Sinusitis is a common problem, affecting 28.9 million adults in the U.S., as noted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While it's temporary in some people and will subside once allergy season is over or an infection is treated, some people experience chronic sinusitis. It helps to know what sinusitis is, the symptoms, and when to book a doctor's appointment before scheduling an appointment with Dr. Arthur Katz's office in Merrillville and Munster, IN, and Olympia Fields, IL.

General Information

Sinusitis happens when you have inflammation in your sinuses. Often, your nasal cavity will become swollen as well. Acute cases of sinusitis may only last a week or less or up to a month. Some of these cases will recur.

On the other hand, chronic sinusitis tends to last for three months or longer. Some people have recurring bouts of it. We should note that the symptoms will last even with treatment when you have a chronic case.

Symptoms of Sinusitis

With chronic sinusitis, you may have nasal inflammation along with sinus inflammation. You may notice you have a runny nose, and the discharge is thick and possibly discolored. For some people, the drainage remains in the nose and causes nasal congestion. 

Postnasal drainage is a common symptom of sinusitis. This occurs when the drainage flows down your throat. 

Because your sense of taste relies heavily on your nasal passageways, you may notice you can't taste much. 

Since the ear, nose, and throat are interconnected, you may have ear pain. You could develop a headache or pain in your teeth or upper jaw. 

While the symptoms of acute sinusitis and chronic sinusitis are similar, fever is more common in acute cases since they're more likely to be from an infection. 

When You Should Schedule an Appointment With Us

We encourage people to schedule an appointment at our office if they have recurring sinusitis or it becomes chronic. If you have an acute case that's lasted for over 10 days, we may be able to help as well. 

Additionally, you could benefit from seeing our specialist if you've seen your primary care physician already for this, and the symptoms haven't improved. 

If you have a fever, swelling around your eyes, confusion, vision changes, or neck stiffness, these are signs of an infection and could benefit from medical intervention. In cases when it's bacterial, antibiotics will speed up the recovery process. 

If you have sinusitis that won't go away or hasn't responded to treatment, Dr. Katz's in Merrillville and Munster, IN, and Olympia Fields, IL, can assist. Whether it's prescribing an antibiotic, allergy testing, or another treatment, our practitioner will help you alleviate your unpleasant sinusitis symptoms. 

 Call today for more information at (219) 934-9396 for the office in Munster, IN, (219) 769-8441 for the office in Merrillville, IN, and (708) 747-6900 for the office in Olympia Fields, IL.