Symptoms of sinusitis depend on how far the sinusitis has progressed.
Early symptoms of sinusitis
During the early course of sinusitis, you may feel like your nose is blocked or congested. Nasal congestion and a blocked nose make breathing more difficult. This leads to heavy breathing.
The nose feels more congested during the evening and night.
As symptoms progress, you may begin to sneeze. Sneezing can become progressive, where you may sneeze multiple times in a row. The more that sinusitis progresses, the more progressive the sneezing becomes.
Finally, congestion can progress to affect the eyes. The eyes may become red with thread-like discharge.
This congestion increases in the winter. In the winter there is aggravation of Vata. You may get woken from sleep by a blocked nose or sneezing.
These early symptoms of sinusitis are affected by the cycles of day and night. The symptoms are more prominent after sunset.
After sunrise, symptoms automatically improve, and you are able to breathe easier.
As sinusitis progresses, and becomes chronic, the nose is congested and blocked throughout the entire day.
Chronic symptoms of sinusitis:
As symptoms of sinusitis progress, nasal polyps can develop.
Nasal polyps can enlarge so much that they impede breathing. When this happens, practitioners of western medicine may refer you to a surgeon to remove the nasal polyp and unblock the nasal passage.
Chronic sinusitis may lead to ear congestion. When this occurs, you may feel as though your ears are blocked. You may have difficulty hearing. Pain in the ears may also develop.
Glands on the side of the neck may become affected. When this happens, the glands become swollen and enlarged. Swollen glands may lead to a fever.
As sinusitis progresses and becomes even more chronic, it may lead to headaches and eye weakness. This is due to mucus deposits in the eyes, ears and brain. Memory can become affected, leading to a reduced memory.
Drainage of the excess fluid from the sinuses into the lungs can lead to asthma. Alternatively, asthma can aggravate sinusitis.
The body becomes slow and lethargic. Bodyweight may increase and thyroid function can be affected.
The combination of congestion and the immune response damages the nasal mucosa so much that it becomes dry. The dried out nasal mucosa can bleed when you sneeze or blow your nose.