Sinusitis, otherwise known as a sinus infection, can be a major health problem. On average, it afflicts about 30 million people throughout the United States, and at present, Americans spend more than a billion dollars on over-the-counter medications to help fight off such infections every year. Sinus infections are also responsible for about 16 million doctor visits too, and huge amounts of cash spent on prescriptions.
Often, a bad cold can frequently be mistaken for sinus infections, as many of the symptoms are the same. They can include facial pain, headaches, runny nose, and congestion. Unlike colds, sinus infection symptoms can be caused by infections of the sinuses, and they require treatment with antibiotics. Here, we’ll look at just some of the most common sinus infection treatments.
Common Sinus Infection Treatments: Antibiotics
Antibiotics are the typical treatment for most sinus infections. Usually, they’re taken for periods of between 3 and 28 days, according to the form of antibiotic you get. Since your sinuses are located deep within the bones in the skull, and the blood supply to them is somewhat restricted, longer treatments can be essential for those who have severe cases.
Over-using antibiotics can also lead to more resistance to antibiotics and patients suffering from sinus problems may need to consider taking antibiotics if the symptoms involved persist for longer than 7 to 10 days. Antibiotics can help to get rid of an infection by removing the bacteria that caused the sinusitis to begin with.
Decongestants and Antihistamines
Sometimes, alongside antibiotics, you might need to take some additional treatments to help you relieve the symptoms of your infection. While antibiotics can get rid of the infection, they don’t do much for the pain and discomfort. Topical decongestants may be far more helpful if you use them for a short period of time, as they’re useful for shrinking the nasal passages, and support the flow from the sinuses. Too much use of topical decongestants can lead to a serious condition during which the passages of the nose might swell shut.
Another of the most common sinus infection treatments is the use of antihistamines to stop inflammation prompted by allergic reactions. This can help you to fight off the symptoms associated with allergies that cause sinus swelling.
Less Common Sinus Infection Treatments
If the options above don’t work to treat your sinus infection quickly, then you might choose to use some less common sinus infection treatments instead. For instance, topical corticosteroids for the nasal passage can help to reverse swelling and inflammation in the nose and sinus openings, which address some of the most common problems with sinus infections. Corticosteroid sprays can also be effective in preventing the return of nasal problems.
In very rare circumstances, sinus infection treatments might go as far as surgery. If drug therapies are incapable of resolving the condition, then surgery could be a last resort for many people. Often, these surgeries will be performed by otolaryngologists, and defects may be the most likely reason to use surgery as a solution. Your surgeon will be able to fix any problems with the bone that separates the nasal passage, and remove polyps that could be blocking the nasal passages.
