Differentiating between Sinus Flu and Cold or Flu
The most typical sinus infection symptoms act like viral flu and can be easily confused for every other. But on close observation there are certain factors that will help separate the viral flu and sinus flu.
The signs of Viral Flu
Symptoms of viral flu could be either mild or severe but mostly come suddenly. The symptoms are
• Fever of above 100 degrees Fahrenheit temperature
• Chills
• Headache
• Muscle ache or body pain
• Extreme exhaustion and fatigue
• Runny nose and
• Cough
Antibiotics For Sinus Infection
The symptoms often appear within 4 days of infection and on the course of an antibiotic will appear reduced as quickly as it had come. Just the tiredness and fatigue may linger on for a few days or even weeks however with the right diet this can be taken care of too
Symptoms of Sinus Flu
Viral flu and Sinus Flu are influenced by the same virus and hence most of the symptoms are alike. Sinus flu symptoms include
• Fever of above 100 degrees Fahrenheit temperature but may last only for a day or two
• Sinus headacheespecially in the mid forehead region in which the sinuses are present
• Tiredness and fatigue but generally recovers soon unlike viral flu where it can last for weeks together. Extreme exhaustion
• Stuffy nose is a positive sign of sinus flu, this is rarely present in viral flu or cold
• Runny nose from sinus flu generally includes a thick yellowish green colored discharge
• Facial pain and tooth ache, also absent in viral flu
• Cough and sneezing can display up sometimes especially if there has been prolonged sinusitis
• Chest discomfort might be mild to moderate in evening but can worsen at night
• Decreased sense of smell and taste is very common with sinus flu especially therefore if its chronic sinusitis
Sinus flu occurs because of two types of infection. It may be either viral or bacterial. If sinus flu is caused because of bacteria, the temperatures during fever may soar up above 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
Treating Sinus Flu
Quite obviously the start of sinus flu is because of viral or bacterial infection in the sinus region which has to be taken care of first.
Sinus flu caused by viruses generally does not require any antibiotics for sinus infection. Doctors would advise taking medications for the fever and some decongestants which will ease up the mucus and help it flow out with the nose.
Sinus Flu caused by bacteria does need a training course of antibiotics like Amoxicillin. Bacterial Sinus flu is identified by facial pain and thick nasal discharge that resembles pus. The symptoms persist for more than a week and pain killers and decongestants are ineffective. The most popular bacteria that cause sinus flu are Haemophilus influenza, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Streptococcus pyogenes. Amoxicillin is taken for 5 days at least to show up some kind of improvement. If this does not happen, alternate antibiotics are utilized that may take 10-14 days to solve the sinus flu problem.
When the problem persists despite antibiotic therapy, sinus drainage might be advised. This is a surgical procedure done under general anesthesia. Before taking up any sort of medication, it is always advisable to have a registered practitioner diagnose the particular problem and confirm that it is sinus flu.