Sinus infections, while not life threatening, are a serious and painful problem for many people.

What is a sinus infection?
A sinus is any of various air-filled cavities in the bones of the skull, especially one communicating with the nostrils.  A sinus infection (sinusitis) refers to inflammation of the sinuses that occurs with a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection.  The technical word for a sinus infection is sinusitis.

Symptoms
The classic symptoms of acute sinusitis in adults usually follow a cold that does not improve, or one that worsens after 5 – 7 days of symptoms. Symptoms include:

• Bad breath or loss of smell
• Cough, often worse at night
• Fatigue and generally not feeling well
• Fever
• Headache — pressure-like pain, pain behind the eyes, toothache, or facial tenderness
• Nasal congestion and discharge
• Sore throat and postnasal drip

Symptoms of sinusitis in children include:

• Cold or respiratory illness that has been improving and then begins to get worse
• High fever, along with a darkened nasal discharge, for at least 3 days
• Nasal discharge, with or without a cough, that has been present for more than 10 days and is not improving

When to contact a doctor
Call your doctor if:

• Your symptoms last longer than 10 – 14 days or you have a cold that gets worse after 7 days
• You have a severe headache, unrelieved by over-the-counter pain medicine
• You have a fever
• You still have symptoms after taking all of your antibiotics properly

Antibiotics and other drugs don’t solve sinus problems
The bad news is that research shows that antibiotics don’t work to solve sinus infections (rhinosinusitis).  However, antibiotics, particularly the penicillin-like drug amoxicillin, are among the most commonly prescribed medicines for sinus infections.  That’s because they temporarily stop the pain and runny noses.

Since doctors usually prescribe antibiotics, why not follow their instructions?  Research now suggests routine sinus infections aren’t really helped by antibiotics and other medicine that’s often prescribed.

A British study found that people suffering from facial pain and runny nose with greenish or yellowish mucous generally improved within about two weeks – whether they took the standard antibiotic amoxicillin, steroid nose spray or fake medicine.  Patients on the drugs didn’t get better quicker than those using the placebo.

The study should lead to a “reconsideration of antibiotic use for acute sinusitis. The current view that antibiotics are effective can now be challenged, particularly for the routine cases which physicians treat,” said lead author Dr. Ian Williamson of the University of Southampton in England.

“Physicians can focus on effective remedies that improve symptom control,” which include ibuprofen and other over-the-counter painkillers, he said.

Resource Center:

• Google Health
• Mayo Clinic
• Medline Plus
• WebMD

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