Saturday, March 23, 2024

Do I Need Medicine For A Sinus Infection

Will My Sinus Infection Clear Up On Its Own

Are antibiotics needed for a sinus infection?

The first few weeks of the common cold arent fun, but the acute sinusitis that can pop up afterwards doesnt help either. Sinus congestion and the common cold, unfortunately, go hand in hand. Acute sinusitis frequently is caused by the common cold, but also can be caused by allergies and bacterial and fungal infections.

Sinus infections are caused when the cavities around your nasal passages become inflamed and swollen, which eventually interferes with drainage and causes mucus to build up. This tends to get annoying, because it makes breathing through the nose difficult. It also affects the area around your eyes and face, and can cause a throbbing headache.

When a sinus infection hits, its always worse than what you remembered from the last time you had one. This may give you the idea that you need antibiotics, but most clear up without them. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses and arent recommended within the first week of developing a cold. About 70 percent of sinus infections go away within two weeks without antibiotics.

Consider these other forms of treatments instead of antibiotics:

  • Over-the-counter pain relievers. Aspirins, acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help relieve temporary pain.
  • Saline nasal spray. This is used to spray into your nose several times a day to rinse your nasal passages. They can help to prevent and treat inflammation.

Antibiotics only will be needed if the infection is severe, recurrent or persistent.

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When To Take Antibioticsand When Other Treatments May Work Better

If youve been knocked out by sinus infection symptomsstuffiness, face pain or pressure, nasal dischargeyour doctor might recommend that you wait it out for a week or so before resorting to an antibiotic. And she or he might be right: Antibiotics are often not necessary for clearing up a sinus infection, according to recent research.

As a result, many health experts, including Zara Patel, M.D., a sinus infection expert and assistant professor of otolaryngology at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., are urging doctors to think twice before prescribing antibiotics for sinus and other respiratory infections.

A 2016 study, published in JAMA, found that people who went to the doctor with a sinus infection were more likely to leave with a prescription for antibiotics than people seeing the doctor for any other reason . But some doctors, pointing to newer evidence, are starting to take a more cautious approach.

For acute sinusitis, there are very well-done studies indicating that antibiotics are not necessary in the vast majority of patients, and most people will be able to clear an infection on their own, Patel says.

Causes For Sinus Infection:

Acute bacterial sinusitis is often preceded by an acute viral upper respiratory tract infection. This leads to inflammation of the sinuses and mucous is formed as a part of our bodys defense mechanism. Formation of mucous blocks the sinuses making it difficult for them to drain.

  • Viral and bacterial infection
  • Blowing the nose during an acute viral infection tends to push infection into the sinuses.
  • Air pollution, especially tobacco smoke
  • Allergies to dust, pollen, chemicals and animal dander

Patients having nasal deformities like nasal polyps and deviated nasal septum are at higher risk for recurrent cold and cough infections.

Having a recent dental procedure can equally increase chances of having a sinus infection.

Although it is difficult to differentiate between bacterial and viral sinusitis viral sinusitis typically lasts for 7-10 days, while bacterial sinus infection is rather persistent.

Majority of acute sinus infections are caused by the following microorganisms:

  • Streptococcus pneumonia

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What Is The Treatment For Chronic Sinus Infection

When it comes to treating chronic sinusitis, theres no one-size-fits-all solution. While several treatment options are available, what works for one person may not be appropriate for the other. Hence, we tailor the treatment to each individuals needs, symptoms, and whether or not other conditions are also at play.

The goals of treating chronic sinusitis are to address the allergic causes, minimize inflammation, promote free sinus drainage, and eradicate the infection .

Here are a few potential treatment options for chronic sinusitis. We will likely try out a combination of two or more of these options to see what works best for you.

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This article is not medical advice. It is intended for general informational purposes and is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your physician or dial 911.

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Favorite Resources For Finding A Specialist

Through research, education, and advocacy, the American Rhinologic Society is devoted to serving patients with nose, sinus, and skull base disorders. Their website provides a valuable search tool to find a doctor, as well as links to other medical societies and resources that are useful for patients.

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Dont Fly If You Can Avoid It

If you do it when youve got sinusitis, you raise your chances of ear pain and other complications. But if you really need to take a flight, yawn and swallow when the plane is on the way up after takeoff or heads back down before landing. That will help keep the tubes from your throat to your ears clear. You can also try this: pinch your nostrils, close your mouth, and gently blow your nose.

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How To Treat Sinus Infections Without Antibiotics

While sinus infections caused by viruses, allergies, or other non-bacterial factors may not require antibiotics, they still cause the same symptoms which make you feel sick.

Symptoms of a sinus infection include:

  • Nasal congestion
  • Pain or tenderness around the eyes, cheeks, or forehead
  • Thick nasal or post-nasal drainage

Taking steps to alleviate your sinusitis symptoms is often the best treatment to lessen your discomfort.

Sinus infection treatment options include:

  • Drink plenty of fluids
  • Rest, especially the first few days, to help your body fight the infection
  • Moisturize the air with a cool-mist vaporizer
  • Elevate your head while sleeping to decrease post-nasal drip
  • Take warm showers or baths, as steam can soothe your sore throat and loosen mucus
  • Gargle with warm salt water for a sore throat
  • Use saline nasal spray or nasal irrigation kit to alleviate congestion
  • Use over-the-counter treatments, such as nasal drops and sprays or pseudoephedrine pills, as your doctor recommends them

What Not to Do for a Sinus Infection

You should always follow your doctors instructions when you are diagnosed with a sinus infection.

Do not:

  • Ask for antibiotics if your doctor feels they are unnecessary
  • Take antibiotics that are prescribed for someone else
  • Skip doses of your antibiotics or stop taking your antibiotics early when your doctor prescribes them
  • Save antibiotics for the next time you get sick

What Takes Place During Surgery

Ask Dr. Mike: What is a sinus infection and how do I treat it?

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery is the standard surgical treatment for chronic sinusitis. It is performed with a nasal endoscope that enters the sinuses through the nostrils. This avoids any visible incisions or scars.

The endoscope is a surgical tool that looks like a thin metal rod with a camera at the tip. The camera acts as a telescope and shows enlarged images of the sinuses on a monitor. It allows the surgeon to take a deeper look at the sinuses to see exactly where the block is.

The goal of sinus surgery is to remove any bone or inflamed tissue that is crowding the sinus openings. This opens up your sinus passages and helps them to drain. FESS is usually performed under general anesthesia on an outpatient basis, meaning you can go home the same day. The procedure takes about 2 hours.

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How Is Sinusitis Treated

Sinusitis is treated in several ways, each depending on how severe the case of sinusitis is.

A simple sinusitis infection is treated with:

  • Drinking fluids .

If symptoms of sinusitis don’t improve after 10 days, your doctor may prescribe:

  • Antibiotics .
  • Oral or topical decongestants.
  • Prescription intranasal steroid sprays. .

Long-term sinusitis may be treated by focusing on the underlying condition . This is usually treated with:

  • Intranasal steroid sprays.
  • Topical antihistamine sprays or oral pills.
  • Leukotriene antagonists to reduce swelling and allergy symptoms.
  • Rinsing the nose with saline solutions that might also contain other types of medication.

When sinusitis isn’t controlled by one of the above treatments, a CT scan is used to take a better look at your sinuses. Depending on the results, surgery may be needed to correct structural problems in your sinuses. This is most likely to happen if you have polyps and/or a fungal infection.

What Is A Sinus Infection

A sinus infection, medically known as sinusitis or rhinosinusitis, occurs when your nasal cavities become infected, swollen, and inflamed. Fluid buildup in the sinuses can cause germs to grow, leading to a sinus infection.

Sinusitis is usually caused by a virus and often lasts even after other upper respiratory symptoms are gone. In some cases, bacteria or, rarely, fungus may cause a sinus infection.

Other conditions such as allergies, nasal polyps, and tooth infections can also contribute to sinus pain and symptoms.

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When Antibiotics Are In Order

The main reason to prescribe antibiotics is for patient comfort, Dr. Sindwani says. The medical field used to be more convinced than it is today than untreated sinusitis would inevitably become a chronic issue, he says.

We dont think that way as much, he says. We dont know that an untreated acute sinusitis, if left untreated, will grumble along and cause people to have a chronic sinus infection.

Some people think thats two separate things, with chronic sinusitis more likely due to underlying issues like allergies or immune problems.

Sinus Infection Treatment Options

Is it sinus or common cold: Here

There are many treatment options for a sinus infection, but the best treatment option varies by the severity of the case. Some acute sinus infections will clear up on their own without any treatment, and you may just think it was a cold. Others require more serious interventions by a healthcare provider.

The standard treatment healthcare providers prescribe for a presumed bacterial sinus infection is an antibiotic. However, if you have a sinus infection caused by a viral infection such as the common cold, your doctor will not prescribe antibiotics as these medications only treat bacterial infections. Instead, you can treat the sinus infection symptomatically until it resolves, with nasal decongestants and antihistamines.

There are plenty of ways to treat symptoms of a sinus infection at home with over-the-counter medications and home remedies. OTC antihistamines block the effects of histamine, helping symptoms like sneezing and runny nose. Simple treatments like drinking water, keeping your sinuses hydrated , and using warm compresses, can also help treat symptoms of a sinus infection.

Keeping your nasal passages clean can help you prevent future sinus infections. If you anticipate having sinus issues during allergy or cold season, flushing out your nasal passages with a saltwater solution can help you avoid the pains of a sinus infection.

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Is Your Sinus Infection Acute Or Chronic

A short-term sinus infection is often referred to as acute sinusitis. Most cases of acute sinusitis last about a week, but this type of short-term sinus infection can last up to four weeks. If you suffer from a sinus infection that lasts longer than 12 weeks despite treatment from your doctor, its considered chronic sinusitis.

What Are The Different Types Of Sinuses Near The Nose And Eyes

The paranasal sinuses are located in your head near your nose and eyes. They are named after the bones that provide their structure.

  • The ethmoidal sinuses are located between your eyes.
  • The maxillary sinuses are located below your eyes.
  • The sphenoidal sinuses are located behind your eyes.
  • The frontal sinuses are located above your eyes.

The biggest sinus cavity is the maxillary cavity, and it is one of the cavities that most often becomes infected.

There are different types of sinusitis:

  • Acute bacterial sinusitis: This term refers to a sudden onset of cold symptoms such as runny nose, stuffy nose, and facial pain that does not go away after 10 days, or symptoms that seem to improve but then return and are worse than the initial symptoms . It responds well to antibiotics and decongestants.
  • Chronic sinusitis: This term refers to a condition defined by nasal congestion, drainage, facial pain/pressure, and decreased sense of smell for at least 12 weeks.
  • Subacute sinusitis: This term is used when the symptoms last four to twelve weeks.
  • Recurrent acute sinusitis: This term is used when the symptoms come back four or more times in one year and last less than two weeks each time.

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How Is Sinus Infection Diagnosed

Diagnosis depends on symptoms and requires an examination of the throat, nose and sinuses. Your allergist will look for:

  • Redness
  • Discolored nasal discharge
  • Bad Breath

If your sinus infection lasts longer than eight weeks, or if standard antibiotic treatment is not working, a sinus CT scan may help your allergist diagnose the problem. Your allergist may examine your nose or sinus openings. The exam uses a long, thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera and a light at one end that is inserted through the nose. It is not painful. Your allergist may give you a light anesthetic nasal spray to make you more comfortable.

Mucus cultures: If your sinus infection is chronic or has not improved after several rounds of antibiotics, a mucus culture may help to determine what is causing the infection. Most mucus samples are taken from the nose. However, it is sometimes necessary to get mucus directly from the sinuses.

Knowing what kind of bacteria is causing the infection can lead to more effective antibiotic therapy. A fungus could also cause your sinus infection. Confirming the presence of fungus is important. Fungal sinus infection needs to be treated with antifungal agents, rather than antibiotics. In addition, some forms of fungal sinus infection allergic fungal sinus infection, for example do not respond to antifungal agents and often require the use of oral steroids.

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How A Pharmacist Can Help With Sinusitis

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A pharmacist can advise you about medicines that can help, such as:

  • salt water nasal sprays or solutions to rinse out the inside of your nose

You can buy nasal sprays without a prescription, but decongestant nasal sprays should not be used for more than a week.

Some decongestant tablets also contain paracetamol or ibuprofen. Be careful when taking painkillers and a decongestant. Do not take more than the recommended dose.

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Which Types Of Doctors Treat Sinusitis And Sinus Infections

  • Many sinus infections can be treated by your primary care physician or an Internal Medicine doctor.
  • However, it is not unusual to consult an ENT specialist, infectious disease specialist, or an allergist or immunologist.
  • With some complex sinus infections, a surgeon who specializes in sinus surgery may be necessary to consult.

Can You Get Rid Of A Sinus Infection Without Antibiotics

Many sinus infections are caused by a virus like the common cold and do not require antibiotics for treatment. If you have mild symptoms, OTC medications may help relieve your symptoms until you feel better. However, consult your healthcare provider if symptoms worsen or do not improve after seven days, or if at any time you have intense/severe pain or pressure, or a high fever.

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Most Sinus Infections Dont Require Antibiotics

Ah, sinus infections. The New England Journal of Medicine published a clinical practice review of acute sinus infections in adults, that is, sinus infections of up to four weeks. The need for an updated review was likely spurred by the disconcerting fact that while the vast majority of acute sinus infections will improve or even clear on their own without antibiotics within one to two weeks, most end up being treated with antibiotics.

It is this discrepancy that has clinical researchers and public health folks jumping up and down in alarm, because more unnecessary prescriptions for antibiotics mean more side effects and higher bacterial resistance rates. But on the other hand, while 85% of sinus infections improve or clear on their own, theres the 15% that do not. Potential complications are rare, but serious, and include brain infections, even abscesses.

When To Contact A Medical Professional

Top Natural Remedies For Sinus Congestion You Can Make at Home ...
  • Your symptoms last longer than 10 to 14 days or you have a cold that gets worse after 7 days.
  • You have a severe headache that is not relieved by over-the-counter pain medicine.
  • You have a fever.
  • You still have symptoms after taking all of your antibiotics properly.
  • You have any changes in your vision during a sinus infection.

A green or yellow discharge does not mean that you definitely have a sinus infection or need antibiotics.

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