Sinusitis can make your whole face feel full. It's heavy around your eyes, sore across your cheeks and sometimes even achy in your top teeth. Here's how to tell if that's what you have, what causes it and what actually helps, plus the signs that mean home care isn't enough.
What are the symptoms of sinusitis?
Sinusitis is swelling of the lining of your sinuses, the air filled spaces behind your forehead, cheeks and eyes. When that lining swells, mucus gets trapped and you feel it. The CDC lists these as the most common symptoms.
| Symptom | What it feels like |
|---|---|
| Face pain or pressure | A heavy ache around the eyes, cheeks, forehead or top teeth |
| Stuffy or runny nose | A blocked nose, often with thick yellow or green mucus |
| Postnasal drip | Mucus running down the back of your throat, which can cause a sore throat or cough |
| Headache | Often worse when you bend forward or lie down |
| Bad breath and less sense of smell | Food tastes flat and your breath may smell off |
| Fever and tiredness | Usually mild, and more common in kids |
What are the symptoms of sinusitis in kids?
Children often show sinusitis differently than adults. Watch for a cold that hangs on past 10 days, a cough that is worse at night, thick mucus, bad breath, puffiness around the eyes and crankiness. Younger kids rarely complain about face pain, so a cold that won't quit is often the main clue. Our sinus infection care sees both kids and adults.
What causes sinusitis?
Most sinusitis starts with a cold. The CDC says viruses cause most sinus infections, while bacteria cause some. A few things make sinusitis more likely:
- Seasonal or year round allergies
- Nasal polyps or a deviated septum that blocks drainage
- Smoking or breathing secondhand smoke
- A weakened immune system
- An infection in the upper teeth
What are the stages of sinusitis?
Doctors group sinusitis by how long it lasts. MedlinePlus describes acute sinusitis as lasting up to 4 weeks and chronic sinusitis as lasting 12 weeks or longer.
| Type | How long it lasts | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Acute | Up to 4 weeks | Most often follows a cold |
| Subacute | 4 to 12 weeks | Slow to clear, worth a doctor visit |
| Chronic | 12 weeks or longer | Ongoing swelling, often tied to allergies or polyps |
| Recurrent | Several bouts a year | Needs a closer look at what keeps triggering it |
How can you tell if sinusitis is bacterial?
There's no home test, but the CDC says these signs call for a doctor visit:
- Symptoms lasting more than 10 days without getting better
- Symptoms that improve and then get worse again
- Severe symptoms, such as a bad headache or strong face pain
- A fever that lasts longer than 3 to 4 days
Most sinus infections clear even when they are bacterial, but in rare cases the infection can spread to the eye or the area around the brain. Swelling or redness around the eye, changes in vision, confusion or a stiff neck need emergency care right away.
What causes sinus pressure?
Sinus pressure happens when the lining of your sinuses swells and mucus can't drain. The trapped mucus builds up, and that's the pressure you feel.
According to the CDC, viruses cause most sinus infections. Common triggers include a recent cold, seasonal allergies, smoking or secondhand smoke, nasal polyps and a weakened immune system. Here in Central Florida, the long pollen season keeps a lot of people congested for months at a time.
How do you treat sinusitis at home?
These are the remedies MedlinePlus recommends for sinusitis, with the practical details that make them work.
| Remedy | How to do it | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Saline rinse | Use a squeeze bottle or neti pot several times a day | Flushes out thick mucus and allergens |
| Steam | Breathe in steam from a hot shower or bowl two to four times a day | Loosens mucus so it drains |
| Warm compress | Warm, moist washcloth over your face several times a day | Eases pressure and pain |
| Fluids | Water, broth and warm tea through the day | Thins mucus |
| Humidifier | Run a clean one at night | Keeps nasal passages from drying out |
| Pain reliever | Acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen as directed | Takes the edge off headache and face pain |
| Decongestant spray | No more than three to five days | Opens the nose short term |
| Rest | Sleep with your head a little raised | Helps drainage overnight |
One safety note on rinses: the FDA says to use only distilled, sterile or previously boiled water in a neti pot. Plain tap water isn't safe for this unless you boil it first and let it cool.
How long does a sinus infection last?
Most short term sinus infections clear up in a week or two. MedlinePlus defines acute sinusitis as symptoms lasting four weeks or less, and chronic sinusitis as symptoms lasting longer than three months.
If you're past 10 days without improvement, you're in the range where a doctor should take a look.
Should you use decongestant nasal sprays?
They work fast, which is exactly why people overuse them. MedlinePlus warns that using over the counter decongestant sprays for more than three to five days can make stuffiness worse.
Use them to get through a rough night, not as a daily habit. Saline spray, on the other hand, is safe to use as often as you like.
When is sinus pressure a reason to see a doctor?
Get checked if any of these apply. They're based on CDC and MedlinePlus guidance.
- Symptoms lasting more than 10 days without getting better
- You start to improve, then get worse again
- A fever lasting more than three to four days
- A severe headache that pain medicine doesn't touch
- Any change in your vision, or swelling around your eye
- Several sinus infections in the past year
Swelling around the eye, a stiff neck or confusion with sinus symptoms needs emergency care right away.
What's the best way to sleep with sinus pressure?
Raise your head. An extra pillow or a wedge helps mucus drain instead of pooling in your sinuses overnight, and a lot of people notice less morning pressure right away.
Run a clean humidifier in the bedroom, drink a glass of water before bed and do a saline rinse in the evening. If one side is more blocked, try sleeping with that side up.
Is it sinus pressure or a migraine?
They can feel surprisingly similar. Sinus pressure usually comes with congestion and thick mucus, and it gets worse when you bend forward. A migraine is more often throbbing, sits on one side and comes with nausea or sensitivity to light and sound.
Many people who think they get sinus headaches every month are actually having migraines. If that sounds like you, our page on migraine and headache treatment explains how we sort it out.
Can you fly with sinus pressure?
You can, but it may hurt. MedlinePlus suggests avoiding flying while you're congested, because pressure changes during takeoff and landing are hard on swollen sinuses.
If you have to fly, use a saline spray before the flight, stay hydrated and ask a pharmacist whether a short course of decongestant is safe for you.
How can you prevent sinus infections?
You can't prevent every one, but you can cut down how often they happen.
- Wash your hands often during cold and flu season.
- Get your yearly flu shot.
- Treat allergies early instead of waiting for a flare.
- Avoid cigarette smoke and secondhand smoke.
- Use saline spray to keep your nose moist, especially in air conditioning.
How do our clinics treat sinus infections?
We start by sorting out whether it's viral, bacterial or allergies, because that decides the treatment. Then we build a plan that might include antibiotics, but often doesn't. Our page on sinus infection treatment walks through a visit step by step.
Sinus symptoms are also one of the most common reasons people use our $59 TeleVisit. And if you're wondering whether to keep the kids home, read whether sinus infections are contagious. For pressure that flares every spring, our allergy care may be the better fit.
Do humidifiers help with sinus pressure?
They can. Dry air thickens mucus and makes it harder to drain, so a cool mist humidifier in the bedroom can make breathing easier at night. The catch is keeping it clean, because a dirty tank can grow mold and bacteria and send them into the air you breathe.
- Empty and rinse the tank every day
- Use distilled water if you can
- Clean it the way the maker recommends, usually every few days
- Don't let the room get damp, since extra moisture feeds mold and dust mites
What does Florida weather do to your sinuses?
Central Florida has pollen in the air for much of the year. Trees like oak and pine release pollen in late winter and spring, grasses take over in summer and weeds follow in the fall. Add humid air, afternoon storms and cold air conditioning, and plenty of people around Haines City and Plant City deal with stuffy, pressure filled sinuses well past a typical allergy season.
If your sinus pressure flares at the same time every year, allergies may be the real cause, not an infection. Treating the allergy, often with a steroid nasal spray or an antihistamine, can prevent a lot of those flare ups. Our page on allergy care explains how we help.
What should you bring to your visit?
A few details help the doctor figure out what is going on faster:
- How many days you've had symptoms, and whether they got better and then worse
- The medicines and sprays you've already tried
- Your photo ID and insurance card
- The pharmacy you want your prescription sent to
Can't get away from work? Many sinus visits can be handled on a $59 TeleVisit from your phone when you are located in Florida. If the doctor thinks you need a closer look, you'll be asked to walk in at Haines City or Plant City, and your visit notes will already be there when you arrive.
Frequently asked questions
Can sinus pressure cause tooth pain?
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Yes. The sinuses above your cheeks sit right over the roots of your upper teeth, so swelling there can make several teeth ache at once. If the pain is in one tooth only or you have jaw swelling, see a dentist.
Does a hot shower help sinus pressure?
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Yes. The steam from a hot shower loosens thick mucus so it drains more easily, and many people feel relief within minutes. MedlinePlus suggests breathing in steam two to four times a day while you're congested. Follow it with a saline rinse for the best results.
Can allergies cause sinus pressure?
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Yes. Allergies make the lining of your nose and sinuses swell, which traps mucus and causes pressure. In Florida, pollen and mold keep many people congested for months at a time, so treating allergies early often helps prevent repeat sinus infections and the pressure that comes with them.
What is the fastest way to relieve sinus pressure?
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Steam and a saline rinse usually bring the quickest relief, followed by a warm compress on your face. A decongestant spray works fast too, but don't use it for more than three to five days in a row.
- Sinusitis, MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
- Sinus Infection Basics, CDC
- Rinsing Your Sinuses With Neti Pots, FDA
This article is for general information and isn't a substitute for medical advice. If you think you have a medical emergency, call 911.
