Clinician talking with a mother holding a child who is wiping her nose

Common Cold vs. Sinus Infection: How to Spot the Difference

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Determining the source of your discomfort can be challenging when you are dealing with a sore throat, a heavy head, and a congested nose.

Is it a common cold, or did it turn into a bacterial sinus infection?

A cold is a mild illness caused by viruses that spread easily from person to person. When you catch a cold virus, it causes swelling in your nose and throat. Symptoms show up one to three days after exposure, and most colds get better in seven to ten days.

Your sinuses are hollow, air-filled spaces behind your cheekbones, forehead, and nose that can swell and trap liquid when you get sick. Medically, this trapped liquid is called sinusitis or a sinus infection. More than 90 percent of sinus infections are caused by viruses, just like the common cold, while only a small number stem from bacteria.

Because colds and sinus infections share many symptoms, providers look for three key clues: time, symptom pattern, and pain level. While a cold peaks during the first few days and slowly gets better over a week, bacterial sinus infection symptoms do not start to get better after 10 days.

Furthermore, a double sickening pattern can occur if a cold starts to clear but suddenly worsens with a high fever, worse cough, or increased facial pressure.

Facial pain also offers a distinction. While a cold produces a generalized feeling of heaviness throughout the head, a bacterial sinus infection typically results in intense pressure or pain concentrated in a localized area, such as your upper teeth, one cheek, or behind a single eye.

Many people think green or thick snot means you need an antibiotic, but that is not true. When your body fights off any germ, immune cells turn snot yellow or green as they work, which happens with regular viral colds too.

Because most colds and sinus infections come from viruses, antibiotics will not fix them. Taking antibiotics unnecessarily can cause stomach upset, diarrhea, or allergic reactions. Instead, safe care options include saltwater nasal rinses, steam and moisture from warm showers or humidifiers, pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and plenty of rest and liquids.

Is It a Cold or a Sinus Infection? Spot the difference between them? | Ahalia Hospital Abu Dhabi

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