1. Frequent Earaches as a Sign
If you contract recurring earaches, your auditory mechanisms might not actually be the afflicted areas. Pain in the general location of the ear and cheek may be attributed to sphenoid sinus inflammation. The sphenoid sinuses are a pair of cavities inside the head situated near the ears. They are located on either side of the ethmoid cells, or sinuses associated with the eyes and nose. When the sphenoid sinuses clog with mucus and experience pressure, you may feel an earache, even though the infection isn't technically taking place inside the ear.
2. Headaches and Pains
Often, more than one set of sinuses will be affected at the same time. If your ear pain accompanies other facial or headache pain, they may all be related to sinus infection. Sinus headaches will create pain in localized areas, which may throb and get worse when you bend over. You may feel like your head is underwater or superpressurized. This is due to the shifting mucus levels within the sphenoid and other sinuses.
If you have measurable pain in your cheeks or upper jaws, nose, eyes or forehead, as well as near the ears, it is probably a symptom of sphenoid and other sinus inflammation.
3. Thick Mucus and Fatigue
The major indicator of sinus problems is the discharge of yellow or green mucus through the nose or throat. This may harden and be coughed up as phlegm. Thick mucus and trouble breathing through your nose are additional signs that you have a disturbance in the normal function of your sinuses.
You may also experience fatigue due to the extra stress and exertion. Sometimes a fever is present, although not always. You may have a sore throat and nausea, leading to a diminished appetite. This may be exacerbated by prescribed antibiotics but won't affect the sinus condition itself.
