A common question that many people ask is this one: Do I need antibiotics for sinus infection? The next common question is “What antibiotics are best in treating sinus infections?”
Now, it would be nice if we could give you a very easy answer yes or no and rattle off a miracle drug name that will cure all your problems for good, but like most things in life it’s a little bit more complicated than that.
For starters, not everyone who has a sinus infection knows whether it is bacterial or viral (and therefore whether an antibiotic would be necessary or not) – and secondly there are many different opinions in the health and medical community about the use of antibiotics for treating sinus infections. Many people are concerned that by prescribing antibiotics to treat sinus problems, the result could be an overuse of antibiotics and thus cause bacteria to become resistant to these medications.
With so many differences in opinion not only on the general consumer level but also in the professional medical field, it’s no wonder so many people end up frustrated and confused. Who can you trust? How do you know who is right? Could taking antibiotics end up being worse for you? What if you let the infection go untreated? What would happen?
In general you should call your doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms:
Swelling or Painful Face
Fever of 101 degrees F or higher
Nausea
Severe Headaches
Thick Green/Yellowish Mucous
Ear or Eye Pain
Drainage from the eyes or ears
Sinus infections can typically be cured by natural homeopathic remedies quite successfully. In fact, even the CDC (Center for Disease Control recommends that antibiotics not be administered for the majority of sinusitis cases, especially because they are often due to a viral infection. However, there are rare circumstances when someone can have a severe bacterial infection that could cause major consequences if left untreated, especially because the sinuses are located in such close proximity to your eyes and your brain. Most sinus infections and problems are not always bacterial in nature, nor do they always require antibiotics – but unless you are a doctor and unless you test to see if it is necessary for antibiotics you would never know. There’s also the possibility that what you think is a sinus infection could be something else entirely – and so talking with a doctor is certainly important. As wonderful as the internet is, no website can accurately diagnose and treat any medical condition – not yet at least!
If the CDC says that most cases should not be treated with antibiotics, then it’s pretty safe to assume that you can avoid a visit to the doctor’s office as long as you are not experiencing any major symptoms such as fever or eye drainage.
Here are some reasons why many medical professionals and the CDC are against antibiotics for sinus infections:
1. Most Sinus Infections Are Viral: You’ve likely heard the difference between viral and bacterial infections. Viral infections are caused by viruses, whereas bacterial infections are caused by bacteria. Viral infections do not respond to antibiotics, and so there is really no reason to take them because it has no effect on whether you get better or not.
2. Increased Risk for Chronic Sinus Problems: Antibiotics typically cause mucous to dry up, but it doesn’t make problems causing the pain and pressure to go away. For this reason, even if you do have a viral infection you may end up finding relief from antibiotics. Unfortunately, when you dry up mucous, it does not really go away, it just “shrinks” (which relieves the pain and pressure) – but guess what? Within a few weeks or months moisture is going to cause problems to flare up again. Many people end up falling into this trap over and over again, some people having problems for months or years.
3. Resistance to Antibiotics: Taking antibiotics when you don’t really need them can cause problems for when you really DO need them. Instead of bacteria being stopped they may instead mutate and then multiply and not respond to the medication. This is a great fear that many doctors have about the use of antibiotics when they are not absolutely necessary.
4. Kill off the “Good” Bacteria: Our bodies naturally have “good” bacteria that help keep our body healthy. For example, there are bacteria in your digestive track which help you digest food. When you take antibiotics, you risk killing off the good bacteria in your body – which could cause digestive problems or increase your chances for yeast infections.
5. Unnecessary Side Effects: Some antibiotics can cause strong side effects. If you have a bacterial infection that needs treated with antibiotics, than obviously for most people the benefits far outweigh the potential side effects you might experience. However, if you don’t need them, why would you subject yourself to having those side effects for no reason and to only make them worse?
Viral infections do not respond to antibiotics and therefore you will be taking the medication unnecessarily which could then later cause bacteria to become more resistant of that medication later. While it is good practice for doctors to first test patients to ensure a bacterial infection exists, that does not usually happen – most doctors are more than happy to just give you a prescription and send you out of their office as fast as they can. While we can’t emphasize the importance of talking to a doctor enough – be sure before your doctor writes you a prescription that your problem is indeed bacterial, otherwise not only will it not really solve the problem, but it can also make things worse than ever.