1. Examine Your Nasal Cavities
If you have sinusitis, which occurs when the mucous membranes of the sinus cavities become inflamed due to infection, you may display a range of symptoms localized in the head and throat. Determining whether your physical signs add up to sinusitis and not another cause begins with the nose. Runny or stuffy nostrils are not definitive factors on their own.
An unusual flow or congestion of mucus in the nasal passages may just be a cold. If the discharge looks very thick, with a green or yellow tint, you probably have a sinus infection. If it recurs more than once or twice a year, you should have a doctor examine your nasal cavities to diagnose polyps or other chronic blockages.
2. Headache Symptoms
Headaches start for all kinds of reasons, from stress to temperature change and migraine conditions. Sinus headaches, however, can be distinctive and show that sinusitis, and not other disorders, is the problem. Headache pain around the eyes, cheeks, forehead or nose is centered on sinus cavities. Temples and areas behind the eyes may also throb.
More distinctive signs of sinusitis are tenderness and swelling in any of these exterior areas. Nose sensitivity may also be accompanied by surface redness, which is characteristic of sinus membrane inflammation.
3. Diagnose Teeth and Ear Sinuses
The sinus system is like an interior highway for the exchange and drainage of fluids. Therefore, sinus inflammation can happen anywhere within the system. The pain associated with sinusitis may be experienced in the teeth, ears and throat. If you feel sore in any of these areas, do a simple test to see if your sinuses might be affected. Bend over at the waist. If pain gets more intense momentarily or throbbing begins, the congestion is likely in your sinuses, as opposed to the lungs.
