Pain that afflicts one side of the face or starts when you lean forward also can signal acute sinusitis. Other symptoms include fever, a thick yellow-green nasal discharge, upper teeth that ache, or increasingly severe headaches. If you have frequent sinusitis, or the infection lasts for more than three months, you might have chronic sinusitis. Left untreated, sinusitis can lead to serious infections of the eyes and the brain. Sinuses not helped by medication may require surgical drainage.
Some sinus infections require antibiotics, and others eventually dissipate on their own.
Check with your doctor for treatment, Rice says. If you are experiencing severe discomfort and can't get to a doctor immediately, he suggests taking a pain reliever and decongestant to suppress swelling.