If you have mild symptoms of sinusitis, try self-care. Drink plenty of
fluids. Contact your doctor if your symptoms
don''t improve within a few days or
if you have any of the following: Fever greater than 100.5 F, Pain, swelling or
redness on your face or around your eyes, Severe headache, Confusion, Stiff neck.
Diagnosis of acute sinusitis may involve gathering your medical history,
undergoing a physical
examination, and perhaps imaging studies or laboratory
tests. Your doctor will likely begin with a conversation about your symptoms
and ask whether you''ve had a recent cold, suffer from allergies, smoke
regularly or are exposed to secondhand smoke. These factors may precipitate or
contribute to acute sinusitis. During the physical examination, your doctor may
feel for tenderness in your nose or throat and shine a light into your nasal
passages to look for
inflammation or secretions. This visual inspection will
also help rule out physical conditions that trigger sinusitis, such as nasal
polyps or other deformities. Computerized tomography (CT) scans of your sinus
cavities may be used to pinpoint areas of inflammation.