Chronic Fatigue, Pain Linked to Sinusitis

Feeling worn out and achy and don't know why?
You could have sinusitis, one of the most common chronic health problems afflicting Americans. That's the conclusion of new research out of Georgetown University that appears in this week's issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. Dr. Alexander Chester, an internist at Georgetown University Medical Center, surveyed almost 300 of his patients and found that those who reported unexplained chronic fatigue were nine times more likely to have sinusitis symptoms than those who felt rested and well.

Also, patients who said they had unexplained body pain were six times more likely than the pain-free patients to have such symptoms of sinusitis as facial pressure, heavy-headedness or frontal headache, Chester says.

Doctors who specialize in sinusitis -- otolaryngologists -- know that almost one-third of sufferers experience severe fatigue and pain, Chester says, but the news hasn't trickled down to the general practitioner. As a result, he adds, many patients may not be getting treatment for sinusitis that could alleviate their fatigue or pain.