Sinus symptoms · antibiotic assessment

With sinus symptoms, the key question is whether antibiotics are likely to help.

Blocked nose, facial pressure, mucus and cheek pain are often part of an ordinary viral respiratory infection. Antibiotics do not open a blocked nose or shorten a viral cold. The assessment should focus on whether the overall picture fits bacterial sinusitis.

Book an assessment for sinus symptoms See what I treat

Available appointments and booking are handled in Mehiläinen’s appointment service.

Medically reviewed 2 July 2026 · Markus Huotari, general practitioner

Care route

When should I book, call 116117 or call 112?

Book an appointment if

sinus symptoms are prolonged, clearly one-sided or worsen again after initially improving
you need an assessment of whether antibiotics are likely to help
there is facial or dental pain but general condition is otherwise good

Call 116117 if

there is swelling around the eye or forehead, visual change, double vision or severe headache
there is neck stiffness, confusion, high fever or rapidly worsening general condition
the pain or fever worsens quickly and does not feel like an ordinary upper respiratory infection

Call 112 if

there is chest pain, severe shortness of breath, impaired consciousness, stroke-like symptoms or another emergency
general condition deteriorates rapidly or the person cannot stay awake
bleeding, pain or injury feels immediately life-threatening or function-threatening

This is not an emergency department. At the appointment the aim is to examine the situation and decide the next sensible step: self-care, medication, a minor procedure, tests or referral.

Book a sinus symptom assessment See the guidance on this page

Booking

When should I book?

symptoms have lasted about 10 days without clear improvement
symptoms worsen again after initially improving
pain or pressure is clearly one-sided, especially with cheek or tooth pain
fever, purulent discharge or feeling generally unwell can make bacterial disease more likely
112 Finland: when to call the emergency number
Medical Helpline 116117

Antibiotics

When do antibiotics usually not help?

symptoms have lasted only a few days and fit an ordinary cold
the main problem is congestion, pressure or mucus without other evidence of bacterial disease
symptoms are already improving
the likely cause is viral infection, allergic rhinitis or irritation-related rhinitis

During the visit

What is assessed during the appointment?

The visit focuses on duration, severity, one-sided symptoms, overall condition, fever, clinical findings and whether tests or further assessment are needed. Often the best treatment is symptomatic care and clear safety-netting.

Clinical decision-making

The antibiotic decision is not based on the colour of mucus alone.

With sinus symptoms, I mainly assess duration, severity, one-sidedness, overall condition and whether symptoms worsened again after first improving. Coloured mucus or nasal blockage alone does not make antibiotics useful.

Other appointment situations

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