Symptoms can include:
- Nasal congestion (sneezing, runny nose) and post-nasal drip that persists for more then two weeks
- Itchy eyes, nose and throat
- Headache, pain, tenderness, swelling and pressure around the forehead, cheeks, nose and between the eyes
- Behavioral changes including irritability, inability to focus, and/or fatigue
- Sleep problems such as insomnia, bed-wetting and/or sleepwalking
- Reduced sense of smell and taste
The bacteria streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of acute bacterial sinusitis. This type of bacteria can be resistant to the most common types of antibiotics at standard dosages, although there are other antibiotics that can be used to treat the condition. The pneumococcal vaccine can prevent most of the infections caused by streptococcus pneumoniae. Therefore, those who have repeated bacterial sinus infections are often advised to have the vaccine.
Two other common causes of sinusitis are haemophilus influenz and moraxella catarrhalis. Although both bacteria can be resistant to the most commonly used types of antibiotics, other antibiotics are effective against the resistant strains of the bacteria.