Pharmacy First: Sinusitis Treatment in Epsom & Ewell

Sinusitis can be a real nuisance. If you’ve experienced it before, you know the discomfort it brings and how much it impacts your day to day life.
For patients in Epsom and Ewell, understanding when to treat sinusitis at home or seek professional help from your pharmacy or GP can make a big difference in total recovery time.

Symptoms of Sinusitis

Recognising the symptoms of sinusitis is the first step in figuring out where you need to go for treatment. Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses, often caused by infection. The following symptoms are common:

• Nasal Congestion: This is a blocked nose that feels stuffy and difficult to breathe through. This often feels more painful than the runny nose you might get with a cold.
• Thick Nasal Discharge: Yellow or green mucus that may drain down the back of your throat.
• Facial Pain or Pressure: Tenderness around your eyes, cheeks, nose, or forehead. This pain can often lead to strong headaches.
• Reduced Sense of Smell: This can often present itself as difficulty smelling or tasting.
• Cough: Often worse at night, it’s not uncommon for this cough to also lead to a sore throat.
• Fever: This is more of an occasional symptom that’s more common if the infection itself is bacterial.

The severity of these symptoms and how long they last will determine where the best place to go for help is.

When It’s Sinusitis and Not a Cold

If you’ve never had sinusitis before telling the difference between a common cold and sinusitis can be tricky. Both conditions share similar symptoms, but there are key differences between the two to watch out for.

Firstly, there will most likely be a significant difference in how painful your symptoms are. Sinusitis often causes more intense facial pain and pressure, particularly when bending over or lying down.

The other key difference is how long your symptoms last for. Sinusitis symptoms often get worse over time and can last for 10 days or more, common colds usually start to feel better and resolve themselves within a week.

If you’re finding your symptoms aren’t improving and are lasting for more than week, we recommend speaking to a member of our pharmacy team in Ewell or getting an appointment with your GP if your symptoms last longer than 3 weeks.

When to Speak to a GP

While many cases of sinusitis can be managed at home, there are times when it’s necessary to go to your GP. If your symptoms persist for longer than 3 weeks and get worse or can’t be managed with painkillers, we recommend seeking treatment.

If this sounds like you, visiting your GP should be part of your treatment plan. If you can’t see a GP, visit us at our pharmacy to get treatment through the Pharmacy First scheme.

How Pharmacy First Can Help with Treatments

The Pharmacy First service is a fast and convenient option for those looking to manage sinusitis symptoms without seeing a GP. Ricky’s Pharmacy in Epsom and Ewell offers personalised care and a range of treatments that can help manage your sinusitis. We can offer over the counter medicines such as decongestants and pain relievers to help reduce nasal congestion, alleviate pain, and help you breathe easier. If needed we can also provide antibiotics.

As well as over the counter solutions we also recommend drinking plenty of fluids to help thin the mucus, making it easier to clear as well as getting adequate rest to help speed up recovery.

Ricky’s Pharmacy is Here For You

We pride ourselves on providing a personal and professional service to help you feel well as fast as possible.

To help you get help fast, the Pharmacy First service is available at our pharmacy in Ewell, to give you a treatment option without always needing a GP appointment. We’re conveniently between Epsom and Ewell and open 9am – 6pm Monday to Saturday and 9am – 1pm on a Saturday.

You can book a consultation about your sinusitis symptoms here.

This service is available for NHS patients over 12 years of age. If you’re not sure if you qualify for the service, call us on 020 8394 0151 to find out how we can help you manage and treat your symptoms.