Acute Sinusitis vs Chronic Sinusitis
Most people know what it means to have a sinus infection. You were feeling fine and now you are sick. Lots of nasal discharge, yellow or green in color, congestion, sinus pressure, headache, sore throat, and possibly a fever. These are the typical symptoms of an Acute Sinusitis. This is a short-lived illness that comes on abruptly and may spontaneously resolve or may resolve after a course of antibiotic therapy. The symptoms resolve and you feel right back to good as ever.
Chronic Sinusitis is a totally different issue. In this condition, an episode of acute sinusitis actually failed to resolve. The infection in one or more of your sinus cavities lingers for months and is left untreated. This condition may not produce any of the typical sinus symptoms that you would normally feel in an acute sinusitis. As such you may not feel that you have a sinus infection at all.
The symptoms of chronic sinusitis are usually secondary issues outside of the nasal and sinus area.
Chronic Sinusitis Symptoms
Popping and pressure in your ears, difficulty clearing your ears, or fluid in your ears.
The chronic sinusitis causes swelling and irritation of the Eustachian tube in the back of the nose and makes it not function as well as it should.
Chronic hoarseness, throat clearing, and cough.
The inflammatory postnasal drip irritates the throat and the vocal cord area resulting in these symptoms. The associated mouth breathing that may be present further exacerbates these issues.
Bronchitis and pneumonia.
Recurring episodes of bronchitis and lung infection are typical for chronic sinusitis.
Chronic sore throat and recurring strep infection.
The inflammation from the chronic post nasal drip and the mouth-breathing that may be present tend to increase the risk for throat infections.
Headache and migraines.
The chronic sinusitis may serve as a trigger for tension and migraine headaches.
Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
The chronic sinusitis causes a limitation of the nasal airway which increases the risk of snoring, sleep apnea, and excessive daytime sleepiness from poor quality sleep.
Keep in mind that chronic sinusitis may disguise itself as many other medical complaints. If this diagnosis is not entertained and evaluated, you may continue to suffer from multiple secondary issues.
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