Sinusitis

For a lay person:

Sinusitis is inflammation of the air-filled spaces (sinuses) around the nose. It causes a blocked nose, thick yellow or green mucus, and pain or pressure over the cheeks, forehead or between the eyes. Most cases follow a cold and clear within a few weeks; some become long-lasting.

For a trained medical person:

Acute rhinosinusitis is mostly viral; bacterial infection is suggested by symptoms beyond 10 days, double worsening, or high fever with purulent discharge. Chronic rhinosinusitis (≥12 weeks) is subdivided by the presence of nasal polyps. Management centres on saline irrigation and intranasal corticosteroids; antibiotics are reserved for probable bacterial disease.

In Chinese medicine:

Classed as 'deep-source nasal congestion' (鼻淵). Acute cases are attributed to Wind-Heat in the Lung; persistent cases with thick yellow discharge to Liver and Gallbladder Fire or to Damp-Heat in the Stomach and Spleen.

When to get help: Get urgent care for swelling or redness around the eye, double vision, severe headache, a stiff neck or confusion.