Sinus Infection Spreads to Brain Symptoms

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1. Severe headaches.
2. Nausea and vomiting.
3. High fever.
4. Altered mental state.
5. Stiffness in the neck.
6. Or difficulty to walk.

These symptoms may also be attributed by something else. In other words, having some of these symptoms doesn’t mean that you definitely have sinus infection that spreads to the brain.

If you do have meningitis, you may also have some of the following symptoms:

1. A blotchy rash, typically it will not fade even though when a glass is rolled over it! It is classic meningitis symptom.
2. Drowsiness and increased sensitivity to the light.
3. Irritability, which may be followed with tiredness (lack of energy).
4. Muscle and joint aches.
5. Increase in breathing rate.
6. Cold feet and hands.
7. Mottled, pale skin.
8. Or even it’s quite possible for meningitis to also cause seizures. See more about meningitis in here!

The symptoms of meningitis in babies include; stiff body, high-pitched cry, unresponsive /floppy, appetite loss (they may refuse to eat feed), fontanelle (a bulging soft spot on the head), or restless (they may refuse to be picked up).

Treatments

There are several sinuses, which are named according to where they are located in the skull (see the picture below, credit to the Ohiosinus Institute). And it seems that the infection of sphenoid or ethmoid sinuses has greater chance to spread to the brain.

High-dose IV antibiotics are one of the common treatment options of when sinus infection has spread to the brain, especially true if the bacterial infection is the main underlying cause. If the infection is caused by virus, antiviral medication may be required.

Furthermore, the treatment is dependent on the kind of complication affecting the brain. For more guidance, talk with a doctor!