Does sinusitis cause coughing?

Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
Updated on June 09, 2025
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Sinusitis may cause coughing since the condition presents with various symptoms. Common symptoms include nasal congestion, purulent nasal discharge, headaches, dizziness, reduced sense of smell, and postnasal drip. Some patients may experience coughing, often due to the postnasal drip where secretions from the nasal cavity and nasopharynx flow into the throat, leading to an irritating cough, typically a dry cough. This secretion irritates the throat, causing itchiness and resulting in a cough. Additionally, sinusitis can induce pharyngitis as the ear, nose, and throat are interconnected. Sinusitis may lead to conditions such as otitis media (middle ear infection) and pharyngitis, which can directly cause coughing. Hence, it is necessary to seek timely medical treatment at a hospital upon the onset of symptoms.

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How to deal with frontal headache caused by sinusitis?

In the acute phase, symptomatic anti-inflammatory treatment is needed, which can be administered orally or intravenously through antibiotics, whereas chronic sinusitis requires local surgical treatment. The frontal headache caused by sinusitis is generally common in frontal sinusitis. Frontal sinusitis is a common type of sinusitis which occurs when the body's immunity is lowered, allowing bacteria to invade along the opening of the frontal sinuses, thus affecting the mucous membranes of the frontal sinuses, leading to congestion, swelling, proliferation, and exudation. Patients may experience symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and frontal swelling pain. An examination with an endoscope and a CT scan of the sinuses will reveal purulent secretions in both nasal cavities. At the same time, enlargement of the nasal conchae on both sides can block the nasal passages causing nasal congestion in patients. In terms of treatment, the acute phase requires symptomatic anti-inflammatory treatment. Generally, in cases of bacterial infection, patients can achieve good results with oral or intravenous antibiotic treatment. However, for chronic sinusitis, local surgical treatment is required for cure.

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Symptoms of sinusitis in babies

Baby sinusitis is divided into acute sinusitis and chronic sinusitis. Acute sinusitis often occurs during the course of acute rhinitis, with worsened symptoms on the affected side, which can include chills, fever, general malaise, lack of energy, nasal obstruction, purulent nasal discharge, localized pain, headache, reduced sense of smell, and decreased appetite. The symptoms of chronic sinusitis are relatively mild or not obvious, generally including dizziness, easy fatigue, listlessness, poor appetite, reduced memory, and lack of concentration.

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Does sinusitis affect the eyes?

Sinusitis is a relatively common otorhinolaryngological disease. A small percentage of patients may experience effects on their eyes, leading to decreased vision, orbital abscesses, eye swelling and pain, or visual field defects. There is significant individual variation in clinical symptoms. After the onset of the disease, it is necessary to visit the otorhinolaryngology and ophthalmology departments to assess the severity of the condition. In terms of treatment, some patients may opt for conservative medical treatment. However, for others with more severe conditions where conservative medical treatment proves ineffective, surgical treatment should be considered, followed by regular follow-up exams to observe the outcomes of the surgery.

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Can you smoke with sinusitis?

Patients with sinusitis are advised not to smoke, as cigarettes have a relatively strong irritation and may affect the treatment of sinusitis, as well as increase the degree of inflammatory response. Some patients may also suffer from acute upper respiratory tract infections. Therefore, patients with sinusitis should visit an ENT specialist as soon as they experience symptoms, undergo a nasal endoscopy and sinus CT scan to assess the severity of the condition. Most patients can consider conservative treatment. Common treatments include nasal spray medications, oral medications, and rinsing the nasal cavity with saline. Regular follow-ups during the treatment process are needed to observe the treatment effects.

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How to treat sinusitis

The treatment of sinusitis is mainly divided into two categories. The first category is conservative treatment, and the second is surgical treatment. Conservative treatment is primarily used for acute sinusitis or for chronic sinusitis when the inflammatory response is not particularly severe. Overall, most patients can effectively control inflammation, improve their condition, and relieve symptoms with conservative treatments such as oral medications, nasal sprays, and saline nasal irrigation. However, some patients have a more severe inflammatory response and do not respond well to conservative treatment, or they might have fungal sinusitis. In these cases, surgery is generally considered necessary, mainly involving minimally invasive endoscopic sinus surgery, which has proven to be quite effective and causes minimal damage.