Acute Sinusitis (Sinus Infection): Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
Updated: 2 days ago
Medically reviewed by Dr. Baraa Alnahhal, MD · Last reviewed: September 2026
TL;DR: Acute sinusitis, commonly called a sinus infection, occurs when the spaces inside your nose — the sinuses — become inflamed and swollen, making it hard for them to drain. Mucus builds up, blocking the nose and causing facial pressure and pain. The common cold, a viral infection, is the usual cause. Most cases clear up within a week to 10 days without treatment, and home remedies are often all that is needed. Sinusitis that lasts more than 12 weeks, even with treatment, is called chronic sinusitis.
Quick Answer
What is acute sinusitis? Acute sinusitis is inflammation and swelling of the sinuses, the cavities around the nasal passages inside the nose. It makes it hard for the sinuses to drain, so mucus builds up, causing a blocked nose, facial pressure, and sometimes pain around the eyes, cheeks, or forehead. The common cold — a virus — is the most common cause. Most often the condition clears up within a week to 10 days on its own, unless a bacterial infection develops. Home remedies and self-care usually ease the symptoms.
What Is Acute Sinusitis?
Acute sinusitis causes the spaces inside the nose, known as sinuses, to become inflamed and swollen. The sinuses are air-filled cavities around the nasal passages. When they become inflamed, it is hard for the sinuses to drain, and mucus builds up inside them.
The condition can make it hard to breathe through the nose. The area around the eyes and the face might feel swollen. You may also feel throbbing face pain or a headache.
The good news is that acute sinusitis usually resolves on its own. It most often clears up within a week to 10 days unless a bacterial infection develops. In many cases, home remedies are all that is needed for treatment.
It is also worth knowing the difference between acute and chronic forms. Sinusitis that lasts more than 12 weeks, even with medical treatment, is called chronic sinusitis. Acute sinusitis can sometimes be a flare-up of that longer-term problem.
What Causes Acute Sinusitis?
Acute sinusitis is an infection caused by a virus. The common cold is most often the cause. When a cold affects the sinuses, it can block your nose and prevent drainage of mucus. Blocked, stagnant mucus then creates the pressure and inflammation that produce sinusitis symptoms.
Sometimes, sinuses that have been blocked for a time might get a bacterial infection. That is a separate type of sinus infection. Even then, bacterial sinusitis might clear up on its own, which is why a healthcare provider may wait to see if symptoms worsen before prescribing antibiotics.
What kind of infection causes acute sinusitis? It is an infection caused by a virus; the common cold is most often the cause.
How does a cold turn into sinusitis? A blocked and stuffy nose may block the sinuses and prevent drainage of mucus.
Can a bacterial infection cause sinusitis? Yes — sinuses blocked for a time might get a bacterial infection.
Does bacterial sinusitis always need antibiotics? No — even bacterial sinusitis might clear up on its own.
What Are the Symptoms?
The main symptoms of acute sinusitis involve thick mucus, nasal blockage, and facial pressure. Thick, yellow or greenish mucus from the nose — known as a runny nose — or down the back of the throat, known as postnasal drip, is a hallmark sign. A blocked or stuffy nose, known as congestion, makes it hard to breathe through the nose.
Facial symptoms are the third main feature: pain, tenderness, swelling, and pressure around the eyes, cheeks, nose, or forehead. A key identifying detail is that this pressure typically gets worse when bending over.
Several other signs and symptoms can accompany the main ones. These include ear pressure, headache, aching in the teeth, a changed sense of smell, cough, bad breath, tiredness, and fever.
Thick mucus — yellow or greenish mucus from the nose (runny nose) or down the back of the throat (postnasal drip).
Congestion — a blocked or stuffy nose that makes it hard to breathe through the nose.
Facial pressure — pain, tenderness, swelling, and pressure around the eyes, cheeks, nose, or forehead; worse when bending over.
Ear pressure — a feeling of fullness in one or both ears.
Headache — often connected to the pressure in the sinuses.
Toothache — aching in the upper teeth from pressure.
Changed smell — your sense of smell may decrease or change.
Cough — can result from postnasal drip.
Bad breath — unpleasant breath from mucus buildup.
Tiredness — general fatigue during the illness.
Fever — sometimes accompanies the infection.
When Should You See a Doctor?
Most people with acute sinusitis do not need to see a healthcare provider, because the condition usually improves on its own within a week to 10 days.
You should contact your healthcare provider if symptoms last more than a week, if symptoms get worse after seeming to get better, if you have a fever that lasts, or if you have a history of repeated or chronic sinusitis.
Seek a healthcare provider immediately if you have pain, swelling, or redness around the eyes; a high fever; confusion; double vision or other vision changes; or a stiff neck.
Who Is at Risk?
Several factors can raise your risk of getting sinusitis. The most common is having hay fever or another allergy that affects the sinuses. The second is simply having a common cold that affects the sinuses.
Structural problems inside the nose also raise the risk. These include a deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps, or tumors. A deviated septum shifts the wall between your nostrils to one side, while nasal polyps are soft, painless growths in the lining of the nasal passages.
Certain medical conditions raise risk as well, such as cystic fibrosis or an immune system disorder such as HIV/AIDS. Finally, being around smoke — either from smoking or being around others who smoke, known as secondhand smoke — irritates the nasal passages and increases risk.
Hay fever or allergies — allergies that affect the sinuses cause inflammation and mucus buildup.
A common cold — a cold that affects the sinuses blocks drainage and inflames the nasal passages.
Deviated nasal septum — a shift in the wall between the nostrils can block sinus drainage.
Nasal polyps or tumors — growths inside the nose can block sinus drainage.
Cystic fibrosis — thick mucus characteristic of this condition blocks the sinuses.
Immune system disorder — conditions such as HIV/AIDS make infections more likely.
Smoke exposure — smoking or secondhand smoke irritates the lungs and nasal passages.
Can Acute Sinusitis Cause Complications?
Acute sinusitis does not often cause complications. When complications do occur, they range from the condition becoming chronic to, rarely, serious infections of nearby structures.
The most common complication is chronic sinusitis. Acute sinusitis can be a flare-up of this long-term problem, which lasts longer than 12 weeks.
Serious but uncommon complications include meningitis — an infection of the membranes and fluid around the brain and spinal cord. An infection can also spread to the bones, known as osteomyelitis, or to the skin, known as cellulitis. If the infection spreads to the eye socket, it can cause vision problems, reducing vision or even causing blindness. These complications are rare, which is one reason acute sinusitis is generally a reassuring, self-limited condition.
Chronic sinusitis — acute sinusitis can be a flare-up of this long-term problem that lasts longer than 12 weeks.
Meningitis — infection of the membranes and fluid around the brain and spinal cord.
Osteomyelitis — infection that spreads to the bones — uncommon.
Cellulitis — infection that spreads to the skin — uncommon.
Vision problems — infection spreading to the eye socket can reduce vision or cause blindness.
How Is Acute Sinusitis Diagnosed?
For most cases, diagnosis is straightforward. A healthcare provider asks about your symptoms and does an exam. The exam might include feeling for tenderness in the nose and face and looking inside the nose.
For cases that are unclear or do not improve, additional tests can help. Nasal endoscopy involves inserting a thin, flexible tube called an endoscope into the nose; a light on the tube allows the provider to see inside the sinuses. Imaging studies, such as a CT scan, can show details of the sinuses and nasal area. A CT scan is not usually used for simple acute sinusitis, but imaging might help rule out other causes.
Nasal and sinus samples are another option, though lab tests are not often used to diagnose acute sinusitis. If the condition does not get better with treatment or gets worse, tissue samples from the nose or sinuses might help find the cause.
Medical history and exam — provider asks about symptoms; exam may include feeling for tenderness in the nose and face and looking inside the nose.
Nasal endoscopy — a thin, flexible tube (endoscope) with a light is inserted into the nose to see inside the sinuses.
Imaging (CT scan) — shows details of the sinuses and nasal area; not usually used for simple acute sinusitis but may rule out other causes.
Nasal and sinus samples — tissue samples from the nose or sinuses if the condition does not improve or gets worse; lab tests are not often needed.
How Is Acute Sinusitis Treated?
Most cases of acute sinusitis get better on their own. Self-care is usually all that is needed to ease symptoms. Several over-the-counter options and home remedies can make the wait more comfortable.
Saline nasal spray rinses the inside of the nose. Salt water sprayed into the nose many times a day helps clear mucus. Nasal corticosteroids help prevent and treat swelling. Examples include fluticasone (Flonase Allergy Relief, Flonase Sensimist Allergy Relief, others), budesonide (Rhinocort Allergy), mometasone, and beclomethasone (Beconase AQ, Qnasl, others).
Decongestants come in liquids, tablets, and nasal sprays, with and without a prescription. An important caution: use nasal decongestants for only a few days, because they may cause worse stuffiness known as rebound congestion. For sinusitis caused or worsened by allergies, allergy medicines might lessen allergy symptoms. Pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), and aspirin are available without a prescription.
Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than 3, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin. Aspirin has been linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, in such children.
Saline nasal spray — salt water rinses the inside of the nose many times a day.
Nasal corticosteroids — prevent and treat swelling; examples include fluticasone, budesonide, mometasone, beclomethasone.
Decongestants — liquids, tablets, and nasal sprays reduce stuffiness; use nasal sprays for only a few days due to rebound congestion risk.
Allergy medicines — lessen allergy symptoms if allergies cause the sinusitis.
Pain relievers — acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin relieve pain (see aspirin caution above).
Antibiotics
Antibiotics do not treat viruses, which are the usual cause of acute sinusitis. Even when bacteria cause the sinusitis, the infection might clear up on its own. For this reason, a healthcare provider might wait and see whether symptoms get worse before prescribing antibiotics.
If you have severe, worsening, or long-lasting symptoms, antibiotics might be the right treatment. If they are prescribed, always take the whole course even after symptoms get better. Stopping antibiotics early might cause symptoms to come back.
Immunotherapy
For sinusitis caused or made worse by allergies, allergy shots might help. This treatment is known as immunotherapy.
What Home Remedies Help?
Simple lifestyle steps can relieve symptoms while your body fights the infection. Rest helps the body fight infection and speed recovery. Drinking plenty of fluids keeps mucus thin and drainable.
A warm compress on the nose and forehead might help lessen pressure in the sinuses. Keeping the sinuses moist also helps: breathing in steam from a bowl of hot water with a towel over your head, or taking a hot shower, can ease pain and help mucus drain.
Rinsing the inside of the nose is another effective step. Using a specially designed squeeze bottle or a neti pot — a container designed to rinse the nasal cavity — clears the sinuses. This home remedy is called nasal lavage.
Rest — helps the body fight infection and speed recovery.
Drink fluids — keeps mucus thin and easier to drain.
Warm compress — on the nose and forehead, may lessen sinus pressure.
Steam — hot water bowl with a towel over the head, or a hot shower, eases pain and helps mucus drain.
Nasal rinse — a squeeze bottle or neti pot (nasal lavage) helps clear the sinuses.
What About Herbal and Alternative Therapies?
No alternative therapies have been proved to ease the symptoms of acute sinusitis. Products containing certain herbs — cowslip, gentian root, elderflower, verbena, and sorrel — might be of some help, though the evidence is limited.
Always check with a healthcare provider before taking herbal or dietary supplements. It is important to confirm they are safe and that they will not interfere with medicines you take.
How Can You Prevent Sinusitis?
Four practical steps can help lower your risk. Staying well is the first: try to stay away from people who have colds or other infections, and wash your hands often with soap and water, such as before meals.
Managing allergies is the second. Working with your healthcare provider to keep allergy symptoms under control reduces sinus inflammation. Avoiding cigarette smoke and polluted air is the third — tobacco smoke and other pollutants irritate the nasal passages.
Finally, if the air in your home is dry, using a machine that adds moisture to the air, known as a humidifier, may help prevent sinusitis. One important detail: be sure the humidifier stays clean and free of mold with regular, complete cleaning.
Stay well — avoiding people with colds and washing hands often with soap and water lowers exposure to viruses.
Manage allergies — working with your provider keeps allergy-related sinus inflammation under control.
Avoid smoke and polluted air — tobacco smoke and pollutants irritate the lungs and nasal passages.
Use a humidifier — adds moisture to dry air; keep it clean and mold-free with regular cleaning.
Preparing for Your Appointment
If you do see a provider for sinusitis, preparation makes the visit more useful. Before the appointment, make a list of your symptoms, including any that seem unrelated to the reason for your visit, and note when they began. Include key personal information such as whether you have allergies or asthma and your family medical history. Bring a list of all medicines, vitamins, and other supplements you take, including doses, plus questions you want to ask.
Useful questions to ask your provider include: What is likely causing my symptoms? What are other possible causes? What tests do I need? Is my condition likely to go away or be long lasting? What is the best course of action? If you have other health conditions, how can you best manage them together? And are there brochures or suggested websites you can have?
Your provider will likely ask questions of their own. Expect to be asked whether you have symptoms all the time or once in a while, how bad your symptoms are, what seems to make them better or worse, and whether you smoke or are around smoke or other pollutants.
Conclusion
Acute sinusitis is inflammation and swelling of the sinuses that makes them hard to drain, causing congestion, facial pressure, and thick mucus. The common cold — a viral infection — is the usual cause, and most cases clear up within a week to 10 days on their own. Self-care such as saline spray, rest, fluids, steam, and nasal rinses is usually all that is needed, with antibiotics reserved for severe, worsening, or long-lasting cases. Seek care promptly if symptoms last more than a week or if warning signs such as eye-area swelling, high fever, confusion, vision changes, or a stiff neck appear.
Next step: Start with the self-care measures described above, and speak with a healthcare provider if your symptoms linger or worsen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is acute sinusitis?
Acute sinusitis is inflammation and swelling of the sinuses — the spaces inside the nose around the nasal passages. It makes it hard for the sinuses to drain, so mucus builds up. This causes a blocked nose, facial pressure, and sometimes throbbing face pain or a headache.
What causes acute sinusitis?
The common cold is the usual cause. Acute sinusitis is an infection caused by a virus, and the common cold most often starts it. Sometimes sinuses that stay blocked for a time develop a bacterial infection instead.
How long does acute sinusitis last?
Most cases clear up within a week to 10 days without treatment. Sinusitis that lasts more than 12 weeks, even with medical treatment, is called chronic sinusitis.
What are the main symptoms of a sinus infection?
The main symptoms are thick yellow or greenish mucus from the nose or down the back of the throat (postnasal drip), a blocked or stuffy nose, and pain, tenderness, swelling, and pressure around the eyes, cheeks, nose, or forehead that gets worse when bending over. Ear pressure, headache, aching teeth, a changed sense of smell, cough, bad breath, tiredness, and fever may also occur.
Do sinus infections need antibiotics?
Not usually. Antibiotics do not treat viruses, which are the usual cause. Even bacterial sinusitis might clear up on its own, so providers often wait to see if symptoms worsen before prescribing them. Antibiotics are used for severe, worsening, or long-lasting symptoms, and the whole course should be finished even if symptoms improve.
What home remedies help a sinus infection?
Rest, drinking plenty of fluids, a warm compress on the nose and forehead, breathing steam from a bowl of hot water or taking a hot shower, and rinsing the inside of the nose with a squeeze bottle or neti pot (nasal lavage) can all help ease symptoms. Saline nasal spray and over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen also help.
When should I see a doctor for sinusitis?
Contact your provider if symptoms last more than a week, worsen after seeming to get better, include a lasting fever, or if you have a history of repeated or chronic sinusitis. Seek immediate care for pain, swelling, or redness around the eyes, high fever, confusion, double vision or other vision changes, or a stiff neck.
Can you prevent acute sinusitis?
There are steps that may help lower your risk: staying well by avoiding people with colds and washing hands often, managing allergies with your provider, avoiding cigarette smoke and polluted air, and using a humidifier in dry air while keeping it clean and mold-free.
References
Health information, not medical advice. This article is for general education and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your own health, and seek emergency care for urgent symptoms.
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