{"id":51986,"date":"2022-06-13T09:30:04","date_gmt":"2022-06-13T13:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=51986"},"modified":"2025-12-02T13:34:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T18:34:08","slug":"allergies-vs-sinus-infection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/allergies-vs-sinus-infection\/","title":{"rendered":"Is it allergies or a sinus infection?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are sneezing and congested you may be wondering, is it allergies<\/span> or a sinus infection? These conditions have similar symptoms so it may be difficult to figure out which is making you miserable. With a little detective work, you should be able to get to the bottom of it\u2014and that\u2019s a good thing, because treatments for the conditions are different.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n

RELATED: <\/b>Is it a sinus infection or COVID?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Causes<\/h2>\n

Though they both result in nasal symptoms, the triggers for allergies and sinus infections are distinct.<\/span><\/p>\n

Allergies<\/span><\/h3>\n

An allergy occurs when your immune system overreacts to an irritant or allergen, such as dust mites or pet dander. Your body releases histamine and leukotrienes which can cause you to sneeze, experience congestion, runny nose, itchy eyes, hives, a rash, and\/or swelling. Some people may also experience<\/span> asthma<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sinus infection<\/span><\/h3>\n

When you have allergies or a viral or bacterial infection, your nose and sinuses become inflamed, meaning swollen and filled with fluid. When the fluid does not drain from your sinuses, you can have sinus congestion or blockage. When sinuses are blocked, that congested fluid can become infected by a virus or bacteria\u2014this is known as a <\/span>sinus infection.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sinus infection typically causes symptoms that last (without improvement) more than 10 days. These symptoms include nasal obstruction, purulent (thick yellow or green) nasal drainage, and facial pain or pressure. The symptoms may also include fever. When you have a suspected bacterial sinus infection, then you need treatment with antibiotics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prevalence<\/h2>\n

One of these conditions is more common than the other.<\/span><\/p>\n

Allergies<\/span><\/h3>\n

Allergies are common with over<\/span> 50 million Americans<\/span><\/a> living with some type of allergy (food, environmental, seasonal, contact). Over<\/span> 19 million American adults<\/span><\/a> are affected by hay fever or seasonal allergies (allergic rhinitis). One in five Americans are diagnosed with environmental allergies. The annual cost of environmental allergies are over eight billion dollars every year. \u201cAllergies tend to have a waxing and waning occurrence throughout the year specifically when trees are blooming,\u201d says Javeed Siddiqui, MD, the chief medical officer at<\/span> TeleMed2U<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sinus infection<\/span><\/h3>\n

Sinus infections (also known as sinusitis or rhinosinusitis) are also common with over <\/span>30 million<\/span><\/a> Americans experiencing at least one per year. In the United States<\/span> 11.6% of Americans<\/span><\/a> have been diagnosed with a sinus infection at some point in their lifetime. One<\/span> study<\/span><\/a> found that 73 million Americans during a one-year period had to restrict their activities due to a sinus infection. The medical costs of sinus infections, not including surgeries, were almost <\/span>2.4 billion dollars<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Symptoms<\/h2>\n

The symptoms of allergies and sinus infections can be difficult to tell apart.<\/span><\/p>\n

Allergies<\/span><\/h3>\n

Environmental allergy (hay fever) symptoms usually are triggered by the changing seasons in the spring or fall or change in environment or climate. The most common symptoms are sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose and\/or eyes and nasal congestion. The congestion or postnasal drip may also cause coughing, headache, or fatigue from disrupted sleep, which can interfere with a person\u2019s quality of life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>How do allergies affect quality of life?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Sinus infection<\/span><\/h3>\n

The symptoms of sinus infections are similar to the symptoms of allergies. But sinus infections are caused by bacterial or viral infections. There are different types of sinus infections\u2014acute or chronic sinusitis\u2014based on how long you have experienced symptoms. Acute sinus infections are when you have experienced symptoms for less than four weeks. Whereas chronic sinus infections are when you have had symptoms for more than 12 weeks. One main difference between allergy symptoms and symptoms of a sinus infection is with sinus infections you may experience pain such as facial, tooth, or ear pain along with a fever. Similar to allergies, you may also have sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose, nasal congestion, coughing, headache and fatigue.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Allergies vs. sinus infection symptoms<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

Allergies<\/b><\/td>\nSinus infection<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
    \n
  • Sneezing\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Runny nose\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Itchy nose and eyes\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Nasal congestion\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Headache<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Fatigue<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Coughing<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\n