COVID-19 has taken the whole world under its deadly grip over the past one and a half years. The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to several other diseases and infections. Its symptoms are also similar to sinusitis. To know what is the difference between sinus pain and covid-19 read the following article.
Sinuses are hollow cavities that run just behind the face. It is a passage for mucus and dust particles. When these sinuses get inflamed due to harmful bacteria and viruses, such a condition is termed a sinus infection or sinusitis.
COVID-19 is an infectious disease spread through the Covid virus. This directly affects the respiratory system and hence, the lungs. Slowly it weakens the body and ultimately leads to multi-organ failure. There are numerous cases reported when a person collapsed even after testing Covid negative.
What is the Difference between Sinus Pain and COVID-19?
Covid-19 and sinusitis share quite a few numbers of common symptoms which can make them harder to differentiate. Sometimes you may want to ask yourself, does Covid feel like a Sinus Infection? Some common symptoms of both diseases are:
- Congestion: During a sinus infection, the inflammation of sinus tissues can lead to congestion. When COVID-19 affects the human body, congestion is a common symptom too.
- Headache: Both share similar symptoms of frequent headaches.
- Runny Nose: The mucus built up can lead to a runny nose and require you to frequently blow out during sinus infection. Similarly, in the case of COVID-19, the virus leads you on the path of having a runny nose.
- Loss of Sense of Smell: Sinusitis affects the normal functioning of sinuses which in turn can take away the sense of smell for a short period of time. In the case of COVID-19, a person generally loses the sense of taste along with smell.
There is a high chance of COVID-19 symptoms and sinusitis symptoms being overlapped. In such a case, you should seek the professional help of a doctor to get a clearer view of your infection.
What is the difference between sinus pain and covid-19 can be identified by monitoring the Symptoms? Can Covid cause Sinus Infection? No, there is no direct association found between Covid and sinusitis.
Unique Symptoms of a Sinus Infection
Although covid and sinusitis might have some symptoms in common certain unique symptoms help to identify sinusitis. These symptoms include:
- Nasal inflammation and congestion, as a result, runny nose
- Thick, discolored discharge from the nose
- Postnasal drainage and irritation in the throat
- Pain and swelling around eyes, cheeks, nose, and forehead
- Aching in the jaws
- Bad breath
Typical Symptoms of Covid-19
Even if some symptoms might overlap, Covid has some typical symptoms. You can tell the difference between sinus pain and Covid-19 by observing these Covid-19 symptoms as assessed by the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
- Fever along with body aches
- Fatigue accompanied by muscle cramps
- Cough and breathing trouble
- Sore throat
- Nausea, vomiting, and in some cases diarrhea
- A loss of taste and smell (may be partial or complete)
You should immediately call upon a doctor or sought medical help when you have trouble breathing, find it difficult to stay awake or feel persistent pain in your chest.
Can COVID cause Sinus Infection?
There is practically very little evidence of Covid causing sinusitis. That means COVID might have similar symptoms to sinusitis, but there is very little evidence of the covid virus triggering the sinuses.
However, COVID weakens the body’s immune system. As a result post-COVID one might be easy prey to bacteria and viruses. These can affect the sinuses in the body and trigger a sinus infection.
Diagnosis between Sinusitis and Covid-19
The first step to distinguishing between the two diseases is to carefully observe the symptoms. You may also keep a track of the records and compare the symptoms. For example, if you have nasal congestion and trouble breathing, there is a high chance of it being COVID-19. A sinus infection is rarely known to cause trouble in the respiratory tract.
The context is the key. If you lurked and took care of someone suffering from COVID-19, there is a very high probability of you catching the virus. But if you took care of someone with a common cold and started to feel discomfort, you definitely caught the flu virus and there is nothing to worry about the COVID virus.
If you believe that you have been exposed to the coronavirus, you need to quarantine yourself immediately. You should consult the doctor, take medicines, monitor your health, and take proper rest. The most certain way to find the difference between sinus pain and COVID-19 is to run a COVID test.
Conclusion
When in doubt about whether it is a sinus infection or COVID-19 it is best to run a test to be on the safe side. If you don’t want to run a test, follow the doctor’s advice to the word. To identify the difference between sinus pain and COVID-19 it is best to consult a doctor. Drink plenty of air, get appropriate rest and eat lots of nutritious fruits and vegetables in either case. Don’t panic and quarantine yourself in case of a COVID infection. COVID directly affects the upper respiratory tract and can be deadly. If you feel that your condition is worsening, immediately get admitted to the hospital.
