Cold or Sinus Infection? How to Tell the Difference

Our best friend, the tissues!

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor. This article is based on my personal experience living with recurring sinus problems and information from reputable medical sources. Always seek medical advice if you're concerned about your symptoms.

As a veteran sinus sufferer, I like to think that I have this question down but sometimes I do find myself questioning my symptoms and given how many things can influence sinuses and how similar symptoms for different things can be, I don't think we can beat ourselves up for confusing a potential allergy with a viral infection.

Usually for me, a cold will start with a sore throat with a runny nose and slight temperature following around 48 hours later. I can usually feel pressure in my face, but it moves and eventually goes away if I stay upright for long enough.

So, to sum up, a common cold often includes:

• A sore throat

• Runny nose

• Gradually improves within 7 to 10 days

• A slight increase in temperature

  
  

I actually think my sinuses always come into play when I have any infection, it's possibly a weak spot for me and was heavily attacked when I caught Covid which makes me question why it is a weak spot? And why do some people seem to carry inflammation in certain areas of the body more than others.

When I have a sinus infection, and to be fully transparent I haven’t knowingly had a lot, I have more headaches and a heavy head feeling and sometimes short wobbly spells. A head cold gives similar symptoms but for not as long. Unlike the common cold a head cold can sometimes turn into a sinus infection. This can happen when airways become blocked, either via inflammation or something else, trapping mucus in sinus passages for longer than usual which can create conditions that allow a bacterial infection to develop.

Based on my experience, signs that I might be dealing with a sinus infection include:

• Facial pressure or pain

• Headaches

• A 'Heavy Head' feeling

• Symptoms lasting longer than 10 days or worsening after initial improvement.

I am one of those people who is reluctant to take any form of medication (I like to track the illness, and I can't do that if I am masking the symptoms) but a sinus headache nearly always makes me break open a packet of paracetamol. I also reach for the trusted warm compress and ginger, lemon and honey with all three having been used traditionally for cold and flu for centuries. My go-to tea currently is this ginger and turmeric one by Clipper which I'm drinking almost daily, and I do use a saline spray to help break down the mucus especially at night.

Many colds improve within a week, so if your symptoms are lasting longer than this or getting worse rather than better, it might be time to seek medical advice.