Is this sinusitis?

[kickhigh]

Had a run of mild illness, swollen tonsils which turned into sore throat/awful cough, intermittent shivery/fever episodes, now my cough and throat are better but I'm blowing the most horrendous amount of green snot out of my nose every 5 mins and I have an eyebrow headache. I've never had an eyebrow headache before but they are in agony. Painkillers are helping but is there anything else I can do? I'm so bored of feeling ropey now!

Sounds like it to me. I had the same run of illness over Christmas. After a month of catching everything going I went to the GP and begged for antibiotics for the sinusitis which helped a lot. Sudafed max strength for sinus helped in the meantime.

I have caught another cold now and am dosing up on Sudafed to stop it turning into sinusitis.

Is your headache worse if you lean your head forward? If so, that is an indicator for sinusitis.

Yes, see your GP. You will need a long course of antibiotics to get rid of it. Nasal rinses might also help (Neilmed etc).
If you can get rid of it ASAP, that would be good. Mine ended up as glue ear, with grommets added. 🙁

Thanks all, thought it was improving but this afternoon have a splitting headache around my right eyebrow.

Do you think the gp will actually give me anything or will it just go ok it's own?

Unless it's bacterial, your GP won't be able to do anything! I do second rinsing with Neilmed though - really helps to encourage the mucous to come out which relieves the pressure and should help with the headaches. Drink lots of fluids, paracetamol for the pain, and pseudoephedrine Sudafed (it's behind the counter - the stuff on the shelves isn't as good).

I have this! It's horrendous, so painful. I have had a steroid nasal spray from the GP which has helped a bit. No antibiotics as he said it's viral. I'm finding sleeping propped up at lots of long hot showers help (the steam) as well as painkillers. Hope you're feeling better soon

I get sinusitis quite regularly but if I've got yellow or green gunk when I blow my nose I go to the gp for antibiotics as it's turned into an infection and too far gone for washes and rinses. One time I ignored and it went to my chest and I got a chest infection so don't leave it too before seeing a doctor if it's not getting better by itself.

I had sinusitis with flu a week ago, dr said no to antibiotics but yes to plenty of rest and face steaming. Mine was really bad but it cleared up without antibiotics.

Friars balsam in boiling water in a bowl with a towel over you... breathe in the steam, it will really shift it. (use an old bowl, it's a bugger to clean)
Blow your nose as often as possible, it has to come out.

Don't go on a longhaul flight like me (not knowing I had sinusitis). The pain in my head above my eyes was nothing I have ever experienced. In fact don't go on any flight till it's gone, the air pressure will do you in

I get sinusitis after colds but never take antibiotics as it's usually viral. It's vile but rinsing your sinuses really helps as does steam and sinus massage to loosen it. I can't take decongestants so manage it the old fashioned way.

Sterimar. It's fantastic and I found it really helpful when I have sinusitis recently.

Inhale steam and menthol, nasal/sinus rinse, go to the pharmacy for advice and see if you can get a steroid nasal spray if symptoms don't improve. Unfortunately coming straight from a cold it's more likely to be viral so antibiotics won't do much. But if it persists then see your GP.

Neti pot with salt water solution to rinse the sinuses.
I get sinus infections a lot and this really helps . Never had pain above the eye brow though, it’s always across my nose , under my eyes and when it was really bad ,the back of my head and they’re hard sinuses to get infected . That was terrible

I got terrible sinusitis when pregnant. I also get it on one side of my face as I had a lymph node removed from one side of my neck. If you tip your head upside-down and get a horrible throbbing and pressure then it is sinusitis.

Frequent steaming helps, and antibiotics will be given if mucus is green or yellow. I also rinse my sinuses with salt water.

Hope it gets better soon, it's horrid.

I describe sinusitis as being like I've been hit across the face with a baseball bat.

If that strikes a chord with you, I suggest dealing with it aggressively -

Sudafed from the chemist. Psuedoephedrine, to be precise (the stuff you can buy from the supermarket/off the shelf is crap). Don't worry about getting extra painkillers and caffeine in with it - it's cheaper to take the single pill + 29p paracetamol with a coffee.

Cooled, boiled water with salt/a pinch of bicarb/special mixes to physically shift the gunk. A neti pot is perfect, especially as they generally come with premixed packets of powdered salt and bicarb, but sometimes needs must and you have to make do with a jug or a toy teapot. It feels foul to put your head on one side and tip warm water up your nose until it comes out the other side, massaging the sinuses (eyebrow, under your eye and just above your front teeth) until more than a tiny tickle of water comes out, but it works.

I know people often say steam, but I find, when the sinuses are so swollen and painful, the last thing I need is to add more warmth and increase the blood supply to an already inflamed area - part of the blocking is the blood vessels already swollen.

And cold packs. Lots of cold packs.

This gets the swelling down if only temporarily, you get as much gunk out as possible, the pain reduces.

I sympathise totally. The first sinus infection I got was in the lower sinus and I thought I was dying of a dental abscess. Turns out that dental abscesses are small fry compared to a slightly blocked sinus, as I've had those and barely noticed the discomfort - the sinus had me hitting my face in my pillow and wishing for death.

For me the weirdest bit was the fact my face felt bruised but when I looked in the mirror I just looked a bit off. My reflection did not reflect what I felt I looked like...if that makes sense. Throbbing and tender to touch forehead and under eyes. That's a clue for me

I had my first bout of sinusitis last year. The pain whenever I moved my head was insane. The sensation of physical bruising was horrible. But what really freaked me out was when it started to clear and I could feel the gunk squelching and moving around inside my head as the pressures changed and vacuums formed and released.

I had no idea I could try and rinse it out. I shall know better next time!

@mineofuselessinformation what were your symptoms of glue ear? I have good hearing but sometimes slightly muffled. Crackling, pain and water sensation!

OP it's awful. Use sinus rinse (netty pot). I prefer to buy premade but you can make your own soln with boiled cooled water, salt and use steralised water bottle as nerry pot. It gives instant relief. Also lots of ibuprofen and I usually sit with hot water bottle on my face. Drink ridiculous amounts of water of dilute squash

@Hankunamatata I’ve had it since September. It’s gone to my ears which is upsetting me the most. Tired of feeling so unwell. I reckon I would have shifted it if I was allowed anti inflammatories. I’m allergic to ibuprofen and have been told to avoid all other nsaids. Have swollen lymph nodes behind ears, a tender scalp and crackling, popping and tinnitus in my ears. Just so so sick of this. Feels like some serious illness because I’ve never had it congested- it’s always usually runny!

A feeling of 'fullness' if you see what I mean.
Hearing loss (the ear that was affected had 50% loss before grommets).
The 'tell-tale' for me was hearing the gunk drip on to my eardrum when laying on my side at night!

I had a sinus infection at university and the pain was like someone putting a knife into my forehead. I would recommend steam inhalations with olbas oil and rinsing with a netipot ( you can buy them from Amazon and watch YouTube videos of how to use them) - if that doesn’t work talk to your gp and see if they’ll give you antibiotics. Really hope you feel better soon. Xx

I suffer with chronic sinisitus, nasal rinse, steroid nasal spray from GP, ice pack and migraine medication are the only things that work for me.