A sinus infection that keeps coming back can wear you down. Congestion, facial pressure, drainage, headaches, and fatigue can make it harder to sleep, work, and feel like yourself.
Virginia Ear Nose & Throat has the depth many Richmond, Virginia, families look for, with 39 providers, five locations, and care for both adults and children. Our team includes board-certified physicians and nurse practitioners with experience in otolaryngology, acute and chronic sinus conditions, and pediatric ENT concerns, including adult sinusitis and pediatric sinusitis.
What Makes Sinus Infections Chronic?
Sinusitis happens when the sinuses become inflamed and swollen. When the sinus openings are blocked, mucus may not drain properly, which can set the stage for infection.
Acute sinus infections often develop after a common cold and eventually clear. Chronic sinusitis can persist for weeks or months. In children, this condition may be suspected when symptoms continue for 12 weeks or when acute infections happen four to six times per year.
Common Causes of Chronic Sinus Infections
Recurring sinus problems can have more than one cause. The main issue is usually poor drainage or ongoing inflammation inside the nose and sinus passages.
Possible causes include:
- Allergies: Environmental allergies can trigger swelling and congestion, making sinus symptoms worse.
- Respiratory infections: Colds and other respiratory infections are common starting points for sinus inflammation.
- Deviated septum: An off-center septum can narrow airflow and contribute to ongoing congestion or repeat infections.
- Narrow sinus passages: Some people have sinus anatomy that makes drainage harder.
- Nasal polyps: These soft growths can block normal drainage and contribute to lingering pressure, stuffiness, or drainage.
For children, developing immune systems, allergies, and anatomy can make sinusitis harder to recognize. Symptoms may be subtler than they are in adults.
Symptoms That Should Not Be Ignored
Chronic sinus problems may cause congestion or difficulty breathing, swelling, runny nose, postnasal drainage, yellow or greenish drainage, and facial pain or pressure. Children may also have a long-lasting “cold,” fatigue, irritability, swelling around the eyes, cough, sore throat, bad breath, nausea, or vomiting from postnasal drip.
When these issues keep returning or never fully clear, an ENT evaluation can help identify what is keeping the sinuses irritated or blocked.
How Our Team Evaluates Chronic Sinusitis
To understand what is causing your sinus trouble, our team may review your medical history, perform a physical exam, or use a CT scan or nasal endoscopy. For children, a detailed sinus evaluation and CT imaging may help show how the sinuses are formed and where blockage may be occurring.
Treatment may start with non-surgical options such as a steroid nasal spray, salt water wash, or allergy testing. When sinusitis continues despite other care, sinus surgery may be discussed. For children, treatment can vary from medication and allergy trigger avoidance to adenoidectomy or functional endoscopic sinus surgery when needed.
Chronic Sinus Infection Care in Richmond, VA
Sinus problems that keep coming back should not be brushed off as another cold. Our broad ENT team at Virginia Ear Nose & Throat provides adult and pediatric sinus care in Richmond, VA. For help with chronic sinus symptoms, contact us or call 804-484-3700.