Sinusitis & Sore / Strep Throat: Emergency Room Near You
A sinus infection, or sinusitis as it is also known, is one of those conditions that can be quite uncomfortable and painful to have. It occurs when you have swollen mucus membranes in your nose, throat or along the upper respiratory tract as well as the sinuses. One of the reason why they are uncomfortable and painful is due to the fact that they involve the swelling of your nasal passages, which may also cause pain in the face. While for most people a sinus infection will only bring symptoms that don’t last that long and that are mild and can therefore be handled by lots of rest, fluids and over-the-counter, there are those that suffer from chronic sinusitis and suffer from this infection throughout their life. Sore throat is one of the symptoms of a sinus infection although strep throat may be a separate medical issue on its own. Strep throat is usually due to a bacterial infection that leads to inflammation of one’s throat hence causing it to be very painful and sore. It probably gets its name from the fact that it is usually caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria. While sinusitis and sore or strep throat usually clear on their own after some time, there are certain signs to look out for that should indicate that you need to head over to an emergency room near you for sinusitis and sore/strep throat and these symptoms is what this article will look to highlight.
Before we get into all that, it is important to highlight the symptoms of sinusitis so that you can be able to tell if you have the infection. They include headaches, sore throat as mentioned above, a runny nose which usually lasts for more than 10 days, a cough, bad breath, low grade fever since it is an infection, drip in the back of the throat from the nose which is usually what contributes to the bad breath, tenderness in and around the face as well as partial or total loss of your sense of smell. In most cases, you can manage these symptoms with over-the-counter medication and products such as antihistamines and nasal decongestant sprays as you wait for the infection to clear. If you have strep throat, common symptoms to look out for include fever, a sore throat of course, headaches, and loss of appetite as well as swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
When you have a sinus infection, or sinusitis, then you need to be aware of the red flags to look out for that will tell you that you need to go to an ER as soon as you can to be treated. One of the red flags to look out for include difficulty breathing. This should always be taken very seriously indeed as if one is encountering respiratory issues, they could asphyxiate and could even lead to loss of life. If someone has a sinus infection ad is experiencing difficulties breathing, then they should go to an emergency room near them as soon as they can to be attended to. You should also keep an eye on the severity of the pain when you have sinusitis. While a sinus infection and sinus pain go hand in hand, if the pain is extreme and severe, then you should also head over to an emergency room near you as soon as you can to be assessed and attended to. You should do the same if you have sinusitis and are also experiencing diarrhea or nausea or also if you are experiencing abdominal pain, with a rash, neck pain and seizures being other red flags to look out for if you have a sinus infection. These symptoms could be a sign of another infection or it could indicate that your infection may have spread to other parts of the body including the brain and as such you should take them very seriously. Severe and intense sweating and chills when you have sinusitis should also lead to a visit to an emergency room near you as soon as possible.
As for a sore throat, you should head over to an emergency room near you if you are experiencing difficulty breathing, a high fever, an inability to swallow, a muffled voice are unable to open your mouth all the way through or you are experiencing severe swelling on one side of your throat. The latter symptom is usually a sign that you may have an abscess of your tonsil and should be taken seriously. If you have symptoms for strep throat that don’t clear after three days, then you should head over to an emergency room near you for medical attention. You should also do the same in cases where you notice red spots, especially on your tonsils. This should be taken seriously as they are usually a sign that your strep throat is of a severe and serious form.
Hopefully, the above discussion will enable you to know when your sinusitis and sore/strep throat is severe and requires you to head over to an emergency room near you so that you can be able to receive appropriate treatment.
