You cant, unfortunatelybecause the symptoms are so similar, you should be tested for COVID-19. Read our, Causes and Risk Factors of Sinus Infection, COVID-19 Treatments: What You Need to Know, Have Spring Allergies? But it has taken longer to untangle what, if anything, sets an omicron illness apart from that of its predecessors. Xu and her team estimate that, in their study, about 60% of the people were vaccinated. This may be present with runny nose as well, usually on both sides. The nasal sinuses and the middle ear space or hollow pockets in the head and cranial bones that usually are filled with sterile air. Specifically, the risk of being admitted to the ICU fell from 0.8% to 0.4% (or by 50%) and the chance of being put on a ventilator fell from 0.4% to 0.1%. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you've been exposed to Omicron or think you have the virus, who explained symptoms to watch out for. Research published in April 2022 in The Lancet also found that . The rise of the Omicron variant has only made the situation more complex. How long are you most contagious after a COVID-19 infection? The treatments for each condition are also different, which is why its important to see a doctor and get an accurate diagnosis. Glasses vs. contacts: Which is safer for eyes. Common sinus infection bacteria are often Streptococcus species, Moraxella, or Haemophilus. Some of the most common symptoms include a sinus headache, runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, fatigue, and sneezing. Another factor to look at is how long you've been sick. As the name suggests, this illness is so contagious and widespread that its the single most common cause of doctor visits in the United States. Culturing it in a laboratory will reveal which type of bacteria is causing the infection so the right antibiotic can be prescribed. If you get a COVID-19 test, remember to mask up and stay away from others until you get your test results. "The cough is milder [than previous variants], if there's any cough at all, and fever seems to be a little less common.". If you have respiratory symptoms, its best to talk to your doctor. Yes. Physician, Associate Professor "Cough is still part of the symptoms," Moreno said. You can support more innovations fueling advances across medicine, science, health and wellness by giving today. How to protect yourself & others. Yellow, Green, Brown, and More: What Does the Color of My Snot Mean? If you have respiratory symptoms, your doctor can use several tests to find out what is causing themfor example, if you have a sinus infection, COVID, or another condition. Loss of taste or smell was even less common, as the chart below shows. What to Know About Fibromyalgia and COVID-19, Antigen vs. Antibody: Differences and COVID-19 Testing. Many people liken it to a bad cold or sinus infection. What Is a Sinus Infection? Your doctor will decide which is appropriate based on factors like your symptoms and whether you know you were exposed to someone with the virus. ; Duration: Whereas cold symptoms generally start to improve after . Treatment depends on the cause but can include medications to decrease inflammation and treat the infection. Along with nasal congestion and headache, sinusitis causes pain around your cheeks and eyes. We are also seeing a higher number of unvaccinated and unboosted people getting hospitalized. They need to sleep. This leads to mucus buildup. It also details treatment options for both, why a proper diagnosis is important, and when to see your healthcare provider. Talk through your symptoms, and then your provider can help you determine the best next steps, Dr. Ruff says. While mild fever may accompany early onset of the cold and is common in children or infants with it, its not a typical feature of this illness in adults. At the same time, it appears anecdotally at least that certain symptoms show up more with omicron than they did with delta. The rapid ones are getting better and better as far as accuracy goes. Patients with severe COVID migraine/headache phenomenon may also suffer from some chronic COVID brain symptoms (like chemo brain for patients receiving toxic chemotherapy). Symptoms of a sinus infection may also include dental pain, bad breath, green or yellow mucus, and facial pain. Common colds. In adults and older children, RSV is typically a mild illness very similar to the common cold. COVID-19 can only be diagnosed through a test that specifically looks for the SARS-CoV-2 virus in your body. OMICRON Original: Had much less loss of smell, but mostly sinus congestion symtpoms. Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: The Procedure and Recovery Process. "Their symptoms are resolved. Use saline spray two to three times per day in each nostril. ", "While omicron does appear to be less severe compared to delta, especially in those vaccinated, it does not mean it should be categorized as 'mild,' " said the World Health Organization's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Thursday. single "This is a pretty different surge," says Dr. Brendan Carr, chair of emergency medicine for the Mount Sinai Health System where the emergency rooms are busier than ever but many of the COVID-19 patients are not sick enough to be admitted. COVID-19 is most contagious in the 48 hours before symptoms start and the first five days of symptoms. For COVID-19, the incubation period can range anywhere from two to 14 days. Learn some practical steps you can take to ease your symptoms. There are also other precautions that you should take not just to protect yourself from COVID but to help ensure that you do not spread the virus to other people. Therefore, treatment is much the same, where you can use over-the-counter nasal decongestants, lozenges for a sore throat, and acetaminophen to treat fever, headaches, and body aches. Treatments your healthcare provider might recommend if you are sick, Runny nose or cold symptoms that last longer than seven to 10 days, Facial pain (pain or pressure in your cheeks, nose, ears, and forehead, or between your eyes), Swelling around the eyes (may get worse in the morning), Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, Over-the-counter pain relievers (to relieve aches and fever), Allergy medication (if allergies are a cause), Veklury (remdesivir), an antiviral drug, for adults and children, Olumiant (baricitinib), and immune modulator, for certain hospitalized adults, Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) and Lagevrio (molnupiravir), oral antiviral medications for people with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 cases and are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19, including hospitalization and death, Taking medication (ibuprofen or acetaminophen) to reduce fever, Staying hydrated (drinking plenty of water or receiving intravenous fluids, if necessary), Medications to treat complications (e.g., blood thinners to treat blood clots), Treatments to reduce an overactive immune response and/or support the bodys immune function, Maintain social distance (six feet apart) between you and people who do not live with you, Avoid crowds and indoor spaces with poor ventilation, Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in your home and/or workplace daily. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. advice every day. Some patients of course are much more ill, with about 5 to 10% needing hospital care, and for those patients sinus infection or ear symptoms may go untreated for longer. This may show up almost like non specific concussion symptoms with fatigue, mental fatigue, eye fatigue, non specific dizziness, feeling dizzy in wide open places, or feeling dizzy in busy indoor areas. 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved, Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. A bacterial sinus infection will often persist for seven to 10 days or longer, and may actually worsen after seven days. Another difference is the timeline. You can help prevent a sinus infection in much the same way as you would prevent catching cold and flu viruses. Adults have sinuses behind their cheeks, nose, and forehead. A sinus infection occurs when the fluid builds up in the air-filled pockets in the face (sinuses) and encourages the growth of germs. The overlap in symptoms between COVID-19 and sinus infections (sinusitis) make it difficult to tell the two apart. Omicron vs. Allergy Symptoms Though COVID-19 and allergies are caused by significantly different thingsthe SARS-CoV-2 virus and airborne substances like pollen, respectivelythe two can. Thankfully, both of these conditions are treatable. Whats the main difference between sinus infection and COVID-19? Why Hospitals are Overcrowded with Omicron Patients, "While the variant is considered less severe, more people have it than ever before and people are not isolated like in the early phases of the pandemic," says Walker. When they become blocked and filled with fluid, bacteria can grow there and cause. var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-53563316-1&cid=053662ec-447c-49e3-a3fc-38c4554832b7&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=8507895853480345925'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); COVID-19 is a contagious respiratory disease caused by infection with the virus SARS-CoV-2. And a small study from Norway found that, among . They're napping more.". Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. A viral sinus infection will usually start to improve after five to seven days. Or is it? Sinus infections and COVID are not caused by the same things. Sinus infections, and related sinus pressure, can cause toothaches. This was the case even before omicron: People who had breakthrough infections tended to have fewer symptoms and milder ones than those who were unvaccinated. Its probably anothersinus infection. Even though early data shows that omicron is milder than delta, many hospitals are packed because the sheer number of people getting infected is enormous. EatThis.com is part of the AllRecipes Food Group. Continue taking allergy meds, if you did so previously. Stay home, rest and drink lots of fluids. Nasal congestion and swelling, facial pressure, pain, fever, too much mucus. Learn about treatments to help release the pressure and clear up a toothache. "It's mostly that runny nose, sore throat and nasal congestion," says Dr. John Vanchiere, the associate director of the Center for Emerging Viral Threats at LSU Health Shreveport. People with severe COVID illness usually need to be in the hospital, and some end up needing to be in the intensive care unit (ICU). How can you tell if you have a sinus infection or COVID-19? They usually resolve within seven to 10 days, with most feeling improvement after a couple days. "A lot of this is probably magnifying these symptoms under a microscope instead of clear changes," he says. For example, the virus that causes the common cold attacks the lining of your sinuses and causes them to swell up. You will be notified of your result, which will be either positive (you have COVID) or negative (you do not have COVID). Sore throats were often coupled with sinus congestion and headache, he added, followed by a cough a day or so later. Its also possible to feel foggy and develop a skin rash. American Academy of Family Physicians. Three that have gained attention are nausea, night sweats and lower back pain. You risk possible side effects and increase your chances of developing antibiotic resistance, which can make future infections harder to treat, says Dr. Sindwani. "It's a very prominent symptom," said Moreno, an assistant professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine. "Instead, Omicron is causing more upper respiratory symptoms." Omicron is not. Its also possible to have both conditions at the same time. With infections at all-time highs in the U.S., the clinical picture is now coming together and starting to confirm what other countries have found a typical case of omicron not only presents slightly differently but also likely carries a lower chance of getting seriously ill. Scientists at Case Western Reserve University have preliminary evidence that the risk of being admitted to the hospital or the intensive care unit during the omicron surge in the U.S. is about half of the risk observed during the delta surge. If you have allergies, figuring out your triggers and trying to avoid them will help prevent a flare-up of symptoms that could lead to a sinus infection. Some patients (about 10%) will have scalp tenderness, pain, and even sometimes PAINFUL HAIR! If you are two weeks after your COVID-19 was diagnosed, and have recovered otherwise but need a visit for sinus evaluation, call us today. A sinus infection, sinusitis, occurs when your sinuses become inflamedand blocked. COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a type of coronavirus. But it's very possible that doctors and patients are simply paying more attention to these symptoms than they did with earlier variants, says Dr. Scott Roberts, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at the Yale School of Medicine. cases are dropping in certain areas, the pandemic isn't over and Omicron is still infecting thousands of people daily. So how can you tell the difference? Heather currently freelances for several publications. ", Read the original article on Business Insider, Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram/Getty Images, Jessica Christian/The San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images, Patrick Pleul/Picture Alliance/Getty Images. The omicron variant of the coronavirus has surged in the U.K. and is now dominant in the U.S. as well. While it's welcome news that omicron is easier on the lungs, ProHEALTH's Griffin says it's not that way for some of his patients. If youre suffering from chronic sinusitis(nasal congestion, drainage, facial pain/pressure, and a decreased sense of smell lasting 12 weeks or longer)or you are getting frequent sinus infectionsyou should see your doctor, says Dr. Sindwani. Children's Health, Cold and Flu, Infectious Diseases. It usually spreads between people who are in close contact. The virus spreads from person to person and can cause mild to severe illness. Sinus infection (sinusitis): types, causes, symptoms & treatment. I have started using montelukast orally post-covid to help block leukotriene cytokine response in the covid sinus patients. You dont necessarily have to see your doctor for your allergies. OMICRON VARIANT BA.2: These started popping up late December 21. Symptoms like bad breath, yellow or green mucus, fever and headache are not reliable signs of a bacterial infection, he says. Learn more about what yellow, green, brown, black, and red. "Therefore, people who are chronically ill, immunocompromised, or older adults are at greater risk of getting infected. Long-term (chronic) or severe allergies benefit more from daily treatments, such as Zyrtec or Claritin. Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses. Theres a powerful story behind every headline at Ohio State Health & Discovery. There was a strong tendency toward SEVERE SORE THROAT and even GI upset moreso. That all said, this reduction in risk doesn't mean omicron will be mild for everyone. You may be a good candidate for allergy shots, which can lessen the way your body reacts to allergens over time. if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { This is especially important as cases continue to rise. Many patients with this kind of persisting head pain may benefit from migraine medications or those used to block neural signals upstream of nerve endings. Allergy Cough vs. COVID Cough: What Are the Differences? You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. While the data doesn't distinguish between vaccinated and unvaccinated people, 70% of the UK population has had at least two vaccine doses as of Thursday. Verywell Health's content is for informational and educational purposes only. But Omicron patients report fewer instances of fever, cough, and loss of taste or smell. Bugs are common during the winter months and with the circulation of Omicron it's important you can tell the difference Credit: Getty - Contributor. The omicron variant now represents nearly every Covid case sequenced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But this apparent change in the disease that a severe infection in the lungs doesn't seem as common means fewer people need supplemental oxygen or intubation. Pay close attention to symptoms to determine if cause is sinus infection or allergies. Aside from OTC medications, you will want to get plenty of rest and fluids, eat nutrient-rich foods, and keep yourself away from other people until your symptoms have subsided. In infants and the elderly, the symptoms can be more severe. Bishop S. (2013). If symptoms persist or worsen after 10 days, doctors may prescribe: Chronic sinus infection requires additional treatment focused on managing the severity of symptoms. A diet rich in antioxidants can help with chronic inflammation. As more mucus is produced, buildup occurs and provides a place for bacteria to grow, which leads to infection. Allergies and sinus infections can have similar symptoms. A bacterial sinus infection will last seven to 10 days or longer and may get worse after a week. While you may experience a fever, headache, and cough if you have COVID, you can also have these and other respiratory symptoms if you have another infection or condition. However, these conditions arent the same thing. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, it may be helpful to avoid the substances you know youre allergic to as often as you can. For example, if you have seasonal allergies to pollen, avoid going outdoors when the counts are at their highest. Cleveland Clinic 1995-2023. And this reflects what doctors across the country are now seeing firsthand with their patients. Discover risk factors such as sinus infections. What Should You Do If You Feel Sick but Keep Testing Negative for COVID? Dr. Rogers is an otolaryngologist in the Atlanta Georgia (USA) area since 2005 and specializes in seeing chronic sinusitis patients and patients with chronic nasal allergy complaints. Two recent lab studies, which haven't been peer-reviewed, suggested that Omicron could be less effective at attacking lung cells compared with prior variants. Bacterial and fungal sinus infections often arise this way. Is your cold really a sinus infection? Children's Wisconsin. This all depends on the severity of the virus. xhr.send(payload); As with previous variants, the vast majority of people infected with omicron have a mix of symptoms that resolve relatively quickly and don't require hospital care. Bacteria can also cause sinusitis; these cases tend to arise when theres an existing cold, as the immune system is weakened. In addition, some symptoms of each are not present in the other. These block the immune systems histamine-producing response whenever you encounter an allergen. Managing a sinus infection? Culture techniques or even PCR technology may be used to identify specific pathogens. Your source for health, wellness, innovation and discovery news from the experts at Ohio State. Several types of COVID tests are available. To help you figure it out, lets take a closer look at sinusitis. Is that winter sniffle a cold or a sinus infection? Some common sinus infection treatments include: According to the CDC, antibiotics are usually not needed for viral sinus infections. However, if you develop severe illness, you may need to receive medical care in the hospital. The yellowish tinge comes from white blood cells that rush to the site of the infection and then are swept away after working . Like the science and discovery news you find here? Basically, when your immune system is already fighting off a disease, its easier for other pathogens to infect. on Hearing Aids Better For Dementia Than Pills? What are the symptoms of the flu, COVID-19, and RSV? This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The variant looked wildly different from earlier versions of the coronavirus and it quickly became clear that these mutations gave omicron an uncanny ability to sidestep our vaccines and spread very rapidly. Policy. Typically, a sinus infection clears up within 2 to 3 weeks. And follow the public health fundamentals and help end this pandemic, no matter where you liveget vaccinated or boosted ASAP; if you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95, , don't travel, social distance, avoid large crowds, don't go indoors with people you're not sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, a, nd to ensure your health don't miss these, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Some photos and videos on this site were filmed prior to the COVID-19 outbreak or may not reflect current physical distancing and/or masking guidelines. Typically we allow 7 to 10 days for an acute sinus infection to resolve on its own, but after this point antibiotics or anti-inflammatories or other specialized medications may be needed. Get health and wellness tips and information from UNC Health experts once a month! We avoid using tertiary references. In severe cases, you may need to be treated by an ear, nose and throat doctor. Bacterial sinus infection secondary to COVID-19 may be a cause for lingering loss of smell. The only way to know for sure is to see your doctor. Getting a flu shot will help protect you from the flu virus, which can cause inflammation in your sinuses and lead to a sinus infection. Your doctor will swab your nose to collect mucus. The two conditions can have symptoms that overlap, but some symptoms are more likely to occur in one and not the other. These cases may require additional treatment or surgery. Most people dont require special treatment for the common cold, and theres no vaccine or outright cure. Simply because the Omicron variant is new, there's little research about its link to long COVID, the physical, neurological, and cognitive symptoms that can persist indefinitely after infection. The symptoms of sinus infection tend to come on . Like the science and discovery news you find here? Also, ask your doctor about supplements such as vitamin C to help boost your immune system. OMICRON variant has seen reduced problems with smell loss! 1 UNC researchers are spreading the word about these disparities and starting a conversation about how to change them. congestion or runny nose. Meanwhile, 44% of people in that group reported a persistent cough, and 29% reported a fever. Those symptoms include a runny nose or sniffles, a headache or body aches,. And doctors are finding a key difference among their patients who are ending up in the ER or being admitted: Many are neither struggling to breathe nor dealing with perilously low oxygen levels. Sinus infections most often occur after a cold or an allergy flare-up or in relation to a nasal condition. And theyre better than nothing, especially on a weekend if you dont have other choices, Dr. Ruff says. Sinusitis has a tendency to linger and cause sinus pressure, facial pain, and yellow or green mucus. Allergies can be chronic or seasonal, but avoidance and medication can help alleviate your symptoms. The most common risk factors for sinus infections include: While many sinus infections are complications of a common cold due to a virus, sometimes bacteria and fungi can cause a superimposed infection that is more difficult for the bodys immune system to fight off. According to the CDC, the Omicron variant spreads more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Delta variant. Often the virus starts with a headache and many think they have a sinus infection. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ), "The risk is not zero," says Xu's colleague Davis, speaking of omicron. And among those who are vaccinated, almost all have not received a booster shot. A bacterial sinus infection will last seven to 10 days or longer and may get worse after a week. Xu and her colleagues found that the risk of needing to go to the ER dropped from about 15% during the delta surge to 5% during the early omicron surge (about a 70% decrease) and the risk of being hospitalized dropped from 4% to 2% (or by 50%). If you have pet dander allergies, make sure your furry loved ones dont sleep in bed with you and wash your hands after petting them and before touching your face. Visit the link below to find UNC Health Care providers. In most cases, when you have a runny nose, headache, and persistent cough, you have a common cold. The severe sore throat is often still. "We didn't need to do any complicated statistics to see the difference.". Whats the best way to remove skin tags, and why do they form in the first place? Talk to your teens about their mental health. Sinusitis is usually caused by a virus, but bacterial infections also can cause it. If you've been exposed to Omicron or think you have the virus, Eat This, Not That! Treating your allergy symptoms early on can also help prevent your allergies from getting out of control. document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { Heather Newgen has two decades of experience reporting and writing about health, fitness, entertainment and travel. After all, COVID-19 is running rampant throughout the world and loss of sense of smell is one of the signs of infection. A commuter masks up for a bus ride in Liverpool, England. While there is a range of COVID symptoms, some of the most common include: Several symptoms of COVID overlap with those of a sinus infection, which means you will not be able to be sure of which condition you have by how you feel alone. Whether your sinus infection turns out to be viral or bacterial, you can help to ease your symptoms early on with supportive sinus care: If your symptoms arent improving after one week, its important to see your doctor. Sinusitis happens when your sinuses thenormally air-filledpockets in your face become inflamedand blocked. Along with falling temperatures and shorter days, sinus infections are a common part of winter. But experts say symptoms are more like colds and medics have urged the . This can mean a cold or infection that's progressing. Some viral sinus infections, as when the condition is a complication of a common cold, can be contagious. If your allergies have you particularly congested, they might also prescribe a decongestant. Last medically reviewed on November 20, 2018, A sinus infection occurs when your nasal cavities become swollen, infected, or inflamed. 2005-2023 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Your Face Mask Can Help, How To Protect Yourself From New COVID-19 Variants. Emily is a health communication consultant, writer, and editor at EVR Creative, specializing in public health research and health promotion. However, an allergy cough is wet, while a COVID-19 cough is dry; and fatigue with allergies tends to be milder than fatigue associated with COVID-19. The Anosmia/smell dysfunction returned and Im maybe even seeing this smell loss LAST LONGER than the original COVID variants. If you have respiratory symptoms, you might fear that you have COVID. Dust mite allergies can be alleviated with weekly house cleanings and bedding washes. As one of the largest academic health centers and health sciences campuses in the nation, we are uniquely positioned with renowned experts covering all aspects of health, wellness, science, research and education. This causes an inflammation of the tissues, preventing mucus from exiting the body, and making the sinuses a kind of breeding-ground for germs. Although that could definitely still happen with omicron, the risk appears to be lower than it was with delta. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page. "What we're seeing is something really tips these patients over the edge," says Roberts. Allergies and sinus infections can have similar symptoms. While you can take an at-home COVID-19 test, these are not 100% accurate. Runny noses have been more common with COVID infections with the newer strains. Additionally, if you have any symptoms which are in any way associated with COVID-19, you should follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines regarding testing and quarantining and contact your healthcare provider. The Zoe study uses a smartphone app to log how hundreds of thousands of people are feeling every day across the UK. Allergy and sinus infection treatments share some similarities and differences. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.