and frequency of the infection:

• Acute sinusitis.This type of sinus infection lasts only for a short time, defined by the American Academy of Otolaryngology as less than 4 weeks. This short-term infection is usually part of a cold or other respiratory illness. It may also be caused by a bacterial infection .
• Subacute sinusitis. A subacute sinus infection lasts between 4 and 12 weeks .
• Recurrent acute sinusitis. An acute sinus infection is considered recurrent if the infection returns four or more times within a year, with each infection lasting 7 days or more.
• Chronic sinusitis.Chronic sinus infections last for more than 12 weeks or continue to recur.

Many sinus infection symptoms are common in both acute and chronic forms. Seeing a doctor is the best way to learn if you have an infection, find the cause, and get treatment.

• nasal congestion

For cases of acute bacterial sinus infections, these symptoms last at least 10 days without improving, or they worsen within 10 days after seeming to improve. In this case, its important to talk with a doctor, such as a general practitioner or an ear, nose, and throat doctor , to get a diagnosis and treatment plan.

Learn more about the symptoms of a sinus infection below.

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Is It The Flu Or A Sinus Infection

by Todd C. Morehouse, D.O. | Dec 18, 2018 | General

The fall and winter months are prime times during the year for flu and sinus infections. Five to twenty percent of the US population gets the flu virus each year while 30 million Americans get sinus infections. The problem is that both diseases have similar symptoms which makes it difficult to discern between them, especially in the early stages.

Flu SymptomsFever, body aches and fatigue are symptoms typically experienced with the flu.

• Headache
• Sore throat & dry, irritating cough
• Body aches
• Fever greater than 102 degrees F
• Chills/sweats
• Flushed color in your face
• Nausea/vomiting

Facial pain, nasal congestion and postnasal drip are seen with most sinus infections.

• Headache

Is It the Flu or a Sinus Infection? Quick Answers.Have a fever?The flu causes temperature spikes. Its rare to have a fever with a sinus infection. If you do, the temperature is usually low grade.

Have pain?With a sinus infection, aches are more focused in the facial region. With the flu, muscle aches spread throughout the body.

Have a cough?A cough is possible with the flu and a sinus infection.

Have a sinus congestion or a runny nose?Mucus is the key. Yellowish-greenish mucus typically indicates a sinus infection.

Felt sick for a while?A sinus infection can last for weeks. The flu comes on strong but usually only takes a week to resolve itself. You feel more fatigued with the flu.

How to Treat the Flu

What to Do If You Have a Sinus Infection

What Is A Sinus Infection

A sinus infection, medically known as sinusitis or rhinosinusitis, occurs when your nasal cavities become infected, swollen, and inflamed. Fluid buildup in the sinuses can cause germs to grow, leading to a sinus infection.

Sinusitis is usually caused by a virus and often lasts even after other upper respiratory symptoms are gone. In some cases, bacteria or, rarely, fungus may cause a sinus infection.

Other conditions such as allergies, nasal polyps, and tooth infections can also contribute to sinus pain and symptoms.

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When To See A Doctor For Sinus Pain

If your sinus symptoms are not getting better with at-home treatments, and if your sinus symptoms last longer than seven to 10 days, you should see a doctor for treatment. Allina Health has many convenient care options for care, from online visits to walk-in care, to help you get better fast.

If you have frequent or reoccurring sinus infections, you may want to see an ear, nose and throat for your treatment options.

Body Pain May Be Due To Chronic Sinus Trouble

3 Min Read

NEW YORK – Ongoing sinus inflammation, also called chronic sinusitis, may be at least partly to blame for the aches and pains in older adults, according to research reported today at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation in Chicago.

The research also shows that endoscopic sinus surgery to clear clogged sinuses can bring significant pain relief.

Dr. Alexander C. Chester of Georgetown University Medical Center and colleagues analyzed data from 10 studies , which included a general, health-related quality-of-life survey with a separate evaluation of body pain before and after sinus surgery.

We found that the daily experience of bodily pain was much more common in patients with sinusitis than in the overall population, Chester noted in a written statement. The results also suggest that many patients with sinusitis have aches and pains similar in severity to people in their 80s and those with arthritis or depression.

In most of the analyzed studies, there was a marked reduction in body pain following sinus surgery. Having data showing that pain will improve after sinus surgery is particularly helpful when considering the merits of undergoing surgery when medications fail, Chester said.

Confirmation that aches and pains occur with sinus disease, Chester continued, should come as a relief to many patients who thought they had two separate illnesses.

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