The team to choose for sinus infection treatment
When you have a sinus infection, you want relief as quickly as possible, but that doesn’t mean you should entrust your care to just anyone. Rest assured that you’ll be in good hands when you partner with DispatchHealth for sinus infection treatment. Our skilled mobile teams can treat almost everything than an emergency room can, but despite the added convenience of an at-home visit, our services cost just a fraction of what you could expect to pay at the ER. We accept most major health insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, and we also offer a reasonable flat rate for uninsured patients.
Sinus infection symptoms & when to seek treatment
A sinus infection (also referred to as “sinusitis”) can cause a number of unpleasant symptoms. Many of these symptoms are similar to what you might experience with a cold, such as congestion, a runny nose, coughing, a headache, and fatigue. But there are a few symptoms unique to sinus infections, including:
- Pain and pressure around the eyes, cheekbones, and upper jaw
- Postnasal drip consisting of thick yellow or green mucus
- A decreased sense of smell and taste
- Bad breath
- A high or persistent fever
In many cases, sinus infections will resolve on their own. In the meantime, you may be able to relieve your symptoms by taking over-the-counter pain medications and decongestants, irrigating your sinuses with a saline nasal spray, placing a warm compress over your forehead and nose, and breathing in steam from the shower or a bowl of hot water. However, in some instances, sinus infections will require the attention of a trained medical provider. You should promptly seek professional treatment if:
- Your symptoms last for more than 10 days without improvement
- You have a fever of 101 degrees or higher
- You have a fever for longer than three to four days
- Your symptoms appear to improve but then suddenly worsen
- Your symptoms are particularly severe
- You’ve experienced multiple sinus infections within the past year
What causes sinus infections?
There are four pairs of sinuses in the area around your nose, located above your eyes, behind your eyes, alongside the bridge of your nose, and near your cheekbones. Normally, your sinuses are empty. However, when they become inflamed—often due to allergies or a viral infection like the common cold—they can swell up and prevent mucus from draining out as it usually would. The resulting buildup of mucus provides the perfect breeding ground for germs, which can in turn lead to the development of an infection.
Although sinusitis normally results from a viral infection, it can also be caused by a bacterial infection. It’s difficult to distinguish between the two, since many of the symptoms overlap, but a trained medical provider will be able to pinpoint the specific cause of your condition. It’s important to know the difference, since antibiotics could be used to help treat a bacterial infection, while they would have no effect on a viral infection.
How to prevent sinus infections
There are various steps you can take to avoid contracting a sinus infection in the first place. You should:
- Wash your hands frequently
- Avoid touching your face
- Disinfect frequently touched surfaces
- Stay away from individuals with colds or other upper respiratory infections
- Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke and other pollutants
- Keep your nasal passages moist by using saline spray and a humidifier
- Protect your immune system by eating a nutritious diet, exercising, avoiding stress, and getting enough sleep
If left untreated
It’s important to promptly seek treatment for a sinus infection. The sooner you do, the sooner your symptoms will start to resolve. Plus, if a sinus infection goes untreated, it could potentially develop into chronic sinusitis. And although it’s rare for this to occur, sinus infections can also sometimes lead to meningitis, a brain abscess, or a bone infection.
If you need treatment for a sinus infection, don’t delay—reach out to DispatchHealth today and request a visit from one of our mobile healthcare teams. You can do so by calling us, downloading our mobile app, or visiting our website.
