How To Tell If It Is A Cold Or A Sinus Infection?

If you're suffering from a cold or sinus infection and not sure what's going on, I'm listing a few of the symptoms of each to help you tell the difference. You can easily tell the difference after reviewing them. Sometimes some of the symptoms of a sinus infection or sinusitis - which merely means an inflammation including an infection, or other sinus problems, will be the same as a cold.

With a cold or the common cold you'll have nasal congestion, your nose will be runny, but the discharge will be clear, you may have some sneezing and a sore throat. You may have some post nasal drip, which means you may have fluid from your nose drip down into the back of your throat. You may have a cough or headache. Adults don't usually get a fever, but kids can have an elevated temperature. All in all a cold will run its course in three to five days or so, whether or not you get any kind of treatment for it.

The common cold is caused by a virus not bacteria or fungi. Sometimes a cold can involve the sinus cavities and cause swelling, although this would rarely happen the first day. It may take a day or two if it's going to involve the sinuses. And then you could get a sinus infection during and then following the cold.

One of the main symptoms of a sinus infection is a yellowish or greenish discharge and you may cough it up from your throat. If it's yellowish, you can pretty much be sure that you have a sinus infection. So it's possible to have a cold and sinus infection at the same time. But as I mentioned the cold clears up after three to five days or so. An infection may run a course of two to three weeks.

Other symptoms of a sinus infection include a feeling of pain or pressure just behind the cheeks, forehead or eyes, congestion in your head, a headache, post nasal drip, which can cause an irritated or slightly sore throat, pain in the top row of teeth, a feeling of fatigue or tiredness that you can't explain any other way and sometimes difficulty breathing through the nose. Also you may have a possible change in sense of smell and disturbed sleep. They can be acute or chronic if you get them over and over again. And if that's the case you want to get to the cause.

Antibiotics do little to help a sinus infection, since most are not caused by bacteria. It used to be what doctors commonly ordered, but most do not suggest it today.

You can clear up sinus infections fast using natural sinus treatment at home and there is a lot you can do to lessen cold symptoms. Seek natural treatments and home remedies for relief as much as possible and limit the amount of medications, which can often make things worse.
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by Helen Hecker
About the Author
To find out more about how I cured myself of chronic sinus infections naturally forever go to my nurse's website http://www.SinusCureReport.com for tips, treatments, natural treatments, causes and remedies and info on symptoms, surgery, nasal irrigation, sinus headaches and more!