1. Look for Signs of Acute Sinusitis
Sinusitis differs in cause from a simple head cold and displays subtly different or additional symptoms. You can begin to diagnose your condition when you feel your health change. Acute sinusitis is a sudden bout that ends within a few weeks. While you may have a relapse due to a stressed immune system or reinfection, continuing recurrence can indicate a chronic condition.
As with a head cold, sinusitis makes it hard to breathe normally through your nose. Runny or stuffy nasal passages clog the airways and make respiration less efficient. You may develop a fever, cough and sore throat when other membranes of the respiratory system become irritated through bacterial infection. If you have any or all of these symptoms, you may have a cold or acute sinusitis.
2. Rule Out Other Breathing Conditions
Diagnose sinusitis by ruling out a cold first. This is usually done by noticing added signs that don't point to a cold, such as a thick yellow or green nasal discharge in the mucus. You may develop facial pain associated with the sinuses in your forehead, teeth, ears or behind-the-eye area. Sinus headaches are common and obvious symptoms of sinusitis. Bad breath despite good oral hygiene is also an indicator of the presence of bacteria in the body.
These signs are not associated with allergies, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). If you display them for any period of time, you probably have sinusitis and not a cold or breathing disorder.
3. Collect Details About Chronic Sinusitis Symptoms
The measurable symptoms of acute sinusitis usually last for less than 4 weeks. If they return more than once or twice throughout the year, you should see a doctor for a diagnosis. Take note of what the symptoms are, how severe they are and how frequently you experience them. The only problem that you probably won't see again is an abnormal temperature. If you do have a fever, there may be more than one health condition at work.
