Reuters Health - Most people prescribed antibiotics for sinus infections are on treatment courses of 10 days or longer even though infectious disease doctors recommend five to seven days for uncomplicated cases, a U. Researchers examined data from a sample representing an estimated 3. Overall, 70 percent of antibiotics prescribed were for 10 days or longer, the study found. Antibiotics are medications derived from naturally occurring chemicals produced by bacteria and molds to inhibit the growth of competing microorganisms.
Antibiotics are recommended for acute bacterial sinusitis lasting longer than 10 days, or getting worse after the first week. The most common symptoms include facial pain or pressure, nasal stuffiness or congestion, and thick, discolored nasal drainage. Antibiotics are also commonly prescribed for chronic sinusitis , although many cases of chronic sinusitis are not caused by bacteria.
Furthermore, antibiotics will do nothing to shorten the course of the common cold. Overuse of antibiotics can breed resistant strains of bacteria and induce drug allergies in susceptible patients. Accordingly, we do not recommend antibiotics for sinus symptoms that appear to be improving spontaneously within the first days. If you abuse antibiotics now, we may not have any options left when you really need them! Bacterial antibiotic resistance is a significant problem in Richmond, Virginia, and throughout the United States.
Many of the common bacteria that can cause sinusitis carry a gene for antibiotic resistance that can be turned on in the presence of antibiotics. After a few days of treatment, the gene becomes activated and can even travel between bacteria in a capsule called a plasmid , creating resistance among a large population of bacteria.
If you are not responding to a course of antibiotics within days, you may have a resistant strain of bacteria. Consult your physician for an examination and possible culture or DNA analysis of your sinuses. DNA analysis of sinus drainage allows us to identify the most dangerous resistant strains within 24 hours and to provide a complete analysis of all bacteria in your nose within 1 week. Amoxicillin remains the drug of choice for acute, uncomplicated bacterial sinusitis.
Amoxicillin is most effective when given frequently enough to sustain adequate levels in the infected tissue. While often prescribed twice daily, it is even more effective if taken in 3 or 4 divided doses. Amoxicillin is typically prescribed for days at a time. Recall that amoxicillin is as effective as macrolides clinically, and that most cases of sinusitis are not bacterial. Skip to main content. Coronavirus News Center.
Azithromycin 3 days better than amoxicillin-clavulanate 10 days for sinusitis? J Fam Pract. By Marc R. Via, MD.
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