When to Visit Your Nearest Emergency Room for Sinus Infections

man with sinus infection

Sinus infections can be the reason you end up in an ER near you. The infection can cause many health problems, some more threatening than others. Without urgent treatment in an ER near you, chronic sinus infections can become unbearable and cause a major wreck in your life.

What Is a Sinus Infection?

It is an inflammation of the cavities around the nasal passages. This condition is medically called sinusitis or rhinosinusitis. The inflammation of the nasal passages can happen based on many different triggers, usually because of viral or bacterial infection. Commonly, sinus infections are triggered by a cold or allergies. Even a tooth infection can cause sinusitis. For such cases of sinusitis, you do not need to visit an ER for a sinus infection since it often resolves on its own. Such cases are termed acute sinusitis. However, this is not always the case for all patients.

Some cases of sinus infections are severe and critical that they demand urgent care or emergency room for a sinus infection. Such cases are termed chronic sinusitis and can last several weeks without resolving on their own.

Common Symptoms of Sinusitis

Many of the symptoms of this infection are similar for either acute or chronic sinuses. They include the following:

  1. Nasal discharge – it differs from one patient to another. It can either be green, yellow, or simply cloudy. You may need to blow your nose often to get rid of the discharge coming from your infected sinuses, draining into your nose.
  2. Stuffy nose – nasal congestion happens when the sinuses are inflamed, which many people term as a stuffy nose. It may make it difficult for you to breathe properly through your nostrils. You may also notice a ‘stuffy’ voice when you speak. Smelling and tasting foods normally may also be problematic.
  3. Migraine headaches – these are sinus headaches caused by the pressure exerted by the inflamed sinuses. The impact may be felt through headaches, jaw pain, dental pain, earaches, to mention a few. These types of headaches will feel worse in the morning due to the build-up of fluids throughout the night as you sleep.
  4. A persistent cough and irritation in your throat – the discharge in your inflamed sinuses will also drain in your throat, irritating the throat thereof. This irritation leads to an annoying cough that is persistent over time. It may also worse in the mornings when you wake up. Over time, the irritation on your throat will cause more damage, including a sore and hoarse throat. The longer the infection lasts, the more damage it causes to your body.
  5. Fever – a fever will manifest over time as the infection continues to cause more issues in your body. However, a fever is not usually a typical symptom of sinus infection. If it happens, then you may have other underlying health issues that are escalating your symptoms. Be especially keen to notice how long your fever lasts. It lasts more than ten days, be sure to talk to a dentist immediately. Further, employ similar measures if the fever keeps coming back and is accompanied by any other symptoms mentioned above.

How to Cure Sinus Permanently

When seeking sinus infection treatment in Baytown, the concern is always over whether or not the treatment has permanent results. The important consideration is usually over which type of sinusitis you have. The chronic type is more severe and threatening, which calls for drastic treatment approaches. While different treatments can help treat your condition, a permanent cure involves avoiding the causative agents. Ideally, be intentional about avoiding things that irritate your nose and sinuses. Such include smoking, pollen exposure, to mention a few things. Aside from that, treatment for sinus infections include the following:

  1. Treating allergies – talk to your doctor to help you identify the things you are allergic to, so you can actively avoid them.
  2. Nasal irrigation – it involves running clean distilled water or a nasal solution through your nasal cavity using a nasal sprayer. This method flushes out allergens and sinus discharges.
  3. Over-the-counter decongestant sprays – be careful about how you use these sprays, as the long usage can cause a rebound effect, which may make your symptoms worse than they are.
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