subject: Do You Need An Antibiotic To Get Rid Of A Sinus Infection? - Nurse's Guide [print this page] For years, doctors have been writing prescriptions for antibiotics when a patient appears to have a sinus infection or sometimes even for just a runny nose. It has been standard treatment and over the years, it has become evident that it hasn't worked for most patients.
Now a report confirms what has already been thought - that antibiotics don't work for sinus infections unless they are caused by bacteria.
It's long been thought that if you had green discharge coming from your nose that you had a bacterial infection. But it has since been proven that viruses cause the discharge to be green also.
There was a study done back in 1984 in which children were divided into groups. Some were given antibiotics and some were given a placebo. They discovered that antibiotics had no effect on the organisms or on the symptoms they were suffering from. In addition, studies that are more recent have verified this.
When one gets a cold, the virus makes the body produce clear mucus to help get rid of germs in the nose and sinus cavities. Then after about three days or so the body fights back. The discharge changes from clear to white or yellow. Then, the bacteria that naturally live in the nose may change the discharge to green. This is a normal occurrence. This green discharge is normal.
The conclusion has been that the only time that antibiotics can be prescribed is for bacterial sinusitis, which means sinus infections caused by bacteria. In most cases the body will take care of the infection without any antibiotics as its defenses go to work. Antibiotics don't actually heal the body - the body heals the infection. Antibiotics can also cause other problems and allergies, it's not without risks.
Most sinus infections are caused by fungi (mold) its been found in some studies. Mold or fungi is found in houses and is airborne.
So if you're wondering if you have a sinus infection, you can often tell if you do by the color of the discharge. It's usually yellow but can be green or whitish depending on the stage.
So according to the studies you don't need an antibiotic to get rid of a sinus infection unless its bacterial sinusitis but you still have a choice to let your body take care of it naturally or not. You can get rid of a sinus infection with natural treatment too, without taking any medications or supplements.
by: Helen Hecker
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
