Sinus infections and how to tell if your child has one

Pediatric Otolaryngologist, Nina Shapiro, MD, shares advice for parents on the difficulties of diagnosing a sinus infection in children and shares some of the common symptoms that indicate you should take your child to a doctor
How To Tell If Your Child Has A Sinus Infection - Kids Health Tips
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Sinus infections and how to tell if your child has one

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A sinus infection in a child is actually quite difficult to diagnose. Sinuses in children are tiny. They are about one to two millimeters in size. So just because your child has a stuffy nose, a cough, runny nose, and even a fever, it does not mean that your child has a sinus infection. A sinus infection in a child is usually seen as a child who has had several days of very significant congestion. The runny nose could be green or dark. They usually have a deep cough. They usually have a fever for several days, and they are not getting better with conservative measures. Those are the kids that need to be assessed for a sinus infection. They may have some fluid in their sinuses. They may need to be treated with antibiotics. It's a child who is not getting better from a cold after several days.

Pediatric Otolaryngologist, Nina Shapiro, MD, shares advice for parents on the difficulties of diagnosing a sinus infection in children and shares some of the common symptoms that indicate you should take your child to a doctor

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Nina Shapiro, MD

Pediatric Otolaryngologist

Dr. Nina Shapiro is the Director of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) and an Associate Professor of Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.  As the first fellowship-trained pediatric otolaryngologist at the medical center since it was founded in 1955, her presence has put UCLA 'on the map' in her field.  

A graduate of Harvard Medical School and Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences, she also completed her residency training at Harvard.  She then went on to complete additional subspecialty training in pediatric otolaryngology at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, and The Children's Hospital of San Diego.

A native of New York, Shapiro has been honored with several prestigious awards, including the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology Award for Clinical Research, the UCLA Division of Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Teaching Award, and the American Academy of Pediatrics Young Investigators Award.  She has also been named "Super Doctor" by Los Angeles Magazine, and has been listed in "Who's Who in America".  

She has authored over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles, has edited a pediatric otolaryngology textbook, and is the author of the parenting book Take a Deep Breath: Clear the Air for the Health of Your Child, releaseded in January 2012. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children, and enjoys spending time with them more than anything else in the world.

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Transcription: 
A sinus infection in a child is actually quite difficult to diagnose. Sinuses in children are tiny. They are about one to two millimeters in size. So just because your child has a stuffy nose, a cough, runny nose, and even a fever, it does not mean that your child has a sinus infection. A sinus infection in a child is usually seen as a child who has had several days of very significant congestion. The runny nose could be green or dark. They usually have a deep cough. They usually have a fever for several days, and they are not getting better with conservative measures. Those are the kids that need to be assessed for a sinus infection. They may have some fluid in their sinuses. They may need to be treated with antibiotics. It's a child who is not getting better from a cold after several days.