Risks of taking unneeded antibiotics include:. This overuse of antibiotics for sinus infections, as well as other conditions, can lead to antibiotic resistance, a state in which bacteria change over time as a reaction to antibiotic treatment, in order to survive and multiply, thus making the antibiotics less effective.
Antibiotic resistance has become a major healthcare concern in recent years. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics are the primary causes of drug-resistant bacteria. Infections which were once easily treated with antibiotics are becoming more difficult to cure due to antibiotic resistance.
Using antibiotics correctly and only when necessary for sinus infections will help combat antibiotic resistance and improve your overall health. If your sinusitis is caused by a bacterial infection, you may require antibiotics to get better. Typically, antibiotics are needed when:. 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.
Taking steps to alleviate your sinusitis symptoms is often the best treatment to lessen your discomfort. If you are experiencing symptoms of a sinus infection or are having sinus problems of any kind, please contact the Fort Worth ENT sinus specialists at The Fort Worth Sinus Center for an appointment. Because of the recent developments regarding the Coronavirus, we are implementing recommendations passed down from local and national entities in order to keep our patients and staff safe.
Our staff will be screened on a daily basis and the highest standards will be taken in order to ensure a safe environment for patient care. It could be caused by a cold or allergies. Allergies can play an important role in chronic long-lasting or seasonal rhinitis episodes. Nasal and sinus passages become swollen, congested, and inflamed in an attempt to flush out offending inhaled particles that trigger allergies. Pollen are seasonal allergens.
Molds, dust mites and pet dander can cause symptoms year-round. Asthma also has been linked to chronic sinus infections. Appropriate treatment of sinus infection often improves asthma symptoms. Before, I was always thinking about my breathing. Now I can go on my rides with confidence, knowing my condition is under control.
Diagnosis depends on symptoms and requires an examination of the throat, nose and sinuses. Your allergist will look for:. 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 or pus 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.
Your allergist may consider ordering a sinus CT. This test can help to define the extent of the infection. Your allergist may also send you to a specialist in allergy and immunology. The specialist will check for underlying factors such as allergies, asthma, structural defects, or a weakness of the immune system. Biopsies: A danger of more serious types of fungal sinus infection is that the fungus could penetrate into nearby bone.
Only a bone biopsy can determine if this has happened. Biopsies involving sinus tissue are taken with flexible instruments inserted through the nose. Biopsies of the sinus tissue are also used to test for immotile cilia syndrome, a rare disorder that can cause people to suffer from recurrent infections, including chronic sinus infection, bronchitis and pneumonia. Antibiotics are standard treatments for bacterial sinus infections. Antibiotics are usually taken from 3 to 28 days, depending on the type of antibiotic.
Because the sinuses are deep-seated in the bones, and blood supply is limited, longer treatments may be prescribed for people with longer lasting or severe cases. Overuse and abuse of antibiotics have been causing a major increase in antibiotic resistance.
Therefore, patients with sinus symptoms should consider taking an antibiotic only if symptoms including discolored nasal discharge persist beyond days. Antibiotics help eliminate a sinus infection by attacking the bacteria that cause it, but until the drugs take effect, they do not do much to alleviate symptoms.
Some over-the-counter medications can help provide relief. Topical nasal decongestants can be helpful if used for no more than three to four days. These medications shrink swollen nasal passages, facilitating the flow of drainage from the sinuses. Overuse of topical nasal decongestants can result in a dependent condition in which the nasal passages swell shut, called rebound phenomenon. Antihistamines block inflammation caused by an allergic reaction so they can help to fight symptoms of allergies that can lead to swollen nasal and sinus passages.
Over-the-counter combination drugs should be used with caution. Some of these drugs contain drying agents that can thicken mucus. Only use them when prescribed by your allergist. These prescription nasal sprays prevent and reverse inflammation and swelling in the nasal passages and sinus openings, addressing the biggest problem associated with sinus infection.
Topical nasal corticosteroid sprays are also effective in shrinking and preventing the return of nasal polyps. If drug therapies have failed, surgery may be recommended as a last resort. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.
Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Very Helpful information for my family because most of them are infected. After doing much research Finally, have found a useful article. Rarely have I taken antibiotics,.
Regular nasal wash and allergy shots have helped. Do you recommend allergy shots and probiotics after antibiotics.? I am fortunate enough to have a strong relationship with my primary care physician and she recognizes my self-knowledge. For the first time in my 46 years, I have gone more than 4 months without a sinus infection or even a URI.
I have chronic post nasal drip. Now have left forehead ache, not severe but troublesome. Could this be sinus infection? Should I see a MD? Many thanks for advice. Of course there are some segments of the population that should not decided to wait 10 days to see what will happen.
Children who have serial ear infections, etc. Sometimes these individuals, for a variety of reasons, wait longer than they should. It would be nice to mention this in articles such as this one which give the impression that everyone should follow these suggestions. I completely agree. The guidelines apply only to healthy adults. There are many patients with complicating factors who would end up with an entirely different plan, and they should discuss with their own doctor.
Good post. Being infected is a sign that the body immunity system is weak. I am not supporting self medication because some drugs does have side effects.
0コメント