Therefore, if you are stressed, you may be at greater risk for contracting Omicron, as the body's defense system is not as robust. A bacterial sinus infection will often persist for seven to 10 days or longer, and may actually worsen after seven days. When in doubt, see your doctor. Even your doctor cant tell if your infection is viral or bacterial based solely on symptoms or an exam.. The rapid ones are getting better and better as far as accuracy goes. Some of the most common symptoms include a sinus headache, runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, fatigue, and sneezing. 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. Children's Health, Cold and Flu, Infectious Diseases. Some patients (about 10%) will have scalp tenderness, pain, and even sometimes PAINFUL HAIR! And the smell loss has been worse than the summer Delta surge. Most sinus infections are viral. This lower risk with omicron is also consistent with what scientists have observed in South Africa and the United Kingdom. A commuter masks up for a bus ride in Liverpool, England. Its always better to be safe than sorry. Almost as soon as Omicron started spreading, doctors noticed slight differences in their patients' symptoms relative to prior variants. Also ask your doctor about recommendations for other medications you can take as preventive measures. The virus spreads through respiratory droplets released when someone breathes, coughs, sneezes, talks or sings. We've consulted with our team of licensed nutritionists and dietitians to bring you informed recommendations for food products, health aids and nutritional goods to safely and successfully guide you toward making better diet and nutrition choices. Is that winter sniffle a cold or a sinus infection? You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Another difference doctors are noticing: Loss of smell and taste considered a telltale sign of COVID-19 is not nearly as common with omicron infections. If they have mild to moderate illness and can stay home, but they have certain medical comorbidities, an antiviral treatment may be offered. It is often patients who are susceptible to sinus infections that get them such as those patients who have gotten them before or patients who had ear infections as a child. Sniffles (Nasal Congestion and Discharge), The Connection Between Nasal Polyps and Sinus Infections, What Causes Fever and Headache Together and How Its Treated. 1. 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. "Therefore, people who are chronically ill, immunocompromised, or older adults are at greater risk of getting infected. Youll need to take the full prescription, even if you start feeling better within a day or two. Stay home, rest and drink lots of fluids. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost as soon as Omicron started spreading, doctors noticed slight differences in their patients' symptoms relative to prior variants. Infections like RSV and the flu. Meanwhile, 44% of people in that group reported a persistent cough, and 29% reported a fever. Medicinal treatment methods vary depending on if the infection is caused by a virus or bacteria. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Allergy medications wont get rid of sinus infections, though. But Omicron patients report fewer instances of fever, cough, and loss of taste or smell. EatThis.com is part of the AllRecipes Food Group. Dr. Jorge Moreno said he's seen an influx of COVID-19 cases lately at his outpatient clinic in Connecticut. 960 Johnson Ferry Rd Clinical practice guideline (update): adult sinusitis, Sinus infection (sinusitis): types, causes, symptoms & treatment, Infection by another virus, bacteria, or fungus, Allergy medications like the antihistamines, Getting plenty of rest and staying hydrated, Antibiotics (for bacterial sinus infection), such as Moxatag (amoxicillin) or Augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium). These cases may require additional treatment or surgery. Persisting sinus headache affecting the frontal and ethmoid sinus areas (regions between the eyes and up onto the forehead) is the most common symptom following bacterial-negative COVID sinusitis. "People that are unvaccinated go through a little bit of a longer and tougher course," Moreno said. Additionally, people with allergies and nasal polyps (growths) in the nasal and facial cavities are at greater risk of developing a sinus infection. After all, COVID-19 is running rampant throughout the world and loss of sense of smell is one of the signs of infection. Cleveland Clinic 1995-2023. Most people were sick 6-9 days. As of February 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved two drugs to treat COVID-19: The FDA has granted emergency-use authorizations to a handful of medications that have not yet completed the formal FDA-approval process. Omicron may also change the way the virus replicates or congregates in the body. A lost of smell or taste is a pretty clear indication its COVID-19, for instance. There's now data indicating just how severe its symptoms might be. Sinusitis. Wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your nose, mouth or eyes. Treatment depends on the cause but can include medications to decrease inflammation and treat the infection. This common infection requires antibiotics. Xu and her team estimate that, in their study, about 60% of the people were vaccinated. Learn more about what yellow, green, brown, black, and red. There's now data indicating just how severe its symptoms might be. Can you do anything to get your taste back after a sinus infection? "But people who are fresh, with no preexisting immunity, it's hard to see that the virus is milder. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. OMICRON Original: Had much less loss of smell, but mostly sinus congestion symtpoms. But experts say symptoms are more like colds and medics have urged the . "Those individuals that are boosted, within five days, seven days of their onset of symptoms, their energy level comes back," he said. Allergy and sinus infection treatments share some similarities and differences. 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%). We've all experienced a cold before and it is no fun. Youll also want to wash your hair before bed after being outside and keep your windows closed when pollen counts are high. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page. She also ended up with a painful double ear infection. Although that could definitely still happen with omicron, the risk appears to be lower than it was with delta. Allergies can develop at any point in your life. Get articles and stories about health, wellness, medicine, science and education delivered right to your inbox from the experts at Ohio State. otolaryngology-assoc.com/our_services/allergies__sinusitis.aspx, newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pay-close-attention-to-symptoms-to-determine-if-cause-is-sinus-infection-or-allergies/, health.clevelandclinic.org/cold-really-sinus-infection-tell/, acaai.org/allergies/types/sinus-infection, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17701-sinusitis, Sinus Infection (Sinusitis): What It Is, Symptoms, and More, Nicole Leigh Aaronson, MD, MBA, CPE, FACS, FAAP. The primary symptoms of sinus infections include: In a majority of cases, sinus infections resolve as your bodys immune system attacks and destroys the infecting pathogens. The appropriate treatment for you will depend on what is causing the infection. Hearing Aids Better For Dementia Than Pills. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Rest, relaxation, and fluids are great home remedies. Therefore, preventing a sinus infection often means trying to avoid the illnesses that usually precede it. After youve tested, call your primary care doctor to schedule an in-person or virtual visit. 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. UNC researchers are spreading the word about these disparities and starting a conversation about how to change them. 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. Most sinus infections are caused by viral infections, such as those that cause the common cold, including the rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). However really anyone is susceptible to sinusitis every once in a while. As at earlier stages in the pandemic, many patients are still having some combination of fever, gastrointestinal problems, aches and pains, brain fog, weakness and, less often, trouble breathing, says Mount Sinai's Carr. So its important to wait and see how long your symptoms last. Read onand to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these, Secret Weight Loss Tricks to Melt Visceral Fat, Science Says, Over 60? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When it was discovered, omicron alarmed scientists. Colds are more common than sinus infections and symptoms tend to improve quicker. You might need antibiotics for a sinus infection that does not get better on its own with home remedies or over-the-counter medications. Heres what you need to know about both kinds of infections and how to treat them. ", RELATED: Over 60? But as with any variant of SARS-CoV-2, your absolute risk depends on many factors, including whether you're vaccinated and boosted, your age, your overall health and your economic situation. ", "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. Along with nasal congestion and headache, sinusitis causes pain around your cheeks and eyes. Additionally, allergies and nasal polyps (growths) in the sinuses may increase the risk of developing sinusitis. While its possible that you have the virus, your symptoms could also be caused by another condition, such as a cold or a sinus infection. That's why, she says, everyone should be vaccinated and boosted. You cannot tell if you have COVID or a sinus infection just based on your symptoms alone, especially because so many overlap. Did not lose taste or smell either. As a result, you should experience fewer symptoms. How can you tell whether your infection is viral or bacterial based on your symptoms? Some antihistamines, such as Benadryl, are usually taken for short-term relief. Symptoms like bad breath, yellow or green mucus, fever and headache are not reliable signs of a bacterial infection, he says. Your source for health, wellness, innovation, research and science news from the experts at Ohio State. Your source for health, wellness, innovation and discovery news from the experts at Ohio State. "It's a very prominent symptom," said Moreno, an assistant professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine. Those symptoms include a runny nose or sniffles, a headache or body aches,. Its probably anothersinus infection. Your symptoms are persisting or worsening after 10 days. xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); Doctors treat viral and bacterial sinus infectionsverydifferently. Read our, Causes and Risk Factors of Sinus Infection, COVID-19 Treatments: What You Need to Know, Have Spring Allergies? Your nose is all runny and stuffed up, and youre losing your sense of smell. 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). Vaccines help reduce the severity of disease, but Omicron may be a less virulent virus on its own. And fewer patients have symptoms related to lower respiratory problems, such as shortness of breath, says Vanchiere, including older patients. Learn more about the. To help you figure it out, lets take a closer look at sinusitis. It offers a comprehensive look at how COVID-19 symptoms have changed over the course of the pandemic most notably, with the advent of the Delta and Omicron variants. The trapped mucus can allow bacteria to grow, which leads to an infection, Cooling said. 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. Is it a cold or sinus infection? Sore throat Hoarse voice Cough Fatigue Nasal congestion Runny nose Headache Muscle aches Unlike earlier variants like delta that affected the lungs, omicron and its subvariants tend to cause more. This article covers the key similarities and differences between the common cold and sinus infection, as well as what care looks like for these respiratory diseases. 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. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But oddly about half of patients have no runny nose at this point. At a December news briefing, Ryan Noach, the CEO of Discovery Health, South Africa's largest private health insurer, said Omicron patients commonly reported a scratchy throat first, followed by nasal congestion, dry cough, and body aches.