Discharge Instructions - Sinusitis

As discussed in the Emergency Department prior to discharge, you were diagnosed with sinusitis.  Sinusitis is a condition that can cause a stuffy nose, pain in the face, and yellow or green discharge (mucus) from the nose.  The sinuses are hollow areas in the bones of the face.  They have a thin lining that normally makes a small amount of mucus.  When this lining gets infected, it swells and makes extra mucus.  This is what causes the symptoms of sinusitis.

Sinusitis can occur when a person gets sick with a cold.  The germs causing the cold can also infect the sinuses.  Many times, a person feels like his or her cold is getting better.  But then he or she gets sinusitis and begins to feel sick again.

Common symptoms of sinusitis include: stuffy or blocked nose, thick yellow or green discharge from the nose, pain in the teeth, and pain or pressure in the face (often feels worse when a person bends forward).

People with sinusitis can also have other symptoms that include: fever, cough, trouble smelling, ear pressure or fullness, headache, bad breath, or feeling tired

Most of the time, symptoms start to improve in 7 to 10 days.

To reduce your symptoms, you can:

    -Take an over-the-counter pain reliever to reduce the pain

    -Rinse your nose and sinuses with salt water a few times a day

Antihistamines do not improve symptoms of sinusitis.  They can treat allergies, but not sinus infections, and could increase your discomfort by drying the lining of your nose and sinuses, or making you tired.

You may have been prescribed a steroid nose spray to reduce the swelling in your nose.  Take this medication as instructed.  You may also have been described a decongestant nose spray, such as Oxymetazoline (Afrin), or pill, such as Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed).  It is important that you not use Oxymetazoline (Afrin) for more than 3 days, as this may lead to worsening nasal congestion.

Most of the time, sinusitis does not need to be treated with antibiotic medicines.  This is because most sinusitis is caused by viruses – not bacteria – and antibiotics do not kill viruses.  Many people get over sinus infections without antibiotics.

Some people with sinusitis do need treatment with antibiotics.  If your symptoms have not improved after 10 days, ask your doctor if you should take antibiotics.  Your doctor might recommend that you wait 1 more week to see if your symptoms improve.  But if you have symptoms such as a fever or a lot of pain, he or she might prescribe antibiotics.  It is important to follow your doctor's instructions about taking your antibiotics.

Return to the Emergency Department if your symptoms last more than 10 days, if your symptoms get better at first but then get worse, if you develop fever higher than 102°F (38.9°C), you develop sudden and severe pain in the face and head, trouble seeing or seeing double, trouble thinking clearly, swelling or redness around one or both eyes, a stiff neck, drainage of pus from the nostrils, or any new or concerning symptoms.