ENT and teeth · 4 min read · 2026-05-06

Sinus pressure and a blocked face

A blocked nose with facial pressure during a cold is usually viral. Ten days of worsening pain, swelling of an eye, or a fever that returns is a reason to be examined.

This page is general education for families in Gurugram. It is not a diagnosis, a medicine list, or a reason to skip a clinician. Doses are deliberately not given.

In plain language

The sinuses are air spaces that drain through narrow holes. A cold swells the holes. Pressure builds over the cheeks or between the eyes, worse on bending forward. Most of these settle without an antibiotic. A antibiotic is considered when the illness is severe, prolonged, or worsening after a brief improvement. Dental infection of an upper tooth can imitate a sinus. So can migraine.

Signs worth noticing

These are the clues families usually notice first. One of them, on its own, is not a diagnosis.

Pressure with a cold, able to function.
A coloured discharge. Colour alone does not prove a bacterial infection.
Swelling around an eye, severe headache, or fever after a period of improvement.
A nosebleed that will not stop, or a injury.

What usually sits underneath

Viruses start it. Bacteria join a minority. Allergies keep the lining swollen in some people, so the problem returns every winter or with dust. Smoking and a crooked septum that you already know about make drainage worse.

Care that is reasonable at home

Rinse the nose with a saline wash if you have been shown how. Use clean water as instructed.
Steam can comfort. Do not sit a child on your lap under a boiling bowl. Burns from this are common.
Sleep with the head slightly raised.
Treat allergy if it is obvious, with a clinician’s plan rather than a permanent decongestant drop. Those drops rebound and worsen blockage.

These steps are for someone who is otherwise stable. If the picture is changing quickly, skip the home trial and come in.

When waiting is a bad idea

Swelling or redness around the eye, confusion, or a severe headache.
A fever in a person who looks very ill.
Symptoms lasting beyond ten days and getting worse.

How Rao Lokram Charitable Trust fits in

OPD can tell a viral cold from a sinus that needs treatment, and can notice an upper tooth that is the real cause. OPD runs Monday to Sunday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM at Near Rockford School, Anaj Mandi Chowk, Kadipur Road, Shakti Park, Sector 10A, Gurugram, Haryana. Call 98185 48492 or 70423 28047. There is no appointment form on this website.

Questions people ask

Does green mucus need an antibiotic?

Not by itself. Duration and severity matter more than colour.

Can I use decongestant drops for a month?

No. A few days at most, unless a clinician has said otherwise. Longer use makes the nose more blocked.

Is a scan needed?

Not for a ordinary cold. It is for complications or for illness that is not following the expected course.

If this sounds like you, bring the article on your phone if you want, but let the clinician examine you. Old reports and a list of current medicines make the visit shorter.