Friday, August 21, 2009

Should antibiotics be the first choice in treating sinus infection?

Dr. Helen Minciotti wrote an interesting article about the use of antibiotics in treating sinus infection.

Below are excerpts from her article:

" Is there a time when upper respiratory infections do deserve treatment with antibiotics? Yes, under certain circumstances. Sinuses are cavities in the skull - basically, holes in your head - that become inflamed during colds. When this inflammation persists, sinuses can become infected with bacteria. If a cold lasts several weeks and a child shows no signs of improving on his own, he can have a true sinus infection.

Specialists at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center report that the three factors that most often predispose a child to bacterial sinusitis include these viral URIs, allergic inflammation and exposure to smoke. The Cincinnati researchers note that X-rays are generally not used to diagnose sinusitis, as it's really a clinical diagnosis, based on a child's presenting signs and symptoms. Major diagnostic criteria are: URI symptoms lasting more than 10 days without improvement, nasal congestion and discharge of any type - color, though parents often worry about the dreaded green "snot," is not considered diagnostic - and a cough which is usually worse at night. Other possible features of sinusitis are a low-grade fever, ear or throat pain, fatigue, bad breath, intermittent facial puffiness and face or tooth pain.

The bugs that cause sinusitis in children tend to be the same organisms that cause ear infections. Treatment, therefore, is generally the same, with the usual first line antibiotic of choice being high-dose amoxicillin for a 10- to 14-day course. Though a child will not be cured after 72 hours of antibiotics, parents should notify the doctor if they see no signs of improvement during this initial treatment period.

Saline rinses help some pediatric patients, while acetaminophen or ibuprofen can take the edge off sinus headaches and facial pain. The use of a cool mist vaporizer or humidifier in the bedroom can also make nighttime a little more comfortable for young sinus sufferers."

Being a chronic sinus infection sufferer for quite some years myself, sinus pain can be unbearable. When it comes to this stage, sinus infection treatment using antibiotics is really necessary in my opinion.

For more information on preventing sinus infection and whether sinus infections are contagious, please visit Sinus Infection Help.