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Patients & Consumers Online Tools Find an Allergist / Immunologist Pollen Counts Diseases 101 Featured Resources » AAAAI Tips Brochures Elements of Allergy and Asthma Research for Patients Drug Guide Allergy & Asthma ADVOCATE Search by Condition (A-Z) Referral Guidelines En Español Just for Kids Seniors Order Public Education Materials Donate Now Contact Us Request a Speaker Smoke Free Homes Referral Guidelines Other Resources En Español Just for Kids Seniors		Rhinosinusitis: What is Acute Rhinosinusitis? The symptoms of acute rhinosinusitis include: thick nasal or postnasal drainage discomfort in the cheeks, forehead or around the eyes nasal congestion cough headache slight fever Acute rhinosinusitis is most often caused by community-acquired viral infections that cause the common colds. Symptoms usually resolve on their own by a week to 10 days. A bacterial infection may occur in about 0.5% to 2% of the viral cases because of the swelling of the sinus membranes and blockages of the sinuses (Gwaltney JM Jr. Clin Infect Dis 1996;23:1209-25; Gwaltney JM Jr. et al. Clin Infect Dis 2004:38:227-33). Most commonly, acute rhinosinusitis results from blockages in the anterior ethmoid and maxillary sinuses. The following graphic shows a sinus CT scan of a patient whose ostiomeatal complex is blocked on both sides. As a result, the patient has acute rhinosinusitis in both anterior ethmoid and maxillary sinuses. CT scan illustrating blockage of both ostiomeatal complexes resulting in acute rhinosinusitis of both anterior ethmoid and maxillary sinuses. The patient was treated with antibiotics, decongestants and an intranasal steroid spray. One month later, her sinus CT was repeated and was completely normal. This patient had an excellent response to medical treatment, and her symptoms completely resolved. About 60-70% of patients recover from acute sinus infections without need for an antibiotic. Treatment with an antibiotic, however, can shorten the duration of acute rhinosinusitis and can also reduce the severity of symptoms. Here are some general guidelines about acute rhinosinusitis: Most often acute bacterial rhinosinusitis is believed to be present if a typical "cold" does not resolve after 10 to 14 days. This is the type of rhinosinusitis that usually resolves with antibiotics. The most common bacteria that cause acute rhinosinusitis are Streptococcus pneumoniae, Hemophilus influenza, type b and Moraxella catarrhalis. If this is your first episode of acute rhinosinusitis and you are not too sick, you may want to give it a few days to resolve before asking a doctor to prescribe an antibiotic. A decongestant might help relieve your symptoms and promote drainage of the infection. If you (or your child) have a fever (greater than 100.5oF), pain or swelling in the face or eye, redness on the cheek or around the eye, severe headaches, confusion or a stiff neck, see your physician immediately. If you have had frequent episodes of acute rhinosinusitis or if your symptoms never completely go away, you may have chronic rhinosinusitis. <back>
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