What Is Causing Your Sinus Pain?

What Is Causing Your Sinus Pain?

Could it be spring allergy season again or is your sinus pain being caused by something else?sinus pain

It seems like the same old song and dance. You wake up with a scratchy throat. You have red watery eyes and a runny nose that just won’t quit. But today, maybe symptoms are starting to feel a bit different. You may even be wondering if perhaps this could be more than just allergies. Our New Canaan, Norwalk and Westport, CT, otolaryngologist, Dr. Andrew Parker, offers up some convenient ways to distinguish between allergy-related sinus problems and other conditions.

There are many things that can lead to sinus pain and pressure but the three most common culprits tend to be a sinus infection, common cold and allergies. The problem is that it can be very challenging to figure out what could be causing your symptoms. Here are some ways to determine what might be to blame:

Sinus Infection

Would you classify your “sinus pain” as a feeling of fullness in your face? You may feel achy pressure around the nose and even under the eyes. It may also be accompanied by fever, headaches, post-nasal drip and what feels like a toothache (this is really just referred pain). Through a physical inspection of the nasal passages, our New Canaan, Norwalk and Westport ENT doctor can often determine if your symptoms are due to a sinus infection.

Sinus infection treatment: A sinus infection may just go away on its own or it may require a prescription. If you find that your symptoms persist for over a week, it’s time to schedule an appointment.

Common Cold

While you’ve probably had a cold before, you may not always be able to distinguish if your sinus pain and pressure is the result of a cold or something more. Along with this pain, you may also have a runny or stuffed nose or develop a persistent cough or sneeze. If you do develop a fever, these cold-related fevers tend to be fairly mild.

Common cold treatment: Your body has the ability to fight off a cold on its own, but you will want to make sure that you give yourself the proper care you need such as staying hydrated and resting as much as possible. If you don’t see an improvement after a week then give us a call.

Allergies

Some allergies can masquerade as the common cold with symptoms such as a runny nose, watery and itchy eyes, and sneezing. Of course, you may be more likely to experience a sudden attack of these symptoms rather than gradually noticing them over time.

Allergy treatment: A lot will depend what you are allergic to. We can provide you with helpful tips for keeping your home as allergen-free as possible, but we can also prescribe medications to manage severe or chronic allergy symptoms.

Don’t let sinus pain get you down. If you’ve been fighting symptoms for far too long and can’t find the relief you need then it’s time you turned to the professionals at Parker Ear, Nose & Throat in New Canaan, Norwalk and Westport, CT, to get to the bottom of your sinus issues.