When to go to Urgent Care for Sinus Infections
If your sinus infection symptoms (including pain, pressure, and other congestion) haven’t improved after a week of home treatment or if they suddenly worsen, it may be time to consider making an appointment with your doctor. Staying on top of sinus infections can help you keep symptoms at bay while also potentially avoiding more serious complications like sepsis (bacterial blood infection). If you have a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher that lasts more than three days with accompanying chills, body aches, headache, nausea/vomiting and fatigue it is best to seek medical attention. You should also contact a physician if you are developing signs of sepsis such as rapid heart rate or breathing difficulties.
If you’re looking for relief from a sinus infection, whether viral or bacterial, symptoms can take time to come under control. Sometimes over-the-counter medications aren’t enough and you’ll need professional medical attention. When should you head to urgent care? What does urgent care treat? How much does urgent care cost? Find out all of these answers here!
The Pain Is Worse and Longer Lasting Than Your Usual Symptoms. Do you have sinus pain that just won’t let up? Are you also experiencing symptoms like facial tenderness, fever, a headache or a runny nose? If so, it might be time to see your doctor about going to urgent care for treatment. When you have sinus infections caused by bacteria, antibiotics are often prescribed. However, if your symptoms aren’t improving after three days of antibiotic treatment or if your doctor determines that you are likely suffering from viral-based sinusitis, then he or she will probably recommend urgent care. Why?
If you’re suffering from severe symptoms, including fever, headache, and confusion; if your symptoms have lasted longer than a week without improvement; or if you have worsening symptoms over time. If you have a history of serious sinus infections requiring hospitalization (or multiple ER visits), let your doctor know about it. Although most sinus infections are mild and not dangerous, doctors need to know that certain patients can become more seriously ill from them because of underlying issues like structural problems in their nose or immune system problems. Doctors may opt to hospitalize these patients when they have a severe infection that’s not responding well to antibiotic treatment or is causing significant disability.
