Acute sinusitis symptoms often include:

• Drainage of a thick, yellow or greenish discharge from the nose or down the back of the throat (postnasal drainage)
• Nasal obstruction or congestion, causing difficulty breathing through your nose
• Pain, tenderness, swelling and pressure around your eyes, cheeks, nose or forehead that worsens when bending over

Other signs and symptoms can include:

• Ear pressure
• Headache
• Aching in your upper jaw and teeth
• Reduced sense of smell and taste
• Cough, which might be worse at night
• Bad breath (halitosis)
• Fatigue
• Fever

Acute sinusitis is most often caused by the common cold, which is a viral infection. In some cases, a bacterial infection develops.

You may be at increased risk of getting sinusitis if you have:

• Hay fever or another allergic condition that affects your sinuses
• A nasal passage abnormality, such as a deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps or tumors
• A medical condition such as cystic fibrosis or an immune system disorder such as HIV/AIDS

Acute sinusitis complications are uncommon. If they occur, they might include:

• Chronic sinusitis. Acute sinusitis may be a flare-up of a long-term problem known as chronic sinusitis. Chronic sinusitis lasts longer than 12 weeks.
• Meningitis. This infection causes inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding your brain and spinal cord.
• Other infections. Uncommonly, infection can spread to the bones (osteomyelitis) or skin (cellulitis).
• Partial or complete loss of sense of smell. Nasal obstruction and inflammation of the nerve for smell (olfactory nerve) can cause temporary or permanent loss of smell.
• Vision problems. If infection spreads to your eye socket, it can cause reduced vision or even blindness that can be permanent.