Symptoms of a Sinus Infection in Children

Symptoms indicating that your child may have acute sinusitis include postnasal drip, nasal congestion, cough, and nasal drainage. Children do not always have the same signs and symptoms as adults. For example, facial pain and headache -- which frequently occur in adults -- only occur in about one out of three children with a sinus infection.

What Are Some Possible Symptoms of Sinusitis in Children?

There are a number of common signs and symptoms of an acute sinus infection in children. These include:
 
  • Nasal drainage
  • Postnasal drip
  • Nasal congestion or obstruction
  • Cough.
     
The nasal discharge often starts as clear and watery. It then moves to a thicker, mucus-like discharge, which may be yellow or green in color. As symptoms improve, the nasal discharge may thin again.
 
The cough may be wet or dry. It is usually present during the day, but is often worse at night. Fever may or may not occur. If it does, it is usually within the first two days.
 
Other possible symptoms in children with a sinus infection can include:
 
  • Sore throat
  • Vomiting
  • Bad breath (halitosis).
     
Facial pain and headache are common sinus infection symptoms in adults; however, these symptoms are less common in children. About one in three children with sinusitis have these symptoms. The younger the child, the less likely these two symptoms are to occur.
 

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
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