Sinusitis in children and adults are different. Oftentimes, sinusitis in children is over diagnosed because the symptoms are minor and the causes are complicated. Parents and doctors think that children suffer from sinusitis when what they experience is only a runny nose. But this is often not the case. Your child may not simply be suffering from common cold and they would require treatment. So if a yellow or green runny nose does not mean a sinus infection, how could a parent know if his or her child is actually suffering from sinusitis? If your child has the following symptoms, it can indicate that a sinus infection is present: chronic cough; cold that lasts for more than ten to fourteen days; low-grade fever; thick yellow or green drainage; irritability; fatigue; swelling in the eye area and post nasal drip. Remember though that even if symptoms last for two weeks it does not necessarily mean that there is sinus infection. If the symptoms are improving, then it may just be a cold. But if your child remains sick beyond two weeks, a visit to a doctor is recommended. Although most children respond well to antibiotic, it still won’t help your child get better faster. When antibiotics are used unnecessarily it can cause secondary infections to your child with bacteria that has become immune to the medicine. Nasal sprays may be prescribed to relieve short term stuffiness and nasal saline can help in improving mucous membrane function. If your child is suffering only from acute sinusitis, it should get better in the first few days. But for chronic sufferers, it is important to get the help of doctors to avoid any further infections in your child. A correct diagnosis of sinusitis is often done upon careful examination of a child’s nose, throat and ears and making a careful study of the symptoms that the child is having. Getting a sinus x-ray is not really necessary especially if your child is six years old or younger. Nevertheless, the use of an x-ray cannot be underestimated as it can help know where the blockage has occurred and it can help check the reliability of a sinusitis diagnosis. If left untreated sinus infection can lead to serious complications, including brain damage. So, as a parent you have to be always concerned about your child’s health. But you have to also keep in mind that sinus infection is not diagnosed by a mere yellow or green runny nose. It is detected by analyzing the symptoms and looking at how bad they are.