How a cold can turn into a sinus infection

Clearing mucus, using saline spray can help prevent bacteria growth, says UCI Health expert

IN THE NEWS: If your head aches and you can’t stop coughing at night, you might be dealing with more than just a cold. Dr. Hamid Djalilian, a board-certified otolaryngologist at UCI Health recently spoke with Prevention explaining that it can be difficult to distinguish between a cold and a sinus infection, since they may share symptoms and colds often cause sinus infections.

“Colds turn into sinus infections because during a cold, the nasal and sinus lining swells up and causes the drainage openings of the sinuses to close up. The closure of the openings of the sinuses leads to the accumulation of mucus within the sinuses. Then bacteria from the back of the nose find their way inside the sinuses and grow, leading to a bacterial infection of the sinuses.”

Djalilian says the best way to reduce the likelihood of sinus infections is by clearing thick mucus out of the nose. He says using a combination of saline spray to help clear the mucus and a decongestant nasal spray can help.

Djalilian is a board-certified and fellowship trained in otology, neurotology and skull base surgery at UCI Health. His areas of expertise include complex ear surgery, hearing loss, balance disorders, facial nerve paralysis and skull base surgery. As a professor of otolaryngology at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, Djalilian’s research is related to cochlear implants, acoustic neuroma and chronic ear disease. He has developed several innovative devices for the treatment of hearing loss, imbalance and tinnitus.