Effects You Didn't Know Were Caused By Sinusitis

Effects You Didn’t Know Were Caused By Sinusitis : According to information published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 28.9 million adults are diagnosed with chronic sinusitis each year. Since the severity of the associated medical problems can differ from person to person, the effects of this problem can also vary, too. Here are some effects you did not know were caused by Sinusitis.

Sinusitis Headaches or Migraine Headaches

One of the most common signs and symptoms of sinusitis is headaches. In fact, for some people, this may be one of the most obvious signs that they may experience. However, before a headache can be contributed to a sinus problem, a sinus doctor may need to determine if these headaches are coming from migraine problems instead. For instance, if a patient is suffering from migraines or sinuses, the pain tends to become worse when they bend their head forward. On the other hand, if the patient is nauseated and vomiting, these headaches are usually linked to a migraine problem instead of sinusitis. In short, the physician will need to learn as much as they can about each patient before an accurate diagnosis can be made.

Constant Runny Nose

When a patient nose runs constantly like a water faucet, one of the first causes that come to mind for most people is the beginning of the common cold. While this may be true in many situations, this is not always the case for those people who are suffering from sinusitis. For instance, if the person feels a tightening pressure behind their eyes and their cheeks, a runny nose, and a headache that worsens over time, the sinus doctor may diagnose this runny nose as sinusitis instead of the common cold.

Fatigue

Some patients complain of always feeling tired with very little energy throughout the day. In some cases, the tiredness that they experience may come from the energy that is expended just trying to breathe in the fresh air. The body will also use a lot of energy to deal with the pain that a patient experiences due to the infection that is in the body. Therefore, one of the major effects of a sinus problem can be directly related to fighting off these types of health and medical illnesses.

Tooth, Gum and Mouth Pain

Another common effect of experiencing sinus problems is tooth pain. Based on the severity of the pressure that the person feels, a patient may begin to experience dental problems that surface in the form of pain in the gums, toothaches and general pain inside of their mouth. It is not uncommon for sinus patients to visit their dentist for a tooth extraction. Fortunately, dentists who are familiar with how sinus affects the body and the teeth, no tooth extractions are performed. Instead, all the patient has to do is wait until the sinus infection is completely gone. Once this happens, the dental pain that patients feel will also be alleviated, too.

Bad Breath and Bad Taste

Sometimes patients may have a very difficult time keeping their breath clean and fresh smelling. Even when they are brushing their teeth several times during the day and gargling with mouthwash, they are still very conscious about the bad odor. Unfortunately, the bad taste and bad odors that they experience will only begin to go away after the sinus infection has cleared up. This is because the bad odor and smells are usually coming from the sinus infection (i.e mucus that drains down from the sinuses to the throat and then the mouth).

High Fever

When a sinus doctor treats a sinus patient, they are usually looking for signs that they can be related directly to these types of medical and health problems. Because there are specific signs of sinus infections, one of the first things that they may check is their patient’s temperature. For instance, if the patient comes into their office with all of the symptoms listed above and an elevated fever, they may prescribe an over the counter medication to control for the fever and anti-biotic to address the sinus infection that is in the body.

Congestion in the Nose, Throat, and Chest

Some people think that the congestion that they feel in their nose, throat, and chest are the telltale signs of the common cold. Though these are the signs of a cold, these same signs can be seen in a patient that is suffering from sinusitis as well. The congestion in a sinus infection can affect many different upper parts of the body since it is fluid and inflammation that is built up and trapped in these areas. This is why some sinus doctors will recommend decongestants to force these fluids to move.

Dizziness and Lightheaded

Sinuses can be infected by various kinds of allergens in the air. In some cases, these allergens can even be in the food that people eat regularly. Whatever the case or situation, when these allergens affect the ears of a patient, they may also begin to feel dizzy and lightheaded. Some patients may even describe their experiences as the room spinning and feeling faint enough to pass out at times. While dizziness can be linked to other medical problems, it is also a sign that a sinus doctor may look for in patients that have sinusitis.

Learning the different effects that sinusitis has on the body is one of the essential keys to getting better. Because the effects can be mistaken for other health and medical illnesses and disease, people must understand the differences between migraines, common cold and other medical issues that have the same or similar effects. Therefore, the more a sinus doctor learns about their patient’s signs and symptoms, the more accurate diagnosis can be made so that these infections can be treated properly.