Sinus Infection or Not?
Every time I get a cold, I spend the entire duration wondering if it is actually a dreaded sinus infection (aka Sinusitis). No one has actually explained the difference in the symptoms between a sinus infection and a nasty cold, so I always just lived in fear that this one could actually be a sinus infection.
However, when I recently came across a list of common symptoms of a sinus infection, courtesy of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, I had to share:
- Headache, particularly first thing in the morning.
- Pain in the forehead, jaw, teeth and cheeks, or between the eyes.
- Swollen or inflamed tear ducts, eyelids, and other tissues surrounding the eyes.
- Congestion, sore throat, neck pain or cough.
- Fever.
- Weakness and fatigue.
So there you have it. If the cold medicines you've been taking to relieve the symptoms of the common cold are not working and you've got a terrible headache, it looks like it's time to see a doctor.
