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A sinus infection causes inflammation of the mucous membranes of the sinuses. Colds produce the sniffling, sneezing, runny or stuffed up nose and sometimes a cough, requiring a big box of tissue at hand. Allergies may also bring on similar symptoms, along with puffiness in the face, especially around the nose, eyes and cheeks. Headaches may also occur with allergies, caused by the pressure of the swollen tissues.
However, all of these may indicate sinus infection symptoms and a sinus infection is not something you want to ignore. Fatigue, a feeling of weakness, earache, tooth ache or pain in the upper jaw and fever are other sinus infection symptoms you may also experience with sinusitis. In acute cases, facial pain and tenderness is one of the common sinus infection symptoms, along with swollen eyes and cheek areas of the face.
A sinus infection is not something you want to self-diagnose. You need to see your doctor to make this determination. When you contract a cold, caused by a virus, you're more vulnerable to developing a sinus infection, due to the inflammation of the sinus while down with the cold. When the mucus membranes become clogged, the natural cleansing and moistening function of the mucous is put out of commission for the time being, becoming instead a virtual petri dish for bacteria to grow, unrestrained.
There are four categories of sinus infection. Acute sinusitis typically lasts for a month or less. The sub-acute type may persist for up to eight weeks, although symptoms are not usually as painful as in the acute form. Chronic cases are characterized by ongoing symptoms continuing for months or even (gasp!) years. Recurrent sinus infections involve those where the patient suffers many acute bouts every year.
Before just writing that cold or allergy attack off as the usual minor illness, make a visit to your doctor if you seem to have frequent or recurring bouts.
A sinus infection is usually treated with antibiotics and nasal sprays and you'll soon have relief from those miserable sinus infection symptoms. Some people seem predisposed to sinus infections and doctors often recommend use of a humidifier as a preventative.
One way to head off a cold right from the start is to take 1000mg of Vitamin C at the very first hint of a cold, continuing until the cold is gone. Every cold you squelch is one less opportunity for those nasty sinus infection symptoms to cause you misery!
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