Allergies vs. Sinus Infection: What’s the Difference and When to Visit Us

Ragweed pollen affects many people each fall. In spring, you have tree pollen. Summer brings grass and weed pollen. All year, you may deal with allergies to mold, pet dander, dust mites, and more. How do you know when it’s allergies, or when it’s something more?

What Are Allergies?

Allergies are incredibly common and affect about 24 million Americans each year.

When an allergen like pollen, pet dander, dust, etc., enters your body, your immune system may overreact and release histamine. It’s the histamines that trigger inflammation and lead to common allergy symptoms. That’s an allergy. It’s simply your body’s overreactive immune system.

The common allergy symptoms include:

• Congestion
• Facial pressure (sometimes)
• Itchy nose
• Itchy throat
• Itchy, watery eyes
• Postnasal drip
• Runny nose
• Sneezing

Many things can trigger allergies. Foods, pollens, dust and dust mites, and chemicals and synthetics like latex. Learning what triggers your allergies is important when it comes to limiting the severity of your symptoms. When you’re experiencing allergies, you may need the season to change before your symptoms end.

It’s important to remember that some allergies will last all year. If you have a dust allergy, dust forms all year. Allergies to pet dander hang around unless you get rid of your pets and do a deep clean of your home.

What if you’re having symptoms beyond those? How do you know when it’s more than allergies and has progressed into a more concerning infection?

What Are Sinus Infections?

Over 28 million Americans experience a sinus infection each year. Some have them so frequently that they’re diagnosed with chronic sinusitis. 

A sinus infection occurs when thickened mucus becomes trapped in the sinuses and allows bacteria to grow. Bacteria develop and thrive in that environment. Symptoms are:

• A cough that may increase at night
• Bad breath
• Ear pain (from pressure)
• Headaches
• Pressure around the cheeks, eyes, and forehead
• Reduced sense of smell
• Thick, green or yellow mucus
• Tooth pain (from pressure)
• Sinus infections may require antibiotics to clear up the infection. You may wait it out, as most sinus infections clear up on their own within a month.

How Do You Tell the Difference, and How Are They Treated?

Allergies tend to be seasonal. They come and go each year. There are some allergies that last all year, such as allergies to mold spores or dust mites. A sinus infection is shorter and usually lasts a couple of weeks.

Seasonal allergies can lead to sinus infections. As we’ve said, allergies trigger inflammation. Inflammation can make it harder for mucus to flow from some of the narrower sinus cavities. When mucus hangs around, the risk of bacterial formation increases, which causes the sinus infection.

That’s one of the biggest reasons for making sure you remain hydrated. If you’re well-hydrated, it helps keep the mucus thinner. This makes it easier for mucus to flow out of your nostrils or down into your throat with postnasal drip.

Treatment options for allergies include allergy medications and immunotherapy. Immunotherapy includes allergy shots that are given in small amounts over weeks and months to slowly help your body learn how to correctly respond to an allergen. Sublingual drops or dissolvable tablets are other options for helping ease allergy symptoms.

When you have a sinus infection, it’s a bacterial infection that can be treated with antibiotics. Allergies have triggers but no true cure. There are steps you can take or allergy medications to ease your immune system’s overactive response, but antibiotics won’t make your allergies go away.

It is possible to have allergies and a sinus infection at the same time. The inflammation going on in your body when allergies are present increases your risk of also developing a sinus infection. If this happens, it can make you feel worse as symptoms are heightened. Overlapping symptoms include:

• Cough
• Facial pressure and pain
• Nasal congestion
• Postnasal drip
• Sore throat, often from postnasal drip

A sinus infection might also present after you’ve had a cold, RSV, or another virus that heightened mucus production in the sinuses.

How Do You Know When to Go to an Allergist

When should you go to an allergist? Whether you have allergies, a sinus infection, or both, you may not need to see a doctor. Try over-the-counter medications first. If they don’t, see a doctor.

Go to an allergist when:

• The pain and discomfort impact your daily routine.
• You experience wheezing.
• You find that your allergy or sinus symptoms worsen as the day progresses.
• You’re tired of a constant runny nose and cough.
• Your eyes are incredibly itchy and watery.
• Your symptoms seem to occur at the same time each year.

A very severe reaction where you cannot breathe, also known as anaphylaxis, is a medical emergency. Call 911. Immediate medical attention is necessary.

What to Expect at an Allergist’s Office

If you go to Premium Allergy to have a doctor diagnose whether it’s severe allergies or a sinus infection, what should you expect? Are there any steps you can take to make the appointment more efficient?

Premium Allergy and Respiratory Center offers online scheduling for your convenience. Use the online scheduling tool to arrange your first appointment. The time between making an appointment and actually seeing the doctor is minimal, so you’re not looking at weeks of suffering with sinus pain and pressure.

Our allergy doctor diagnoses and provides treatment plans that help you with allergies, sinus infections, or both. If it is a sinus infection, you’ll know to see your doctor or go to an urgent care practice for antibiotics, lab cultures, or other treatment options.

When you arrive, be prepared to share more about your health history. The more that the board-certified allergist knows about past health issues or experiences with allergies and sinus infections, the easier it is for a doctor to determine the best, most effective medications or immunotherapy treatments.

You do not have to suffer from severe allergies and chronic sinus issues. Undergo allergy tests to determine exactly what triggers your immune system. You’ll use those results to discuss effective allergy treatment options. Reach out today to see how Dr. Sabry can help you breathe easily and end regular allergy flare-ups.