Symptoms of Sinusitis

What are Sinusitis Symptoms?

The location of your sinus discomfort depends on which sinus is affected.

Infection of the maxillary sinuses can cause your upper jaw, and sometimes, teeth to ache and your cheeks to become tender to touch.

Because the ethmoid sinuses are near the tear ducts, inflammation of these cavities often causes swelling of the eyelids, tearing and pressure between the eyes. Ethmoid inflammation also can cause tenderness when the sides of your nose are touched, a loss of smell sensation (anosmia) and stuffy nose.

Although the sphenoid sinuses are less frequently affected, infection in this area can cause earaches, neck pain, and deep aching at the top of your head. In real life, people with sinusitis, however, have pressure or tenderness in several locations, and their symptoms usually do not clearly indicate which sinuses are inflamed.

Other symptoms of sinusitis can include: fever, fatigue, recurrent cough that may be more severe at night and first thing in the morning, runny nose (rhinitis), or nasal congestion. Also, the drainage of mucus from the sphenoid or other sinuses down the back of your throat, which is commonly referred to as “postnasal drip” can cause you to have a sore throat. On rare occasions, acute sinusitis can result in brain or eye infection and other serious complications.