Sinus Infection / Sinusitis / Urgent Care

Sinusitis is often a result of a common cold that spread into the sinuses. Sinuses are hollow air-filled cavities in the bones of the face. All sinuses open into the nasal passage. When there is an infection of the mucus lining of the sinuses, it is called sinusitis or a head cold.

As the sinus infection progresses, the sinus openings into the nose become blocked from an inflammatory swelling of the mucous lining. As a result, a lot of nasal secretions to get trapped in the sinuses, causing all the symptoms of classic sinusitis.

Common symptoms of a head cold or a sinusitis include congestion; a runny nose (rhinitis causing rhinorrhea); drainage of secretions into the throat; a post-nasal drip of mucus that causes coughing, especially in the mornings; and sinus headache, especially around the eyes or over the cheekbones. Sinus infections can cause tiredness, fatigue, and body aches.

Untreated, sinusitis can last weeks and become difficult to eradicate completely. At Statcare you don’t need an appointment to be seen for sinus infections. We are open 7 days a week and have evening hours every day. Convenient care when you need it!

Over-the-counter medicines and a neti pot may help with decongestion and drainage. Often these medicines may worsen the symptoms, raise blood pressure, and cause headache symptoms. The infection may spread from one sinus to another, too.

Home remedies like a neti pot will usually not work. Use of a neti pot may bring temporary relief in some patients with a sinus infection. However, using a neti pot may even assist in spreading the infection from one sinus to another. The sinus infection may even get worse over time.

If you have a cold that isn’t going away, it probably is not an allergy or just another cold. A sinus infection or sinusitis needs to be diagnosed and treated early and aggressively with antibiotics. Established sinusitis is harder to treat, even with antibiotics.

The choice of antibiotic has to be individualized to the patient depending on the presence of allergies to antibiotics and presence of other concomitant illnesses. Just because you have leftover antibiotics at home, do not be tempted into consuming them because it may not be the right antibiotic for sinusitis.

Hand washing will prevent the spread of infection. Covering your mouth while coughing and sneezing is also effective in containing the spread of infection.