Sinus Infections

Sinus infections, also known as sinusitis, happen when viruses or bacteria infect your sinuses. This infection causes a stuffy nose and pain in your face. Knowing more about sinus infections helps you understand how they affect your health.

Castle Rock’s Trusted Urgent Care Facility for Sinus Infections

Sinus Infection Treatment

At Founders Family Medicine in Castle Rock, we provide personalized care for sinus infections to help you feel better.

Our doctors will carefully check your symptoms and offer effective diagnosis and treatment for sinus infections at our urgent care clinic. Get the care you need to find relief and healing.

Call 303-688-8666 to schedule an urgent care appointment at our Castle Rock clinic or a telehealth appointment.

What is a Sinus Infection?

A sinus infection, or sinusitis, occurs when the tissue lining of the sinuses becomes inflamed or infected. During a sinus infection, fluid fills and blocks nasal cavities allowing an infection to form. Most sinusitis comes from viral infections, but sometimes bacteria are the cause.

It is important to see a health care provider to figure out the type of sinusitis you have so you can get the right treatment.

Types of Sinus Infections

Our diagnosis process includes identifying the type of sinus infection. We tailor your treatment to your specific symptoms and causes.

There are two main types of sinusitis: acute sinusitis and chronic sinusitis.

Acute Sinusitis

With acute sinus infections, the symptoms usually last less than a month. A cold or virus frequently causes this short-term inflammation.

Chronic Sinusitis

Chronic sinus infections can last 12 weeks or longer. Also, recurring sinus infections are linked to chronic sinusitis. Bacterial infections and nasal polyps both contribute to long-term sinus infections.

It is important to know if a sinus infection is acute or chronic because it helps doctors decide the best treatment. In severe cases, this might even mean surgery. Recognizing symptoms like pressure in the sinuses or sinus headaches is key to dealing with these infections effectively. This understanding helps in treating the condition before it gets worse.

Who Gets Sinusitis?

Sinusitis is when the tissue in your sinuses gets swollen or infected. This problem can happen to anyone, no matter their age or background.

Knowing who is more likely to get sinusitis helps doctors spot it early and treat it right.

Children and Adults: Both Acute and Chronic

People with Nasal Allergies or Asthma: More likely to get Chronic

People with Weak Immune Systems or Smokers: Higher risk for any type

This information is trustworthy and clear, making it easier to understand who can get sinusitis and how it might affect different people.

Diagnosis and Tests

To figure out if someone has a sinus infection, doctors usually do a few tests and check-ups. They look at common signs like pain in the face, stuffy nose, and mucus dripping down the back of the throat. The doctor will ask about how long the person has been feeling sick. If the sinus infection goes away in less than four weeks, it is often caused by a virus.

For longer-lasting sinus problems, which go on for 12 weeks or more, doctors might need to do special imaging tests, like CT scans. These help them see if there are any bigger issues, such as bacteria or growths in the nose, that keep the sinus problems going.

If a sinus infection doesn’t get better after 10 days or gets bad, it is important to see a doctor. While you can treat small infections with medicine from the store, bigger or more complicated infections might need stronger medicine from a doctor. Getting the right diagnosis quickly helps doctors decide the best way to treat the sinus infection.

What Are the Common Symptoms of a Sinus Infection?

Common symptoms of a sinus infection, also known as sinusitis, are facial pain, a runny nose, a sore throat, and a blocked nose. You might also notice mucus dripping down your throat, which is called postnasal drip, and pain in your sinuses. Often, you might have a headache because of pressure building up in your sinuses, which are air-filled spaces around your nose. This sinus pressure can make your cheeks, forehead, or area around your eyes hurt.

Other signs and symptoms of sinusitis include:

Ear pressure.
Tooth pain.
Changed sense of smell.
Cough.
Bad breath.
Tiredness.
Fever.

When you have sinusitis, your nose might run a lot, and the mucus can be thick and not clear. Sinus infections happen when these sinuses get swollen or infected, leading to a lot of mucus and making it hard to breathe through your nose.

Headaches happen because of the pressure in these sinuses. Although sinus infections have some symptoms similar to colds or seasonal allergies, like a runny nose and congestion, if these symptoms don’t go away after about 10 days, it might be a sinus infection. Sometimes, you might also have a fever, especially if bacteria cause the infection.

It is important to know when your symptoms might be more than just a common cold or allergies, especially if they last a long time. Seeing a doctor can help figure out if you have sinusitis and what medical treatment might help you feel better.

How Can I Treat a Sinus Infection?

Treating sinusitis often means using different ways to make you feel better and get rid of the infection.

If you have acute sinusitis, which doesn’t last more than a month and usually comes from a virus, the goal is to lessen your discomfort. Using decongestants, pain relievers, spraying salt water in your nose (nasal saline irrigation), and nasal sprays that reduce swelling can help with symptoms like a stuffy nose, face pain, and mucus that drips down the back of your throat.

Suppose the sinus infection lasts for 12 weeks or more, called chronic sinusitis. In that case, the chronic sinusitis treatment might include antibiotics if bacteria are causing the infection, pills to reduce swelling, or even cleaning out the sinus cavities to get rid of long-lasting symptoms.

Treatment Options	Description	Benefits
Decongestants	Reduce nasal congestion	Eases breathing
Nasal Saline Irrigation	Cleanses nasal passages	Helps clear mucus
Antibiotics	Treat bacterial infections	Clears the infection

These treatments help reduce symptoms and assist in healing, especially when bacterial sinus infections or ongoing issues are causing sinus problems. Talk with a healthcare provider to find the right treatment plan for your specific sinus infection.

When to Seek Care for a Sinus Infection

Knowing when to see a doctor for a sinus infection helps you get the right treatment on time. For a minor sinus infection, you likely won’t need care from a healthcare provider. Rest, pain medication, over-the-counter nasal saline sprays, and hydration at home can treat the symptoms.

However, if your symptoms last a long time or get worse, seek professional medical care. If you experience symptoms for an extended amount of time, you may have bacterial sinusitis that requires prescription medication. Signs that you should see a doctor include a lot of pain in your face, a stuffed nose, and mucus dripping down the back of your throat. Trouble breathing is a serious sign that needs quick action and might mean you need a procedure to clear your sinus passages. We also provide solutions to clean out the sinus cavity if you start to have trouble breathing.

Telehealth Care Options

Founders Family Medicine offers telehealth appointments with our experienced team of medical professionals.

Our doctors can check your symptoms over a video call and decide how to treat you. This means you can get help fast without going to a doctor’s office. Using telehealth stops germs from spreading in clinic waiting rooms.

What Happens if Sinusitis Isn’t Treated?

If you don’t treat sinusitis, it can cause serious health problems and make life uncomfortable. Chronic sinusitis can keep causing issues like a stuffy nose, face pain, and trouble breathing. If not treated, sinusitis might get worse and need surgery. Sometimes, untreated sinusitis can lead to nasal polyps, which block the sinuses more and make symptoms worse.

If you don’t use treatments like antibiotics or nasal rinses, sinus infections can become chronic. This means they happen often and can cause more sinus problems in the future. Constant sinus inflammation can also make you more likely to get other infections. In serious cases, doctors might need to clean out the sinus cavity to get rid of mucus and infected tissue.

It is important to see a doctor for sinusitis to avoid these problems, feel better, and keep your quality of life high. Quick and correct treatment can handle sinusitis well and stop it from becoming a bigger issue.

Sinus Infections in Children

Diagnosing and treating sinus infections in children needs special attention because their bodies and sinus areas are still growing. When checking if a child has sinusitis, doctors look for signs like a stuffy nose, pain in the face, and mucus dripping down the back of the throat. It is important to figure out if the infection is acute, which means it lasts for a short time, like less than a month, or chronic, which means it lasts for 12 weeks or more. Chronic sinusitis might be caused by bacteria and could lead to growths in the nose called nasal polyps, which need specific treatments.

In treating sinus infections in kids, doctors may suggest over-the-counter medicines, rinsing the nose with salt water, and sometimes antibiotics if bacteria are causing the infection. Quick and correct diagnosis is key to help relieve the symptoms and avoid more serious problems in children with sinusitis.

How Long Does a Sinus Infection Last?

In children, a sinus infection’s length can change depending on if it is acute or chronic. Acute sinusitis usually lasts under a month, while chronic sinusitis lasts 12 weeks or more.

Acute Sinusitis:

Lasts less than a month.
Usually starts with a virus.
Kids need rest and sometimes medicine to feel better.
Doctors may give antibiotics if bacteria cause the infection.

Chronic Sinusitis:

Goes on for at least 12 weeks.
Often comes back.
Treatment might include medicine or sinus surgery.
It is important to treat things like nasal polyps to keep sinus problems from coming back.

Can Sinus Infections Be Prevented or Avoided?

To help prevent sinus infections, it is important to keep your sinuses healthy and avoid things that can irritate them.

Wash your hands often to keep germs away.
Stay away from cigarette or tobacco smoke as it can irritate your sinuses.
Drink plenty of water to help keep your immune system strong.
Use a nasal rinse like a saline spray to keep your nasal passages clear of mucus.
Stay away from things that you are allergic to, as allergies can make your sinuses swell.
If you have conditions that make sinusitis more likely, like nasal polyps or a weak immune system, work with your doctor to manage them.

Schedule an Urgent Care Appointment at Founders Family Medicine

Founders Family Medicine serves patients in the Castle Rock area with compassionate care. Avoid the wait and expense of the emergency room by choosing treatment at an urgent care center. We treat a variety of conditions, including sinus infections.

Complete Diagnosis: Our doctors will examine your symptoms to figure out if you have short-term or long-term sinusitis.
Personalized Treatment: We will create a treatment plan that fits your specific needs, helping you to recover from your sinusitis.
Managing Symptoms: The care team will help reduce your facial pain, stuffy nose, and other sinus infection symptoms.
Advice on Over-the-Counter Medicines: You might get tips on which store-bought medicines can help you feel better at home.

This approach ensures you get the right help quickly and effectively, tailored just for you.