Patients with chronic sinusitis have constant problems; patients with recurrent acute sinusitis have symptoms that clear temporarily between episodes of infection.

For many patients, nasal stuffiness, pain, and discharge become constant. Over time, chronic sinusitis and acute sinusitis may become debilitating and symptoms can become severe enough to interfere with normal activities.

Nasal stuffiness is the most common symptom of possible sinus infection. Others include:

• Large quantities of thick, often discolored, mucus that drains down the throat or from the front of the nose, sometimes causing an unpleasant or foul odor
• Facial pain, toothache and headache resulting from trapped sinus infection and uneven air pressure in the sinus cavities
• Decreased sense of smell and taste
• Severe cough or asthma
• Sense of generalized illness