When is allergy testing recommended for chronic sinusitis?

Chronic sinusitis involves ongoing inflammation of the nose and sinus lining. Allergy symptoms can add congestion and swelling, but not every case has an allergic cause. A clinician considers blocked breathing, drainage, facial pressure, smell changes, seasonal variation, household exposures, and examination findings. Testing can look for sensitisation to relevant allergens, while imaging or nasal assessment may be needed for structural or other causes.

Write down how long symptoms last, whether they change at home or work, contact with dust, mould, animals, or pollen, and which nasal treatments have helped. Bring your medicine list and ask whether any medicine affects test preparation. Testing is most useful when it answers a specific question, such as whether reducing a confirmed exposure could support the wider sinus treatment plan.

Seek prompt assessment for swelling around one eye, double vision, reduced vision, severe headache, stiff neck, confusion, or rapidly worsening facial swelling. Breathing difficulty or swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat requires emergency help rather than waiting for an outpatient test.

Ask whether allergy is likely to be contributing, which allergens match your exposure history, whether nasal examination or imaging is also needed, and how a result would change your treatment plan.