Can Chronic Sinusitis Affect Your Whole Body?

It feels different this time.

You’re used to the stuffiness and sore throat that can come with chronic sinusitis, but now, your entire body aches, and it hurts every time you leave the couch. In addition, your ears and your teeth ache.

Could this be a part of your condition? Can chronic sinusitis affect your whole body?

It’s important that you understand how chronic sinusitis can affect many aspects of your health, and that our board-certified ENTs in Raleigh are ready to help.

While treatment for chronic sinusitis is often very effective, the symptoms should not be ignored. It is possible for sinusitis to progress to cause inflammation or infections that can impact other parts of your body. Therefore, it’s always important to schedule an appointment with our leading otolaryngologists in Raleigh—we can help you get your life back from the pain and inconvenience of chronic sinusitis.

So what should you do? Don’t worry, we’ll take you step-by-step through the many ways chronic sinusitis can transform your overall health.

Can Chronic Sinusitis Affect Your Whole Body? 4 Questions to Ask Yourself

You are already familiar with the nasal discharge, postnasal drip, and congestion that accompany your chronic sinusitis, but here are some other ways it affects your whole body.

1. Do You Have Ear Pain?

Sinus pressure can cause fluid build-up behind the eardrum, causing earaches. As a result, you may even experience muffled hearing.

2. Do You Have a Headache (Especially After Bending Down)?

When you rise from the couch, do you have a pounding headache? When your sinuses can’t drain, the resulting pressure can cause a sinus headache. The pounding is usually made worse when you bend down and then straighten up.

3. Do You Have a Toothache?

Due to the structure of the sinuses, the pressure of fluid buildup can also cause a toothache. Although chronic sinusitis can be the culprit, if your tooth pain gets worse, it’s always a good idea to be examined by a dentist to ensure there are no other causes. 

4. Have You Lost Your Sense of Taste and Smell?

If so, you have to be very careful. This is also a telltale sign of COVID-19. The only way to know for sure if you have COVID or sinusitis is to take a test. If you are positive for COVID, follow all the quarantine instructions and the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control. 

It’s also vital to follow up with your doctor if you test positive because COVID-19 can cause serious health problems, particularly in the elderly or those with compromised immune systems.

Serious Consequences of Untreated Sinus Infections

Can chronic sinusitis affect your whole body? It can, and there are some symptoms you should pay close attention to because they can indicate potentially dangerous health problems. 

Without timely treatment, chronic sinusitis can lead to infections that affect areas of your body, causing:

Eye Problems

If you have developed a sinus infection and it is not treated promptly, it can spread to your eye socket. As a result, you could have vision problems or—in extreme cases– go blind. 

Meningitis

This occurs when an infection impacts the fluid and membranes that surround your brain and spinal column. If you’ve suddenly developed a high fever, stiff neck, vomiting, and an extreme headache, get immediate medical attention. 

Bone Infections

The medical term for this is osteomyelitis. Its symptoms include fever, redness, and joint stiffness.

Do You Have Aches All Over Your Body?

Chronic sinusitis can cause aches—but typically these are focused in certain areas around your sinuses. You may even experience earaches, toothaches, and headaches.

Usually, sinusitis does not cause overall body aches. If this is the case, you may have another illness such as the flu, which can share many similar symptoms to chronic sinusitis. 

We go into greater detail in our earlier article: “Sinus Infection, the Flu, and the Common Cold: Know the Difference”

But the bottom line? If you have overall body aches, contact one of our experienced experts. Often it’s difficult to tell the differences on your own.

Get Immediate Relief From Chronic Sinusitis From Our Expert ENTs In Raleigh

We’ve discussed ways that chronic sinusitis can affect your whole body, ranging from inconvenient headaches to more serious problems such as bone infections. 

This is why it’s vital to seek timely treatment at our leading Sinus and Allergy Center, where we specialize in treating everything from chronic allergies to nasal polyps. Contact us for an appointment today.