If you’re often battling congestion, a lingering cough, headaches, or facial pain and pressure, you may have sinus issues. However, seeing a specialist can improve your sinus problems and help you find the relief you need and deserve.
Keep reading to learn more about 8 signs you should see a specialist for sinus issues.
What are Sinus Issues?
Sinus issues, commonly called sinusitis or a sinus infection, occur when your sinuses become inflamed and swollen. Sinuses are the hollow spaces behind your cheeks, forehead, eyes, and nose.
They constantly produce mucus that traps germs, dust, and allergens. The mucus drains through your nose and throat, expelling pathogens and other particles.
However, inflammation or swelling can block your sinuses and prevent mucus from draining out. Various factors, including allergies, viruses, bacteria, fungi, nasal polyps, or a deviated septum, can cause inflammation.
When the sinuses become inflamed, they also produce more mucus, and with no place to go, mucus may accumulate. The buildup can provide the perfect environment for bacteria and viruses to multiply and cause an infection.
A sinus infection often presents with symptoms such as stuffiness, facial pain, postnasal drip, and headaches.
When Should You See a Specialist for Sinus Issues?
If you have one or more of these signs of sinus issues, it could be time to see an ENT specialist:
1. Nasal Congestion
A congested or stuffy nose is a common sign of sinusitis. Inflamed and swollen sinuses can trap mucus.
With no exit, mucus can build up, causing a congested feeling. You may find it difficult to breathe through your nose when you have nasal congestion.
Beyond discomfort, nasal congestion can affect your quality of sleep.
2. Facial Pressure or Pain
Another common sign of sinus issues is pain or pressure in your face. The pain can range from mild to severe and is often felt around your nose, eyes, and cheeks.
It occurs when sinus cavities in these areas become inflamed and swollen, blocking the flow of mucus. As a result, pressure can build up, causing pain.
3. Fatigue
When you have sinusitis, your body works overtime, using up a lot of energy to combat the infection. This can leave you feeling drained and exhausted.
Additionally, the symptoms of sinusitis, such as facial pressure and pain, congestion, and headaches, can disrupt your sleep, causing you to feel tired the next day.
4. Sinus Headaches
Sinus headaches occur when sinus tissues become inflamed due to an infection or allergies. The inflamed tissues swell and block mucus drainage.
They also create more mucus, which accumulates because of the blockage. The inability to drain, combined with the buildup of mucus, increases pressure inside your sinuses, causing the pain of a sinus headache.
Sinus headaches are usually described as a deep, constant pressure or pain in the forehead. The pain may also spread to the top or back of your head.
5. Nasal Discharge
Thick, yellow, or green discharge is a tell-tale sign of sinusitis. The discharge can also be cloudy and blood-tinged.
Inflamed sinuses tend to create more mucus than usual, resulting in nasal discharge or a runny nose. If you have a runny nose that’s bothering you or not getting better, you should see a sinus specialist to discuss your symptoms and treatment options.
6. Postnasal Drip
Another red flag of sinus issues is postnasal drip. It occurs when your sinuses make too much mucus.
The excess mucus then accumulates and drips down your throat. Usually, you don’t notice mucus running down your throat because it’s thin and mixes with your saliva before you swallow it.
However, when you have a sinus infection, your sinuses produce extra and thicker mucus that becomes more noticeable. As a result, you may feel the mucus moving down your throat.
Postnasal drip can also cause throat irritation, giving you the urge to constantly clear your throat.
7. Persistent Cough
Postnasal drip can lead to a stubborn cough. When excess mucus flows down your throat, it can irritate it and trigger a cough as your body tries to clear the irritation.
A sinus cough tends to worsen when you sleep. Mucus often pools in the back of the throat when you’re lying down, aggravating your cough.
8. Chronic Sinus Symptoms
When sinusitis symptoms such as a runny or stuffy nose, postnasal drip, facial pressure or pain, a headache, and coughing last for 12 weeks or longer, it’s considered chronic.
With chronic sinusitis, you may find yourself in a vicious cycle of sinus infections that never fully clear up. Seeing an ENT specialist can help break this cycle.
How Do ENT Specialists Treat Sinus Issues?
Depending on the cause and severity of your sinus issues, your ENT specialist at Indianapolis Sinus Center may recommend various treatments, including:
Nasal Sprays
Using nasal sprays can help clear your sinuses, reduce drainage, and lessen symptoms of allergies.
Allergy Medication
If your ENT specialist determines allergies are the root cause of your sinus issues, they will likely prescribe allergy medication.
Immunotherapy
When regular allergy medications aren’t enough to treat sinus issues caused by allergies, your ENT specialist may recommend immunotherapy. These are allergy shots that can prevent allergic reactions to specific triggers.
Antibiotics
Certain sinus issues can be caused by bacterial infections, and antibiotic medication is required.
Surgery
If less invasive treatments are ineffective at treating your sinus issues, you may need surgery. The procedure involves your ENT Specialist placing a tube into the sinuses or enlarging your sinuses to remove blockages and promote drainage.
Take Charge of Your Sinus Health
Sinusitis doesn’t have to take a toll on your health. At Indianapolis Sinus Center, we specialize in sinus issues.
After diagnosis, we can create a personalized treatment plan to bring you lasting relief and improve your quality of life.
Are you struggling with sinus issues? Schedule your appointment at Indianapolis Sinus Center in Indianapolis, IN, today to start your journey to clearer, healthier sinuses.