Why do I keep getting sinus infections?

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Sinus infections that keep coming back are a pattern with a cause, and the cause is findable. The usual drivers, per MedlinePlus: allergic rhinitis (untreated allergies keep the sinus linings swollen and blocked, which is the setup for infection), structural problems (a deviated septum, nasal polyps, or narrow drainage pathways that trap mucus), chronic inflammation that never fully clears between episodes, and less commonly, immune system issues or conditions like cystic fibrosis. The numbers that define the problem: four or more sinus infections a year, or one that never really leaves for 12-plus weeks (chronic sinusitis), is the threshold where the answer stops being another antibiotic course and becomes a workup. What that workup looks like: usually an ENT visit with a nasal endoscopy (a small camera, less dramatic than it sounds) and sometimes a CT scan of the sinuses, plus allergy testing, because treating the underlying allergy is often what breaks the cycle. What you can do before and alongside: daily saline rinses (the single most evidence-backed habit for sinus health), a daily nasal steroid spray for the inflammation (safe for long-term use, unlike decongestant sprays, which must stop at 3 days), treating allergies properly with antihistamines or shots, not smoking (smoke paralyzes the cilia that clear mucus), and humidity at home. The immediate red flags that are not routine recurrence: eye swelling or vision changes, severe headache with stiff neck, confusion, or high fever, which suggest spread beyond the sinuses and are emergencies. And the expectation to set: structural fixes like polyp removal or septum surgery exist and work well when that is the driver, so recurrent sinusitis is a solvable problem, not a life sentence.

Why do I keep getting sinus infections?

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