If you’ve experienced tooth pain, you know how uncomfortable it can be. There are reasons why you could be suffering from too much pain. Common causes include a cracked tooth, cavities, or tooth sensitivity resulting from hot or cold foods. However, a lesser-known cause of tooth pain is a sinus infection. If you are suffering from a sinus infection, here’s is some information you need to know about it.

What is Sinus Infection

It is also known as sinusitis. This is swelling or inflammation of the tissue lining in the sinuses. Sinuses are hollow spaces within the bones between the eyes, your forehead, and behind your cheekbones. These spaces keep the inside of your nose moist by making mucus. The moisture protects you against dust, pollutants, and allergies.

When the healthy sinuses filled with air are blocked and filled with germs or fluids, they grow and cause an infection.

These are some of the conditions that cause sinus blockage, which should make you visit your nearest ER:

• Experiencing small growths in the lining of your nose called nasal polyps
• When you have a common cold
• Having allergic rhinitis which is swelling of the lining of the nose that is caused by allergens
• When you have a deviated septum is a shift in the nasal cavity

Types of Sinus Infections

If you suspect you have the following types of sinus infection, visit our emergency room in Abilene, for treatment:

Acute Sinusitis

Acute sinusitis has lasts for the shortest period. It is a viral infection caused by the common cold and has symptoms that last up to two weeks. However, if you have a bacterial infection, acute sinusitis can last up to four weeks. Also, seasonal allergies can cause this type of sinus infection.

Chronic Sinusitis

The symptoms of chronic sinusitis symptoms can last for more than three months. After that, they’re often less severe. Bacterial infections are the reason why it lasts for many months. Chronic sinusitis occurs commonly alongside persistent structural nasal problems and allergies.

Subacute Sinusitis

Its symptoms can last up to three months. Subacute sinusitis commonly occurs with seasonal allergies and bacterial infections.

Who Is at Risk of Sinus Infection

Sinus infection can get anyone. However, health conditions and risk factors can increase your chances of developing a sinus infection. They include:

• A history of allergies
• If you have a weak immune system
• Bone growth in the nose
• If you contact with mold recently
• Recent upper respiratory infection
• Smoking tobacco
• Dental infection

Symptoms of a Sinus Infection

Sometimes it might not be a common cold, although their symptoms are similar. For example, you might be developing a sinus infection. If you experience the following symptoms, visit an emergency room near you for a check-up and treatment.

• Fever
• Cough
• Feeling fatigued
• When you have a headache from sinus pressure
• Having a stuffy or runny nose
• Noticing you have decreased sense of smell

Also, it can be difficult for parents to detect sinus infections unless you take your child to the ER near you for a check-up. However. Some signs of this infection to your child include:

• A high fever of above 39-degree Celsius
• When the child has an allergy or cold, symptoms that don’t improve within 14 days
• A cough that lasts for more than ten days
• When they have thick, dark mucus coming from the nose

How Is a Sinus Infection Diagnosed?

When diagnosed with a sinus infection in Express Emergency Room in Abilene, TX, our doctor will perform a physical exam and ask you to give information about your symptoms. They will also examine the inside of your nose to look for signs of inflammation.

Your doctor will diagnose a sinus infection based on your results from the physical and your symptoms. In case of a chronic condition, you may be recommended for imaging tests for the doctor to examine your nasal sinuses and passages. These tests can show any abnormal structures such as polyps and mucus blockages.

The doctor may also use a fiberoptic scope to visualize the inside of your nasal passageways and sinuses.

Treatment Options for a Sinus Infection

There are various treatment options for sinus infections that a doctor from a 24-hour emergency clinic can offer to you. They include:

• Pain remedies such as over the counter medications

• Antibiotics

• Surgery. It helps clear the sinuses and repair a deviated septum.