Yes - sinusitis is diagnosed from the story: congestion, face pressure, thick discharge, reduced smell. Most cases are viral and settle in two to three weeks with saline rinses, short-course decongestants, and painkillers - no antibiotic needed.
The NHS escalation lines: no better after 7 days of pharmacy treatment or 3 weeks of self-care, recurrent episodes, or a child under 12. Severe signs - high fever, swelling or redness around an eye, vision changes, severe headache, confusion - need urgent in-person care. Antibiotics genuinely apply mainly when symptoms pass 10 days, run severe, or improve then worsen. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you judge the stage.
What to do
Common questions
Can I text a doctor about a sinus infection?
Yes - sinusitis is diagnosed from the story, not the exam, which makes it a good fit for text care: blocked nose, pressure or pain in the cheeks, forehead, or around the eyes, thick green or yellow discharge, reduced smell, maybe a headache that worsens when you lean forward. The key fact an online clinician works from: most sinus infections are viral and clear on their own within two to three weeks, so the right treatment is usually symptom care - saline rinses, decongestants for a few days only, painkillers, steam - not antibiotics. The NHS thresholds for escalating: no improvement after 7 days of pharmacy treatment, no improvement after 3 weeks of self-treatment, sinusitis that keeps coming back, or a child under 12 - and severe signs (high fever, swelling or redness around the eye, vision changes, a severe headache, confusion) need urgent in-person care, not a text. An online clinician can also tell the allergy-versus-infection pattern apart and advise when antibiotics genuinely apply (typically: symptoms past 10 days, or severe, or improving then suddenly worse). Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you judge which stage you are at.