Respiratory illnesses, whether in adults or children, are among the most common reasons patients visit the doctor. From allergies to sinus infections, understanding the symptoms, triggers, and treatment options is very important for managing allergies and sinus infections effectively. We’ll explore the differences between allergies and sinusitis, what triggers them, and how you can treat and manage these conditions both at home and with medical care.
What Are The Symptoms of Allergies and Sinus Infections
The symptoms of allergy are generally sneezing, watery eyes, hay fever, sometimes eye issues, and sometimes things like asthma. Sinus infections are usually more illness, like being sick, not going to work, that sort of thing. Fevers, thick discolored mucus, headaches, even dental pain. The way you figure out which one you have besides allergy and sinusitis has all to do with allergy. Whether this is a nuisance like sneezing, water ice, hay fever, thin secretions as opposed to thick secretions and more really illness.
Allergies are the body’s immune response to triggers like pollen, dust mites, mold, or pet dander. The most common symptoms of allergies include sneezing, watery or itchy eyes, a runny or
congested nose, and sometimes mild coughing or wheezing. The symptoms for allergies are often seasonal, such as during spring or fall, or they can occur year-round if the trigger is present at your home, place of work or outdoor activities you do. Allergies typically cause clear, thin mucus and are present as long as you are exposed to the allergen.
Sinus infections (or sinusitis) typically occur after a cold or sometimes nasal polyps or a deviated septum. Unlike allergies, sinus infections are caused by a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection that enters your sinuses leading to inflammation of the sinus cavities. The symptoms of a sinus infection include thick, discolored mucus, facial pain or pressure (especially around the forehead, eyes, and cheeks), headaches, and sometimes even dental pain. Sinus infections can also cause fever, bad breath, and a reduced sense of smell. The symptoms of a sinus infection are more severe and often make you feel unwell enough to miss work or daily activities.
What Triggers Allergies
What can trigger allergies is what we inhale out of the environment. There’s a lot of things that are airborne that we don’t even really see. When we inhale that, it gets stuck to the lining of our nose and it causes a reaction.
Now sometimes the allergies can then go into sinus infection, but the sinus infection causes are generally One, long term allergy symptoms, and others are actually anatomic problems, like septal deviations, or polyps, or other things that would require surgery.
It’s a fact that we can have allergies throughout the year, but the seasons generally are in the spring, we have tree allergies, pine and oak, that’s abundant here, in the summer it’s all the different grasses, and then in the fall, it’s weeds.
And then throughout the winter, you know, we’re homes more. So then we get more of the mold, dust, pet exposures. The busiest time of the year for sinus infections can be year round. When you really have serious sinus problems, it’s not seasonal. Then what you’re doing is you’re seeing your doctor frequently for antibiotics and getting this and that.
Sinusitis and Allergy Treatment
The treatment of allergy and sinusitis. Both start with one simple thing, and that’s saline irrigation. So some of the things that you do, basically, when your nose is exposed to bad things in the environment, it gets stuck to your nose.
So if you wash your nose, you don’t have a reaction. That is the first thing to do, regardless. Then there’s nose sprays. It’s better to treat, if you’ve got just a nasal problem, it’s really just best to treat the medicine just directly into your nose. So rather than taking a pill that has to go all over your body to help your nose.
Managing Sinus Infections and Allergies
Things that you do at home, such as looking for obvious signs of mold, checking if you have a particularly dusty environment, or managing your cats and dogs, can make a significant difference. If you have a sinus infection, taking a hot shower or using steam can help open up your sinuses and improve drainage. Breathing well and staying clear are essential for good sleep and rest.
Breathing well and regular exercise are key to maintaining good health. It’s also important for children to learn good hygiene at home, such as washing their hands, using hand sanitizer, and being mindful of sneezing to protect themselves. We offer allergy testing and treatment with immunotherapy.
We also perform CT scans here to help us understand what’s going on in their sinuses. Even children can have a CT scan at Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat. Additionally, we provide hearing tests and audiology services to ensure their hearing health is in good shape.
Reviewed by the board-certified ENTs doctors at Coastal Ear, Nose & Throat
Still have questions? Ask one of our ENT doctors!