Sinusitis, or "sinus pain," is one of the most common seasonal illnesses for patients in the Denver area. At our AFC Urgent Care locations, we've noticed an uptick in sinus pain cases across all of our locations. While we're more than happy to provide sinus pain treatment for all patients, the AFC Urgent Care Denver teams wants to give you the best tips and self-care treatment options to manage sinus pain.
Additionally, understanding some of the causes and symptoms of sinus pain is crucial to ensuring that you can manage any sinus pain at home. Some symptoms are key indicators of sinus pain and can help you decide the best option for treatment!
A refresher on sinus pain for patients:
Per our previous blog, sinus pain is "when a person experiences mild to moderate headache-like pain due to a sinus infection. A sinus infection, known as sinusitis, causes sinus pain as do migraines and frequent headaches." A patient needs to understand the key differences between the sensation of a sinus infection and other conditions:
While most people confuse sinus pain with headaches or migraines, chronic sinusitis can lead to a variety of painful health complications. A person with chronic sinusitis may have painful symptoms such as high fever, stiff neck, headaches, and even mucus polyps.
Thankfully, most cases of sinus pain can be managed at home for the most part. Only a handful of cases are chronic and require advanced treatment. But what should you do to manage minor sinus pain and avoid it?
Sinus pain is usually the result of an upper respiratory infection from an airborne illness like the common cold or influenza. Make sure to avoid any potential triggers by practicing good hygiene each day.
Recommended ways to lower infectious diseases and the spread of germs include:
Handwashing: Effectively washing your hands can reduce respiratory infection by 16 percent.
Disinfectant: Using hand sanitizer and disinfectant helps reduce student absenteeism and reduce the spread of germs.
Coughing and sneezing: When coughing or sneezing, make sure to avoid touching public surfaces. In addition, practice good cough and sneezing etiquette by using a tissue to sneeze/cough into. If you don’t have a tissue then use your elbow.
Source: AFC Urgent Care Denver
What are the best ways to relieve sinus pain symptoms?
Sinus pain symptoms to watch for that can indicate a specific sinus infection include the following, per Harvard Medical School's publishing division:
Painful pressure is the main symptom of a sinus infection. Depending on which sinus is involved, the pain is in the forehead (frontal sinusitis), over the cheek or in the upper jaw and teeth (maxillary sinusitis), behind the eyes (ethmoid or sphenoid sinusitis), or at the top of the head (sphenoid sinusitis). Sinus pain usually increases when you bend forward.
Nasal congestion and a thick, dark-colored nasal discharge are also common during a sinus infection. When the mucus drips into your throat from the back of your nose, you'll notice a foul taste, and you may get bad breath or a cough. You may temporarily lose your sense of smell or taste. Finally, you may feel feverish, achy, and tired.
Source: Harvard Medical School
Sinus pain indicates a significant respiratory infection, so make sure that you watch for pain around the cheeks, and watch for mucus and similar respiratory irritations.
Sinusitis relief is available at-home for patients and is recommended before seeking out medical treatment. According to health experts from Harvard Medical, it is best to wait a few days and manage your sinus pain. Experts suggest using over-the-counter medications to relieve initial sinus pain and then follow up with plenty of fluids, decongestants, salt water treatments, and other methods to promote mucus drainage.
Get sinus pain treatment at AFC Urgent Care Denver Leetsdale!
AFC Urgent Care Denver Leetsdale is our newest AFC location that provides sinus pain treatment and relief for nearby patients! Simply walk in for urgent care or make an appointment online!
Whenever you need to relieve sinus pain treatment for enhanced symptoms, please don't hesitate to give us a call!
