Sinusitis (Sinus Infection) in Children

Sinusitis is usually caused by a bacterial infection but can sometimes be caused by fungi and viruses. When your sinuses are inflamed, bacteria breeds. An acute sinus infection can last for 3 – 8 weeks. A cold or allergy can cause a sinus infection. When a sinus infection lasts longer than 8 weeks, it is considered chronic.

A child with sinusitis may experience the following symptoms:

• Nasal congestion
• Pain and pressure in your face
• Headaches
• A runny nose
• Loss of smell and taste
• Thick mucus discharge
• Postnasal drainage and cough

You should bring your child to a doctor if they display any of the following symptoms:

• cold lasting for more than 7 days without improvement
• fever
• allergy symptoms that don’t respond to allergy medicine
• pressure or pain around the eyes and/or in the cheeks
• swelling around the eyes

For acute bacterial sinusitis, a child generally responds well to antibiotics. Your child’s doctor may also prescribe nasal steroid spray or nasal saline drops to relieve stuffiness. You should see improvement of symptoms within the first few days of antibiotic treatment. Make sure that your child completes the antibiotic treatment even when you already see improvement in your child’s health.

Experiencing more than 2 sinusitis symptoms for a minimum of 12 weeks may mean that your child has chronic sinusitis. Likewise, if your child has 4 – 6 episodes of acute sinusitis yearly, immediately consult an Ears, Nose, Throat (ENT) specialist for appropriate treatment.

In severe cases of sinusitis, surgery may be needed. Surgical procedures like adenoidectomy may be considered for older children with unsuccessful medical therapy.

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