Symptoms of sinusitis recovery

Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
Updated on February 12, 2025
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Sinusitis is a relatively common otolaryngological disease. If sinusitis is cured after treatment, clinically it means that the symptoms have subsided; there is no nasal congestion, no purulent nasal discharge, normal sense of smell, and no headache, dizziness, or blood in the nasal discharge. However, individual differences in treatment outcomes do exist. During the treatment process, regular follow-up visits are necessary to observe the recovery status of the condition. Additionally, combining nasal endoscopy, routine blood tests, and sinus CT scans with the doctor's clinical experience can help determine whether the sinusitis has healed. However, some patients may experience a recurrence of symptoms after treatment.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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What are the symptoms of sinusitis?

The clinical symptoms of sinusitis vary widely among individuals, and in general, it is considered a common illness. The most frequent clinical manifestations include nasal congestion, purulent nasal discharge, reduced sense of smell, headaches, and dizziness. Some patients may also experience facial pain and numbness; however, specific symptoms vary from person to person. Some may exhibit only one symptom, while others may experience two to three, or even multiple symptoms, with the disease demonstrating recurrent and fluctuating patterns. In terms of treatment, medication remains the primary approach, supplemented by nasal irrigation. Only a small fraction of patients, whose symptoms do not improve with conservative medication treatments or who suffer from particularly severe inflammatory reactions like fungal sinusitis, may consider surgery.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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Can sinusitis cause a fever?

Sinusitis may cause fever, but this is mainly seen in acute sinusitis or during the acute flare-ups of chronic sinusitis, which relatively tends to provoke a fever. If it is just a mild case of sinusitis or plain chronic sinusitis, most patients do not experience significant fever changes, but they might have symptoms like nasal congestion, runny nose, headaches, dizziness, and a decrease in the sense of smell. When experiencing a fever, it is important to visit an otolaryngology department as soon as possible where you might consider undergoing a routine blood test to check the extent of the inflammatory response. Most patients will need to consider antibiotic treatment for the infection. If the body temperature exceeds 38.5 degrees Celsius, there may be a need to consider antipyretic medications. If the fever is below 38.5 degrees, physical cooling measures are generally recommended, but it is necessary to regularly reassess and monitor the temperature, selecting targeted treatments based on the fluctuations of the condition. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Zhang Jun
Otolaryngology
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How should sinusitis be treated?

Sinusitis is caused by acute inflammatory infections, mainly hemolytic streptococcus or Staphylococcus aureus. Pathogens enter the sinuses through the sinus openings due to the patient catching a cold or having a flu, leading to congestion, swelling, hyperplasia, and exudation in the sinus mucosa. Symptoms include persistent nasal congestion, discharge of yellow secretions from the nasal cavity accompanied by a foul smell, and severe cases may also experience facial swelling, pain, and headaches. In terms of treatment, during the acute phase, patients need to first undergo symptomatic anti-inflammatory treatment, taking oral antibiotics such as cephalosporins, which are very effective. Additionally, physiological saline is used for nasal and sinus irrigation. If conservative treatment is ineffective, patients may require endoscopic sinus surgery and sinus mucosa clearance for recovery. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a professional doctor.)

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Written by Zhang Jun
Otolaryngology
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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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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
1min home-news-image

How to treat sinusitis?

The treatment of sinusitis is mainly divided into two major categories. The first category is conservative treatment, and the second category is surgical treatment. Most patients consider conservative treatment because it can effectively control the condition and alleviate inflammation, and the overall effect is relatively good. In terms of medication, oral medications are primarily considered, commonly involving the use of antibiotics combined with nasal sprays and traditional Chinese medicine treatments. Additionally, physiological saline or seawater can be considered for nasal irrigation. Generally, the treatment period is about one to two weeks or more, and regular follow-ups are required. If it is fungal sinusitis, or if the effect of drug treatment for chronic sinusitis is not satisfactory, surgery may be considered. The surgery mainly involves minimally invasive sinus surgery under nasal endoscopy, which generally causes less damage and is quite effective.