Acute Viral Sinusitis, No Antibiotic Treatment (Child)

Home care

Follow these guidelines when caring for your child at home:

• You may be told to give your child saline nasal drops or a decongestant. Follow instructions for children when using these medicines.

• If your child has pain, give pain medicine as advised by your child’s provider. Don’t give ibuprofen to children younger than 6 months old. Don't give your child any other medicine without first asking your child's healthcare provider. 

• If your child is younger than 2 years, talk with your child’s healthcare provider before giving any medicines to find out the right medicine to use and how much to give.

• Don’t give aspirin or medicine that contains aspirin to a child younger than age 18 unless directed by your child’s provider. Taking aspirin can put your child at risk for Reye syndrome. This is a rare but very serious disorder. It most often affects the brain and the liver.

• If your child is taking other medicine, such as cold or cough medicine, check the list of ingredients. Look for acetaminophen or ibuprofen. If the medicine contains either of these, tell your child’s healthcare provider before giving your child the medicine. This is to prevent a possible overdose.

• Give your child plenty of time to rest. Try to make your child as comfortable as possible. Some children may be distracted by quiet activities.

• Encourage your child to drink liquids. Toddlers or older children may prefer cold drinks, frozen desserts, or ice pops. They may also like warm chicken soup or beverages with lemon and honey. Don't give honey to children younger than 1 year old.

• Use a cool-mist humidifier in your child’s bedroom to make breathing easier, especially at night or if the air in your house is dry. Clean and dry the humidifier to keep bacteria and mold from growing. Don’t use a hot water vaporizer. It can cause burns.

• Don’t smoke around your child. Tobacco smoke can make your child’s symptoms worse.

• Don't use antihistamines with acute sinusitis. They can keep fluid from draining from the sinuses.

• Sinus infections are not contagious. Your child may return to school if they don't have a fever and feel up to it.

Follow-up care

Follow up with your child’s healthcare provider, or as directed.

When to seek medical advice

Call your child's healthcare provider right away if your child has any of these:

• Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or as directed by your provider (see Fever and children, below)

• Swelling or redness around eyes that lasts all day, not just in the morning

• Vomiting that continues

• Sensitivity to light

• Double vision

• Symptoms not going away in 10 days

Call 911

Call 911 or seek emergency medical services right away if your child has any of the following:

• Breathing problems

• Stiff neck and a fever

• Sudden or severe pain in the face or head

• Not acting right or thinking clearly

Fever and children

Use a digital thermometer to check your child’s temperature. Don’t use a mercury thermometer. There are different kinds and uses of digital thermometers. They include:

• Rectal. For children younger than 3 years, a rectal temperature is the most accurate.

• Forehead (temporal). This works for children age 3 months and older. If a child under 3 months old has signs of illness, this can be used for a first pass. The provider may want to confirm with a rectal temperature.

• Ear (tympanic). Ear temperatures are accurate after 6 months of age, but not before.

• Armpit (axillary). This is the least reliable but may be used for a first pass to check a child of any age with signs of illness. The provider may want to confirm with a rectal temperature.

• Mouth (oral). Don’t use a thermometer in your child’s mouth until they are at least 4 years old.

Use a rectal thermometer with care. Follow the product maker’s directions for correct use. Insert it gently. Label it and make sure it’s not used in the mouth. It may pass on germs from the stool. If you don’t feel OK using a rectal thermometer, ask the healthcare provider what type to use instead. When you talk with any healthcare provider about your child’s fever, tell them which type you used.

Below is when to call the healthcare provider if your child has a fever. Your child’s healthcare provider may give you different numbers. Follow their instructions.

When to call a healthcare provider about your child’s fever

For a baby under 3 months old:

• First, ask your child’s healthcare provider how you should take the temperature.

• Rectal or forehead: 100.4°F (38°C) or higher

• Armpit: 99°F (37.2°C) or higher

• A fever of ___________as advised by the provider

For a child age 3 months to 36 months (3 years):

• Rectal or forehead: 102°F (38.9°C) or higher

• Ear (only for use over age 6 months): 102°F (38.9°C) or higher

• A fever of ___________ as advised by the provider

In these cases:

• Armpit temperature of 103°F (39.4°C) or higher in a child of any age

• Temperature of 104°F (40°C) or higher in a child of any age

• A fever of ___________ as advised by the provider