Differences in Allergic and Sinusitis Reactions
Natural nasal congestion and headaches are very disturbing. Usually, you experience these two symptoms when you have the flu. However, you may also experience symptoms of allergies or sinusitis. Before looking for a cure, you should first make sure that the disease you are experiencing includes allergies or sinusitis. So as not to misstep, let's see the differences in allergies and sinusitis in the following review.
Differences in allergic and sinusitis reactions
Do not rush to take medication first if you are still confused with the disease experienced. Moreover, the symptoms of allergies and sinusitis are indeed similar, namely, both cause nasal congestion and headaches.
Incorrectly taking medication not only makes the disease go away but also can make the disease worse, you know! So that this does not happen, there are ways to distinguish allergic reactions and sinusitis.
1. Causes
The causes of allergies and sinusitis are different. Nasal congestion due to allergies is caused by the entry of allergens that make the body's immune system overreact. These allergens can be pollen, dust, or pet hair.
When there are certain allergens that are inhaled and enter the body, your immune system releases chemicals called histamine. This histamine then instructs the body to fight allergens. This is what raises allergic reactions or symptoms, namely the itchy nose, stuffy nose, until sneezing.
Meanwhile, sinusitis occurs when your nasal passages are infected and inflamed. This condition is often caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal infections.
When the channels and nasal cavity are inflamed, the production of mucus in the nose will accumulate and block the flow of air. This is what causes nasal congestion to headaches.
2. Symptoms of the disease
At a glance, allergy and sinusitis symptoms are indeed similar. Both are marked by nasal congestion and headaches. But don't be fooled. Both allergies and sinusitis have typical symptoms that you can observe.
Typical signs and symptoms of allergies are:
- Runny nose and sneezing
- Itchy and juicy eyes
- Mengi (breath of sound)
Different from that, the most typical sinusitis symptoms are:
- Pain around the cheeks and eyes
- The mucus is thick and yellow or green
- Toothache
- Mild fever
- Bad breath
- Fatigue
3. Disease duration
To determine whether you have an allergic reaction or sinusitis, try to pay attention to how long the symptoms last.
Allergy symptoms usually only appear when you touch or inhale allergens. For example, every time you are in a dusty room, you will immediately sneeze. Once out of the room, the symptoms will usually disappear immediately. This means that allergic reactions can continue to occur at any time as long as you are exposed to these allergies.
If you experience continuous nasal congestion for 3-8 weeks, you may develop acute sinusitis. More than that, immediately consult a doctor because you might experience chronic sinusitis.
4. Treatment
Decongestant drugs, both over-the-counter and from doctors, can actually treat congestion due to allergies and sinusitis. Decongestant drugs function to break mucus in the nasal cavity so that the air flow in your respiratory tract becomes smoother.
But in principle, allergic reactions can only be treated with antihistamine drugs. The antihistamine content will stop or limit histamine activity in the body. This allergy medication certainly cannot treat sinusitis because the cause is different.
To reduce the feeling of discomfort due to sinusitis, doctors will usually give sinusitis spray medication or decongestant sinusitis medication. This type of drug can help hydrate the nasal passages and relieve inflammation.
Your doctor may also prescribe antibiotics if your sinusitis is caused by a bacterial infection. However, make sure to always comply with the rules for taking medication so that the results are effective.
