Sinusitis, commonly known as a sinus infection, and is one of the most frequently diagnosed conditions in primary care. It occurs when the tissue lining the sinuses becomes inflamed, often following a cold, allergy flare-up, or other irritant. While most cases resolve on their own, understanding the symptoms, causes, and treatment options can help you find relief faster and know when it’s time to seek help.
What is sinusitis?
Sinuses are located within the face that are usually filled with air that allow for drainage of mucus out of the passages on the nose. Sinusitis is a condition that involves inflammation or swelling of the tissue lining the sinuses. Sinusitis is also called rhinosinusitis.
What are the symptoms of sinusitis?
- Blocked or runny nose
- Postnasal drip
- Thick yellow or green mucus
- Tenderness of the face around the eyes and forehead which can be intensified when bending over
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Cough
- Reduced sense of smell
- Tooth and facial pain
- Insomnia
What causes sinusitis?
Sinusitis is caused by inflammation of the tissue lining of the sinuses. This inflammation is typically triggered by viral infections, environmental allergies such as pollen, bacterial infections, fungi, structural blockages in the nose or poor diet.
How is Sinusitis Diagnosed?
Diagnosis typically involves a healthcare practitioner inspecting the ears, nose and throat to see if there is any swelling or blockage. They may also use an endoscope to check inside the nose.
Clinicians may use nasal swabs to test for viruses or germs that contribute to symptoms.
In more severe cases, clinicians may use a computed tomography (CT) scan to obtain a clearer view of the sinuses.
In chronic cases, clinicians may perform allergy testing.
What are the Treatment Options?
Treatment usually depends on the symptom severity and how long the patient has had them for.
Over-the-counter cold and allergy medications, nasal saline rinses, and decongestants alleviate sinusitis.
For persistent symptoms that don’t improve after a week, a health care practitioner may prescribe antibiotics, intranasal steroid sprays or oral decongestants.
For chronic sinusitis patients, intranasal steroid sprays, Leukotriene antagonists, topical antihistamine sprays are prescribed. In some cases, surgery may be needed to treat structural issues or fungal infections.
Diet is also an important consideration in sinus infections. High sugar, dairy, processed food and alcohol can increase inflammation in the body causing the infection to be more severe, take longer to recover and be harder to treat.
Can Acupuncture Help?
A systematic review (2) on 10 randomised-controlled trials found that acupuncture as both a monotherapy and adjunctive therapy showed superior results when compared to conventional treatments. Acupuncture showed significant improvements in the Visual Analog Scale (a tool used to scale subjective feelings or pain) and Total Effective Rate.
A randomised-controlled trial study (1) involving a distal acupuncture group and a control group has shown a significant immediate reduction in pain scores in the acupuncture group. Pain intensity reduced further in the following 24 hours after treatment as well as superior sleep efficiency compared to the control group.
Another systematic review (3) study involving 3,349 participants have found that acupuncture and related therapies are effective at alleviating symptoms, improving quality of life while causing only mild adverse effects.
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Alayna Gay is a registered acupuncturist with AHPRA. She loves supporting women’s health
and helping them to become all that they can be.
References
- Guo, S., Wang, Y., Ai, J., Zhao, J., Huang, S., & Wang, J. (2024). Wrist and ankle acupuncture relief moderate to severe postoperative pain after functional endoscopic sinus surgery: A randomized controlled study. British Journal of Pain, 19(2), 115–124. https://doi.org/10.1177/20494637241264941
- Lee, B., Kwon, C., & Park, M. Y. (2022). Acupuncture for the Treatment of Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A PRISMA-Compliant Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2022, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6429836
- Ma, J., Peng, M., Song, Y., & Xu, X. (2026). Efficacy and safety of acupuncture-related therapies in the treatment of allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Medicine, 13, 1835311. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2026.1835311
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