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If your nose feels blocked, you may think you have a cold, but it might be sinusitis.

The symptoms often start just as you think you're getting better from an infection.¹

With sinusitis you may get some of these symptoms as well as a blocked nose:²

• A high temperature
• Pain in your your forehead, upper jaw, teeth, cheeks or around your eyes
• Loss of your sense of smell
• A headache that is worse when you lean forward (it might start when you get up in the morning)
• Toothache or pain when you eat
• Lots of green or yellow mucus in your nose
• Generally feeling unwell
• A sore throat (caused by the mucus dripping down from your nose into your throat).

Your doctor will usually be able to tell if you have sinusitis by your symptoms, although it's difficult for doctors to tell if sinusitis is caused by bacteria or by a virus.³ Sometimes, if your sinusitis is very bad or keeps coming back, you may need to see a specialist or have tests such as an X-ray or CT scan.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.