Cold, Allergy, or Sinusitus?
Symptoms of sinusitis may include thick yellow-green discharge, facial pressure, low grade fever (99-100 degrees), and headache. "Cold" (viral URI) symptoms can be confused with the initial symptoms of sinusitis during the first week.  Because the majority of acute sinusitis and viral URI episodes resolve on their own, over-the-counter medications, not antibiotics, are recommended for the first week of symptoms.  Effective over-the-counter medications include decongestants like Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed®), mucus-thinners like Guifenasin (Mucinex®), and saline sinus rinses.  If symptoms last for more than 7-10 days despite the use of over-the-counter remedies, bacterial sinusitis is likely and antibiotic treatment may be needed. 

Allergies can cause nasal obstruction, facial pressure and headaches.  Clear nasal discharge is more common in allergic episodes than in sinusitis and in allergies fever is rare.  Severe allergies, like viral URI episodes, may trigger bacterial sinusitis if the inflammation they cause is severe. However, in allergic patients who also have  anatomic narrowing of the sinus drainage areas, even mild allergies may trigger sinusitis. Allergy testing and treatment can be critical to the prevention of sinusitis and its complications in allergic patients.

What is Sinusitis?   l   Cold, Allergy, or Sinusitis?   l   Medical Treatment    l   FESS   l   Balloon Sinuplasty