Sinusitis: When Your Symptoms Aren’t Just a Common Cold

When you’re in the middle of the sneezing, congested, and dripping stages of an illness, you’re likely not too concerned with the distinctions between a common cold and sinusitis. Yet, with a plethora of shared symptoms, it’s often hard to recognize that they’re two separate conditions. 

You might not need a visit to Mercy Medical Urgent Care in Lake City, Florida, for a cold, but sinusitis could require additional care, so it’s important to know and recognize which is which. Here, our board-certified providers look at the common features and differences between the two. 

The common cold

There are more than 200 types of viruses known to cause common cold symptoms. Collectively, they’re referred to as rhinitis. A common cold is an upper respiratory infection that affects your nose and throat. 

Colds are usually mild conditions that cause inconvenient symptoms that may slow you down, but usually, they won’t bring your days to a halt. The symptoms include:

• Runny, stuffy nose
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Cough and congestion

You may also experience mild fever, headache, or minor body aches. Cold symptoms are usually strongest in the first 3-5 days of symptoms, and they can linger for about 10 days. 

Sinusitis

Where things get murky is when a cold virus leads to infection and inflammation of the nasal cavities behind your nose. A cold itself doesn’t infect your sinuses, but it can create conditions that lead to an infection, called sinusitis. 

It’s often a natural progression from a cold into sinusitis, so much so that it’s difficult to distinguish between the conditions. However, the buildup of mucus in your sinuses interferes with natural drainage, a necessary part of getting past both of these illnesses. 

Though a cold and sinusitis share symptoms, generally these symptoms are worse once sinusitis becomes active. Sinusitis has some distinguishing symptoms too. These include: 

• Thicker green or yellow mucus discharge 
• Sinus headache below and behind your eyes
• Pressure in your ears
• Dizziness
• Upper jaw pain or sore teeth on the upper arch 
• Cough 
• Fatigue
• Fever 

Facial pain and tenderness are more common with sinusitis. You may feel greater discomfort when you bend over. Sinusitis also extends the duration of your symptoms, so if your runny nose lasts longer than 10 days, you probably have sinusitis. 

Treatments

Colds are caused by viruses, which can’t currently be treated directly. You can only treat the symptoms, usually with over-the-counter consumer products like cough syrups, decongestants, and pain relievers. Drinking plenty of fluids and increasing your rest usually help too. 

Sinusitis may be due to either a viral or bacterial infection, but only a bacterial infection will respond to antibiotics. Bacterial infections tend to last longer than their viral cousins. 

Strategies that reduce inflammation are typically best for relieving sinusitis symptoms. These include: 

• Nasal corticosteroids or saline nasal sprays
• Over-the-counter pain relievers and decongestants
• Sinus rinsing (Neti pot)
• Sleeping in an elevated position
• Humidifying the air
• Warm compresses on your face 

When your cold or sinusitis becomes difficult to manage, visit Mercy Medical Urgent Care or call 386-758-2944 today. We accept same-day walk-in patients.