When To Go To A Doctor For A Sinus Infection
An untreated sinus infection can turn into a chronic infection, so its important to see the doctor if your symptoms arent improving on their own. We recommend making an appointment with your doctor if:
- Your symptoms havent improved after two days of at-home treatment
- You have cold symptoms that last for 10 days
- You have a fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
- Youre experiencing severe pain in the upper part of your face or your teeth
- You have facial pain from the bridge of your nose to your lower eyelid
- You notice thick and discolored mucus
- You have mild face pain for a month or longer
Causes Of Bad Smell In Nose
Rhinoplasty
This is a procedure that is sometimes called the nose job or cosmetic nose surgery. It is used to enhance facial harmony and the proportions of your nose. It can also be used to correct the impaired breathing caused by the structural defects in the nose.
The surgery is intended to correct some of the following issues of your nose:
- Nose size in relation to facial balance
- Nose width at the bridge or in the size and the position of the nostrils
- Nose profile with visible humps or depression on the bridge
- Nasal asymmetry
- Nostrils that are large, wide or upturned
- Nasal tip that is enlarged or bulbous, drooping, upturned or hooked
The bad smell after this surgery is caused by quite a number of factors. However, the best thing to do is always talk to your plastic surgeon over the problem. It is not always easy to point out the cause of the bad smell with ease.
The first reason could be because it is just crusting which can be treated with the help of a nasal spray. The other thing could be because you are having a problem with healing or the nose has developed some complication in terms of an infection.
The other thing that is very probable is that it could be from the sweating coming from bandaging or extraneous mucus that can be concentrated in the area. Blood accumulation and congestion in the nose could also lead to this. The plastic surgeon is always at the best position to tell you what the problem is.
Sinus surgery
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Why Do I Smell Sulfur In My Nose
When bacteria breaks down, it can release gases, which smells like sulfur. The four-smelling odor from the gases can travel through the small holes at the back of the mouth that connect to the sinuses and make their way into your nose. Food particles that become trapped in a cavity can start to decay.
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What Effects Does A Loss Of Sense Of Smell Have
Individuals with anosmia might lose interest in eating and food which could lead to weight loss and malnutrition.
When you have anosmia, you should ensure you have functioning smoke alarms in your home in various locations. You should also be careful with the use of natural gas and with food storage since you might have issues detecting gas leaks and spoiled food.
Some suggested precautions are:
When Do Symptoms First Appear
The symptoms of a sinus infection often come on suddenly. COVID-19 symptoms can develop more gradually 2 to 14 days after exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
A sinus infection can often happen after youve had a common viral illness, such as a cold or the flu. If your symptoms develop after youve already been sick, you may have a sinus infection.
Viruses that cause a cold or flu tend to circulate in the fall and winter months. COVID-19 can occur any time of the year. While a sinus infection could develop following COVID-19, this hasnt yet been reported by research.
A sinus infection can also occur after exposure to allergens or irritants, such as pollen, pet dander, and cigarette smoke. If you have allergies or were recently around an irritant, you may be at risk for a sinus infection.
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How To Clean Your Nose With A Salt Water Solution
You dont need to use all of the solution, but make a fresh batch each day dont re-use any left over from the day before.
Some pharmacies sell sachets you can use to make a salt water solution and devices to help you rinse your nose.
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What Happens During A Sinus Infection
The sinuses are just air-filled spaces in your skull. Scientists arent completely sure why they exist, but they do lighten the skull, allow the voice to reverberate, and produce mucus that lubricates the inside of the nose.
Your sinuses connect to your nose by small drainage openings called ostia. Ostia are how air flows through the nose into the sinuses.
Though your sinuses are usually filled with air, they can become blocked and fill with fluid and mucus. When the fluid and mucus stick around long enough, bacteria can begin to flourish.
Now, this normally air-filled cavity becomes a fluid-filled pocket of infection.
If you experience persistent nasal allergies, for example, the frequent inflammation may lead to blocked passages and stopped up sinuses the perfect environment for a sinus infection.
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How To Solve A Sinus Infection That Wont Go Away
Sinus infection is a common problem that can affect any age group. It represents the fifth most common condition that requires an antibiotic prescription.
Sinuses are four paired air-filled spaces in your skull and face bones surrounding your nose. Their main function is to produce mucus that forms a layer inside the sinuses to humidify inhaled air and keep the interior of your nose moisturized. This mucus layer can trap dust particles, other pollutants, or bad germs and brush them out through your nose. Each sinus drains into your nose through small openings to keep these passages clear of excess mucus and the trapped particles.
However, sometimes, such as when the weather changes and you catch a cold, it can turn into a sinus infection. This causes inflammation of your sinuses, known as sinusitis. Usually, sinusitis should go away in a few days or a week. But sometimes that sinus infection can stick around for a long time.
How Your Sense Of Smell Works
Taste and smell disorders are the cause of many thousands of individuals in the U.S. to see a doctor every year. Fortunately, for most individuals, anosmia is only a temporary problem caused by a seriously stuffy nose from a cold. After the cold goes away, their sense of smell comes back.
However, for some individuals, including many seniors, anosmia is persistent and it could indicate a more serious health condition.
Like your sense of taste, your sense of smell is a part of your chemical senses . You have the ability to smell due to olfactory sensory neurons . Each olfactory neuron has an odor receptor. Substances around you release microscopic molecules whether the substances are pine trees or coffee brewing. These microscopic molecules stimulate the odor receptors.
Once the molecules are detected by the neurons, the neurons send messages to your brain, identifying the smell. The environment has more smells in it than you have receptors, and one molecule can stimulate a group of receptors which creates a unique representation in your brain. Your brain registers these representations as a specific smell.
There are two pathways in which smells reach your olfactory sensory neurons.
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Symptoms And Diagnosis Of Fungal Sinusitis
The symptoms of fungal sinusitis are consistent with other forms of sinusitis and can include the following:
- Pain or the feeling of pressure in or around the face
If you have a known immunodeficiency, fungal sinusitis may also produce the following symptoms:
- Swelling in or around the face or cheeks
- Facial numbness
- Changes in the color of your skin, either towards a more pale or darker complexion
Diagnosis of fungal sinusitis will involve your ENT specialist performing a physical exam, analyzing your symptoms, and considering other conditions that may affect fungal sinusitis.
How Do Providers Treat Fungal Sinusitis
Fungal sinusitis treatments vary. People with healthy immune systems may not need treatment for some types of fungal sinus infections. Invasive fungal sinus infections require immediate treatment.
Treatments include:
- Antifungal medications: Some types of infection require medications to kill the fungus. Providers usually prescribe these drugs along with surgery.
- Corticosteroid medications: Your provider may prescribe steroids to reduce inflammation and relieve sinus pressure.
- Nasal wash: To treat saprophytic fungal sinusitis, providers remove crusts of mucus and wash out the sinuses. They usually use a saline solution to cleanse the sinus cavities.
- Surgery: Depending on the type of infection, your provider may do traditional surgery or minimally invasive endoscopic surgery. They insert a long, flexible tube with a camera into your nose and use tiny tools to remove the fungus, fungal ball and any damaged tissue.
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When Should You See A Doctor
The treatment for an unpleasant odor in the nose is determined on the cause. A daily salt-water rinse, staying hydrated, and exercising basic dental hygiene care at home are some home cures. Over-the-counter drugs such as nasal decongestant spray and antihistamines can also be used. If the foul odor persists for several weeks or more, consult your doctor or dentist, as it could be a sign of an underlying disease.
What Is Chronic Sinus Infection
Chronic sinusitis is a long-standing inflammation of your sinuses that lasts for 12 weeks or longer at a time. Sinusitis is also known as rhinosinusitis . So, we use the two terms interchangeably. When inflamed, nasal passages and sinuses become swollen and blocked. Chronic sinusitis interferes with the normal drainage of the mucus. Too much mucus builds up in your nose and sinuses, making them stuffy.
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How A Disordered Sense Of Smell And Taste Relate
The senses of smell and taste are very closely linked. Most people who visit a doctor because they think they have lost their sense of taste are surprised to learn they have a smell disorder instead. Generally, a smell or taste disorder will fall into these four categories:
Anosmia: Loss of sense of smell.
Ageusia: Loss of sense of taste. .
Hyposmia: Reduced ability to smell.
Hypogeusia: Reduced ability to taste sweet, sour, bitter, or salty things. .
According to Dr. Wendy McConnell, About 80 percent of taste disturbances are actually related to changes in a persons sense of smell. Most often changes in smell are caused by temporary conditions that cause irritation or swelling in the nasal cavity, like a sinus infection, allergies or a cold, she says.
Dr. McConnell, who is a board certified INTEGRIS Health otolaryngologist and an expert in sinus disorders and rhinology, says that loss of taste, or disturbance of taste, is not uncommon with sinus infections or colds. In fact, Most people will notice their taste is altered, and some foods may taste different or not as distinct as before, she says. Thankfully, Treating the cause of nasal swelling will usually resolve the alteration of taste.
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What Can I Do
While you wait for your infection to run its course, you can take steps at home to feel better.
Look into nasal sprays. Store-bought saline nasal spray loosens up mucus, temporarily clearing it from your nasal passages. A steroid nasal spray like fluticasone may help tame inflammation, especially if you have underlying allergies. Unsure about using a steroid? Follow package directions and go to your HCP with questions.
Be wary of decongestant nasal sprays, like oxymetazoline . Using them for longer than three days could cause rebound symptoms persistent stuffiness eased only by the spray itself. Dryness and addiction are also possibilities.
Embrace sinus rinses like the neti pot. Many sinus infection veterans swear by nasal irrigation systems, such as plastic squeeze bottles or teakettle-shaped neti pots. These devices are filled with a sterile saline solution and used to flush snot from your sinuses.
Neti pots and their ilk are widely available and typically safe, as long as you handle them properly. Dont use water directly from your tap. Instead use distilled water, a sterile saline solution or water that has been boiled and then cooled.
Try over-the-counter medicines. Experts recommend analgesics including acetaminophen , ibuprofen and aspirin to ease pain, as well as decongestants like pseudoephedrine to alleviate the pressure of congestion.
Finally, you may want to avoid flying or scuba diving, since either can aggravate sinus pain.
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What Causes Chronic Sinus Infection
Multiple factors acting together usually contribute to chronic sinusitis.
People with allergies are more prone to develop chronic sinusitis. About one in five people with chronic sinusitis also have asthma. This is because the linings of your nose and sinuses are in continuation with the linings of your lungs. These people are also likely to have nasal polyps .
A bacterial or viral infection can also trigger the condition. The infection is often low grade. The bacteria confine themselves in stubborn biofilms, making it difficult for your immune system or antibiotics to find and attack them.
An overlap of additional factors such as smoking, environmental pollutants, and deviated septum, further complicate the picture of chronic sinusitis.
It would be more appropriate to say that if youre already prone to allergies and nasal polyps, it becomes easier for harmful bugs, especially fungi to penetrate your sinuses. Likewise, a weak immune system makes you more susceptible to catch bacterial, viral, or fungal sinus infection.
A sinus that is inflamed and swollen can no longer sweep away the excess mucus and harmful agents due to the blockage of tiny hairs that facilitate this function.
Signs You Have A Sinus Infection
Posted in Nose | January 14, 2022
Are you experiencing pressure around your nose, forehead, and eyes? Does your face feel like its overly full?
These are some of the more common signs of having a sinus infection. Your sinuses are tiny, empty spaces that connect the inside of your nose.
Theyre found behind your forehead and cheekbones. When you have a sinus infection, the lining of your sinuses swells up. The swelling of the lining of your sinuses prevents mucus from draining down your throat and nose properly. Factors that increase your risk of developing a sinus infection are:
Other telltale signs of a sinus infection include:
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Can I Prevent Sinusitis
There is no sure-fire way to prevent sinusitis. But there are some things that might help.
- Donât smoke, and avoid other people’s smoke.
- Wash your hands often, especially during cold and flu season, and try not to touch your face.
- Stay away from things you know youâre allergic to. Talk to your doctor to see if you need prescription medicines, allergy shots, or other forms of immunotherapy.
If your sinus problems keep coming back, ask your doctor about the pros and cons of surgery to clean and drain the sinuses.
Tell Sinus Infection Odors Smell Ya Later With Balloon Sinuplasty
Dr. Kaplan of Kaplan Sinus Relief is a pioneer of the balloon sinuplasty procedure in Houston. His practice is currently the only private practice in the nation using TGS navigation, the state-of-the-art technology that uses augmented reality to make procedures including balloon sinuplasty safer and more accurate.
Kaplan Sinus Relief also offers patients with anxiety around procedures the option to have balloon sinuplasty with IV sedation.
Dont let your sinus infection and sinus infection odors fester and become an untreated sinus infection. Join the thousands of patients that Dr. Kaplan and the staff at Kaplan Sinus Relief have helped to breathe easier again.
To learn more about what to expect after balloon sinuplasty, call our offices at 713-766-1818 or request an appointment online today.
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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.
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.