The main connection between sinus infection and bronchitis is that one can lead to another. To be more specific, a sinus infection has the potential to cause bronchitis. Another way that sinus infection and bronchitis can be connected is that they often occur simultaneously. This generally happens because sinus infections and bronchitis have some of the same potential causes, so when a person develops one, he has a greater chance of developing the other. Treatments for both conditions are usually very similar as well.
Sinus infections are often developed because of different kinds of allergies. This is also very often true with bronchitis. Many allergies can cause the body to produce an overabundance of mucus, and this mucus can potentially pool up in certain areas of the body. When this happens in the lungs or in the sinuses, bacterial infections can develop, and these can ultimately cause sinus infection and bronchitis to emerge at the same time.
The other connection between bronchitis and sinus infection comes from a sinus infection symptom called post-nasal drip. This causes mucus to run down the back of the throat constantly. A lot of this mucus can make its way into a person’s lungs, and the mucus from a sinus infection is generally full of bacteria. When it reaches the lungs, it can often spread the infection into that area, leading to bronchitis.
When people get a sinus infection or a case of bronchitis, doctors will usually use various antibiotics to treat them. These drugs are considered effective in helping the immune system fight off bacteria, which are responsible for most cases of bronchitis, as well as most sinus infections. Some sinus infections are caused by fungal contamination, and these require specialized medications.
The symptoms of sinus infection include facial pain, headaches around the eyes, and pain in the area of the teeth. The symptoms of bronchitis include coughing and wheezing along with fevers. Both illnesses are primarily caused by inflammation.
In the case of sinus infection, the inflammation is happening in the lining of a person's sinuses, and in the case of bronchitis, the inflammation is happening inside the lungs, in the area of a person's bronchial tubes. Both illnesses are usually easy to treat, but bronchitis can be potentially dangerous for young children and the elderly. Anybody who already has some kind of severe lung difficulty is also at risk for serious sickness.