Sinus problems affect everyone at some point in their live whether these problems occur during allergy season or after a round of the common cold. The major complaint with sinus problems from many people today is that these symptoms seem never to go away. If you happen to be one of these individuals, you may be suffering with more than just a stuffy nose.

Colds and allergies both do not linger. Allergy symptoms are gone once the allergen is cleared from your sinuses. A cold does not last longer than 7 to 14 days. Now, you may be wondering why you still have symptoms up to 8 weeks after the cold or allergy season is gone. The answer more than likely is that you are suffering from a sinus infection or what is better known as sinusitis.

What occurs to bring on these sinus problems is that when you have a cold or allergies, your nasal passages become clogged. When the nasal passages are clogged, your sinuses cannot do their job. They produce mucus and push it through your sinus cavities and into your nose and throat to keep the lining of the sinuses free from debris and to moisten your sinuses. When these areas become clogged due to a cold or allergy bacteria can begin to develop. When bacteria develops so does an infection.

Sinus problems can be brought on by several different things, which can cause a person to develop a sinus infection. The most common triggers include the common cold, flu, other infections, allergies, any condition that hinders the mucus of draining such as an injury, an infection in a tooth that spreads to your sinuses, swimming in contaminated water, the changes in air pressure while traveling in an airplane, sneezing, blow your nose, smoking, or second-hand smoke, and drugs that are snorted.

Symptoms of sinus problems can many times aid in the diagnoses of sinusitis. The symptoms of sinusitis may include some or all of these:

Pressure or pain in the head

A headache that is worse in the morning or when the leaning forward

Soreness below, above, or behind one or both eyes

Pain in any of the upper teeth or jaw line

Reduced sense of smell

Stuffy nose

Runny nose

Draining into the throat

Night cough

Fever

The feeling of not feeling up to par

Since the sinuses are located behind the eyes, in the forehead and the cheekbones, the pain may vary according to where the infection is located. You may only have infection around the nose and not in the sinuses in your forehead; therefore, you would not have the pain in your forehead.

With a bacterial infection, you may also notice a yellowish or greenish discharge, bad breath and in some cases a high fever.

If you would like to prevent sinus problems there are a few things you can do. These include stop smoking, drinking plenty of liquids especially water, use a humidifier or other devices to keep moisture in the air, and last but not least stay away from any allergens.