{"id":627600,"date":"2024-04-26T09:30:59","date_gmt":"2024-04-26T13:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=627600"},"modified":"2025-04-08T19:41:37","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T23:41:37","slug":"can-a-sinus-infection-cause-a-fever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/can-a-sinus-infection-cause-a-fever\/","title":{"rendered":"Can a sinus infection cause a fever?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sinus infections<\/span>, also known as sinusitis,<\/span> occur when a virus or bacteria causes inflammation and mucus buildup in your nasal passages. The swelling of the tissue lining your sinuses causes stuffy nose, facial pain, sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, postnasal drip, and other symptoms that can feel similar to a common cold. They vary in length of illness and severity. <\/span><\/p>\n

Acute sinusitis is usually caused by a virus and typically lasts seven to 10 days. If symptoms persist beyond 7-10 days, your infection might be caused by bacteria.\u00a0 Sinus infections are considered chronic when lasting longer than 12 weeks. Fever is one of the symptoms of sinusitis, though it is more common with one type of infection.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Does a sinus infection cause a fever?<\/span><\/h2>\n

A <\/span>sinus infection<\/span>, like any other infection, can cause a fever. This symptom is more common with acute sinus infections that are <\/span>bacterial<\/span> or viral in <\/span>nature. <\/span>Chronic sinus infections<\/span>, those lasting 12 weeks or more, typically don\u2019t cause a fever. Chronic sinusitis is often related to structural abnormalities like a deviated septum, blockage, nasal polyps, or other growths.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTypically, a bacterial sinus infection is going to cause someone to get a lot more sick than a viral infection,\u201d says <\/span>Dhaval Desai, MD,<\/span><\/a> Director of Hospital Medicine at Emory Saint Joseph\u2019s Hospital of Atlanta. Unlike cold symptoms, bacterial sinus infections can cause high fevers, severe sinus pain, eye pain, toothache, fatigue, and green-yellow nasal discharge, he says. This thick mucus can drip down the back of your throat, potentially interfering with your sense of smell and causing bad breath.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is it normal to have a fever with a sinus infection?<\/span><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s not common to have a fever with a sinus infection. \u201cFever is not necessarily part of a sinus infection and is present in a minority of the cases\u2014about 15% of patients,\u201d says David Stepnick, MD, otolaryngologist and Department Chair of Otolaryngology at <\/span>MetroHealth Health Systems<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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