1. Assess Your Breathing
If you've noticed that you seem to be breathing more heavily over periods of time when you aren't exercising, you may be showing early signs of chronic sinusitis. Chronic sinusitis develops more gradually than an acute sinus infection, although it may follow a severe bout. Increased mucus production is usually the first warning. If you notice your breathing changing over time or when you move to a new environment, monitor yourself for other symptoms.
Your nasal passages and sinuses may be alternately congested and draining. The mucus will be thicker than normal, opaque and discolored. You may also cough up thick phlegm from time to time. These conditions may come and go or be present continuously.
2. Earaches and Pain in the Sinus Cavities
Sufferers of chronic sinusitis tend to get more earaches than most people, due to more frequent inflammation of the sphenoid sinus cavity. An increase in earaches may hint that you are developing a chronic sinus condition. Other sinus areas that may feel sore during recurring headaches are the in cheeks, nose and temples and behind the eyes. If you identify sharp or throbbing pain in these particular areas, perhaps accompanied by difficulty breathing, sinusitis is definitely a suspect in the crime.
3. Isolate Your Symptoms
Consider whether your recurring symptoms might be due to a cold, allergy or asthma. If you can rule out those problems, you may more definitively diagnose chronic sinusitis. Your body temperature will tell you whether you have a cold or not. If you have a fever, you might have a cold or acute sinusitis, but you probably don't have a chronic sinus infection. High temperature doesn't indicate chronic sinusitis.
Allergies certainly cause nasal congestion and drainage, but not discolored mucus. Asthma breathing obstruction is caused by inflamed bronchial passages and not nasal or sinus cavities. Wheezing or difficulty breathing through the mouth are signs of asthma, but not chronic sinusitis. Your doctor can help unravel multiple breathing conditions or diagnose the cause of your chronic sinusitis.
