Your friend is tormented by a stuffy nose, headaches and so on? You don't want to catch anything and wonder if sinusitis is contagious? Then you've come to the right place!
Nose closed and through? A sinus infection plagues me at least once during the cold season. And you've probably experienced it too.
It throbs in your head, the snot is stuck in your nose and you have trouble breathing.
If a dear person in the environment suffers from it, then you do not want to infect yourself under any circumstances. Or is that not possible anyway?
Cold season has us firmly in its grip. Time to think about whether sinusitis is contagious. How is the infection transmitted and how can I protect others from catching it?
I'll tell you about it now!
Table of contents
What is a sinus infection?
A sinus infection, also known medically as sinusitis, is an inflammation of the mucous membrane in the sinuses.
The paranasal sinuses consist of four parts: the ethmoid cells, the sphenoid sinus, the frontal sinus and the maxillary sinus.
The infection can occur in all four groups, but most often it affects the maxillary sinus and ethmoid bone. For many, an infection of the sinuses occurs at least once a year, increasingly during the cold season.
In fact, the sinuses usually become inflamed when cold viruses from the nose enter the sinuses. Often, simple colds pass directly into sinusitis.
Because the common cold (rhinitis) and sinusitis are not so easily separated, some experts also speak of rhinosinusitis.
There are acute, recurrent and chronic forms, which are differentiated according to the course of the sinus infection.
Inflammation of the sinuses has nothing to do with a conventional cold. A feeling of pressure in the head, facial pain and a blocked nose are only the tip of the handkerchief mountain.
And one thing is for sure: the other symptoms of sinusitis are totally unpleasant!
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What are the classic symptoms of sinusitis
We feel listless, the nose is permanently blocked and the head feels as if it could burst soon.
A sinus infection is really anything but pleasant and can really knock you off your feet. If it's already gotten that far - you're lying in bed and suffering, the question "cold or sinusitis" doesn't even arise anymore.
Very typical is the mucus-like, purulent discharge from the nose and unfortunately there are many other symptoms that plague you during the disease.
- Pain on touch
- Swelling over the affected sinus
- Feeling of pressure and pain in the face and limbs
- Impaired sense of smell due to the swollen nose
- Bad breath (halitosis)
- Toothache
- Cough with sputum (especially at night)
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The location of the pain may differ depending on which sinuses are affected. Certain symptoms may even give you a clue as to which sinus is inflamed.
- Sinusitis: Pain in the cheek area, toothache on the upper jaw and headache
- Frontal sinusitis: headache frontally on the forehead and feeling of pressure on the forehead, pain at the eyes
- Ethmoidal cells: Pain behind and between the eyes, "skull splitting" forehead headache.
- Sphenoid sinus: pain from the middle of the head to the back of the head and neck, rarely affected by inflammation
In addition, it is characteristic that your pain is increased with abrupt movements and bending.
In general, you feel tired and listless. If the infection is more severe, you may get fever, cough, earache.
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What you should do at the first sign of infection
You notice that something is brewing? Rest is the key. Pay attention to the symptoms and your health.
Colds of all kinds can be controlled if you act as early as possible. If you are prone to sinus infections, then you should get yourself a nasal douche. It's worth it! With the special salt water solution you can clear the sinuses and remove viruses and bacteria that are trying to attach themselves.
If one of your colleagues sniffles at work, get ready to take a nasal shower right away in the evening.
But it also helps when you've got it. The salt has a decongestant effect and loosens stubborn mucus.
Additional inhalation of chamomile tea can also be helpful. However, you are always on the safe side with the nasal douche.
I can recommend this model to you. And use it regularly myself. In winter against colds and in spring against pollen.
What does a nasal douche do? I have tested it!
Why and when sinusitis is contagious
A strong and healthy immune system is important to protect you from viruses. Especially in the cold season, however, our defense system is often weakened and we are more susceptible to infections.
Viruses. The tiny cold pathogens that we would never recognize with the eye can trigger not only a common cold.
The rhino, adeno or parainfluenza viruses are small pathogens that initially release a cold and can also be a cause of sinusitis.
Acute sinusitis is usually the result of a virus-induced rhinitis. If the symptoms are bilateral, i.e. bilateral facial pain and discharge from both nostrils, then viruses are probably the cause of infection.
Viral sinusitis is contagious! Bacterial sinusitis is usually not contagious.
There is also no further risk of infection from a chronic sinus infection and from one caused by allergy.
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At what stage sinusitis is contagious
If you're wondering at what stage a viral sinus infection is contagious, the answer is simple: always!
And even if you are not (yet) suffering from the symptoms, you may already be carrying the infection. This is especially dangerous!
If you are already infected and in contact with other people, you can already transmit the disease. You are then in the incubation period. This is the period between infection and the onset of symptoms.
In the case of classic cold viruses, which can trigger a flu-like infection and thus also subsequently a sinus infection, the incubation period is one to three days.
I'm sure you've felt this yourself. For me, too, it usually takes three days for coughs and colds to become noticeable. But before that, I often feel more tired than normal.
However, you must note that the incubation period is not the same as the infection period. The risk of infection can exist for up to 14 days in total! Here it means for you: be very attentive if you want to protect others from a possible infection.
In short, sinusitis is contagious. And very much so, throughout the course of the infection.
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How the sinus infection is transmitted
The rhino, adeno or parainfluenza viruses are tiny pathogens. They sit on tiny droplets of water and secretion.
Therefore, there are two ways in which sinusitis is contagious.
- Droplet infection
- Smear infection.
The droplet infection
Droplet infection means: You, as the sick person, release tiny droplets of your saliva into the air unnoticed and thus spread the pathogen.
This happens when you talk, cough and sneeze. The people around you breathe in the droplets without noticing. In this way, the viruses can settle in the mucous membranes and trigger an infection.
But there is one piece of good news: Anyone who catches the viruses does not immediately get a sinus infection, but "only" a cold at first.
If you are often indoors with a lot of people, like at college, school or the office, sinus infection infections may be more common.
Here, sinus infection is contagious because many people in a confined area promote droplet infection.
It is not possible to make a blanket statement about how long the droplets fly around in a room after sneezing. Factors such as droplet size, humidity and temperature influence the durability of the pathogens in the air.
Droplet infection can also take place directly.
Bad for all romantics among us: When you kiss your partner, you pass the viruses directly from mucous membrane to mucous membrane.
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The smear infection
The second transmission path is the Smear infection, also called contact infection.
Unlike droplet infection, salivary secretions adhere to one's own hand, surfaces or objects and are thus transmitted. But how does it work? I'll explain it to you using a super simple and everyday example.
When you sneeze or yawn, you're sure to hold your hand over your mouth or nose sometimes. This is considered polite, after all, your colleague and table neighbor should not be able to look into your stomach and say "hello" to your lunch. :)
Then you stand up and leave the room. As you do so, you open and close the door. There are now infected droplets on the door handle. The next person who opens the door will come into contact with them.
In a flash, it happens: If this person touches his face with his hand, pathogens reach the mucous membranes and a new infection occurs.
How long droplets adhere to surfaces and objects depends on the type of pathogen.
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How to protect yourself and others from infection
You can certainly do without pain and snotty noses just as well as I can. We want to be able to taste and sniff our favorite tea even in autumn and winter.
Although sinusitis is contagious, you can take a few precautions and protect yourself from it.
With these tips, you can reduce the risk of infection and prevent a sinus infection.
- Wash your hands more often and more thoroughly than usual with soap and water.
- Touch your mouth or nose as little as possible.
- It is best to cough and sneeze into the crook of your arm, but if you do accidentally cough or sneeze into your hand, wash it afterwards.
- Regularly air out the rooms you are in. Airing the rooms several times a day can reduce the viral load.
- Keep the air in your rooms humid by using evaporators.
- Change your towels more often than usual.
- Use your tissues only once and don't leave them lying around after use. Dispose of them in a trash can with a lid.
- Avoid close contact with people with colds or try to keep your distance as best you can.
- Strengthen your immune system through proper nutrition and exercise.
These useful tips are generally super useful in cold season and generally useful to prevent infections.
Our conclusion
Sinusitis is not at all fun and unfortunately super easy to get. If you've caught it and are plagued by a stuffy nose and pressure pains, you should get a good night's rest.
To protect others and yourself from infection, you must maintain good hand hygiene and avoid enclosed spaces with many people.
My tip: If you have a cold and a cough, don't sneeze into your hand, but into the crook of your arm.
To help you get fit and healthy again quickly, try inhaling chamomile tea. This always helps me very well!
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