It's time to see a doctor when one of the following can help you:

Prescription medicines: Some of the safest and most effective medicines are only available by prescription. You may be surprised how much relief the right medicine can give. If over-the-counter medicines aren't helping, or if they have too many side effects, see a doctor.
Advice from experience: Doctors see this kind of problem all day. They know what works for people and what doesn't. General information like what's on this website is a great starting point, but when the usual steps don't work, it's time to get someone with experience. Figuring out exactly what's going on and what to do about it can be tricky.

Tests: When it's not clear exactly what the problem is, doctors can use exams and tests to figure it out. Looking inside the nose with special lighting, microscopes, or a small camera (nasal endoscopy) is what an ENT specialist does best. X-rays and CT scans are an important part of the workup for harder problems. Allergy testing and, sometimes, lab tests can also help with hard-to-diagnose sinus and nasal problems.

Which kind of doctor should I see?

Primary care:

When problems come and go and are fairly mild, a primary care doctor is a reasonable first stop. From your history and exam, your doctor can help you figure out what is likely going on and a good starting plan. Primary care doctors are a great resource for short-term infections, common nasal allergies, and for pointing you in the right direction if your problem turns out to be especially difficult.

Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists:

ENT doctors are experts at finding and treating hard sinus and nasal problems. Some ENT doctors, like Dr. Casano, focus on sinus and nasal disorders. Because ENT doctors have experience with allergies, infections, and surgical nose conditions, they are the single best starting point for hard sinus problems.

Many people think of ENT doctors as surgeons, and that's true, but most patients who see an ENT don't end up having an operation. Careful test and treatment plans help people with severe allergies, long-lasting infections, blocked breathing, and other nose problems.

For some people, modern surgery is the only way to get full relief. Your ENT doctor can talk through these options with you. Many problems people thought they would just have to live with can be fixed with minor procedures. ENT doctors are the only doctors who can talk you through all of the options.

Allergists:

Allergists are trained to test for what you are allergic to and to treat it with medicines or "allergy shots." If your problems are frequent or severe, and you aren't completely sure they are all from allergies, I recommend seeing an ear, nose, and throat doctor first.  I refer patients to an allergist when allergy testing and allergy shots are the right next step.

ENT doctors are trained to help you figure out what your problem actually is and treat it whether it is from allergies, the shape of your nose, infection, or something else.   When it's clear that allergies are a big part of your problem and the simple first steps haven't worked, it can be time to see an allergist.