It's winter, that great Canadian season of snow, ice, grey skies...and colds and the flu. In a year when H1N1 is high on everyone's radar, it is more important than ever for Canadians to know what their symptoms mean and when they should see their doctor.
A new survey conducted by Léger Marketing shows that the majority of Canadians don't know how to tell the difference between the symptoms of sinusitis, the common cold and the flu, including H1N1.(i) In particular, the distinguishing symptoms of sinusitis tend to go unnoticed because its other symptoms mirror that of the common cold and flu. Unlike the common cold or flu, sinusitis sufferers experience facial pain and congestion, headache and tooth pain as well as a fever, nasal congestion and a stuffy nose.(ii) Symptoms of sinusitis can last from several days to as long as four weeks.(iii) If your symptoms persist after seven days, it's time to visit your doctor.(iv)
"I find a great deal of confusion among my patients when it comes to symptoms of seasonal illnesses like the flu, the common cold and sinusitis. It's important to be able to distinguish between them so as not to delay appropriate treatment," says Dr. Amin Javer, Director, St. Paul Sinus Centre, Vancouver. "I am also concerned that many patients ask for an antibiotic when they might need a nasal corticosteroid. Patients might be surprised to learn that most seasonal illnesses are viral and should therefore not be treated with an antibiotic. There are other treatment options, such as NASONEX(R), the one prescription nasal spray approved by Health Canada for the treatment of sinusitis."
This year sinusitis will affect more than four million Canadians,(v) the flu will affect more than six million Canadians(vi) and on average adult Canadians will have two to four colds.(vii) To get better as quickly as possible, identify your symptoms and know when to visit your doctor.
Guidelines on when to see a doctor