What you need to know about antibiotics and sinus infections

One of the most common complaints from patients of Dr. Farhad Sigari of Del Rey Sinus & Allergy Institute in Marina Del Rey is that they have been taking antibiotics for a very long time. In many cases, the medications don’t work on patients' sinus conditions, such as sinusitis, sinus infection or post-nasal drip. In fact, "most people who have sinus infections should not be treated with antibiotics because the drugs are unlikely to help," says Dr. Sigari, a board-certified otolaryngologist (or ENT doctor) and founder of Del Rey Sinus.

Because many general physicians are not sinus experts specifically trained in disorders of the nose and sinuses, antibiotics are often prescribed when they should not be. Sinus infections are the fifth-leading cause for antibiotic prescriptions; however, 90% of the time or more, the infection is not bacterial but viral – which means antibiotics won’t help! (Dr. Sigari has also noted that using decongestants and antihistamines isn't helpful and may make symptoms worse.)

Beyond that, overuse of antibiotics has other bad effects, including helping “superbugs” develop which are resistant to drugs, and decreasing your own responsiveness to antibiotics when they are needed.

There isn’t a simple test that determines whether your condition is bacterial or viral. That’s why it’s important to have an ENT doctor and sinus doctor who is an expert in examining and treating these conditions. Experienced, board-certified physicians like the doctors of Del Rey Sinus & Allergy Institute have the experience to help you quickly get back to health.

Bacterial sinus infections
Your sinus infection may be caused by bacteria, and should be treated with antibiotics, if these criteria are true:

• symptoms last for 10 days or more and are not improving
• symptoms are severe, including fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit or more, nasal discharge and facial pain lasting three to four days
• symptoms get worse, with new fever, headache or increased nasal discharge

If an antibiotic is prescribed, Dr. Sigari recommends taking antibiotics for five to seven days, which is long enough for the treatment of adults but doesn’t encourage bacterial resistance.

Because sinus infections can look similar to other disorders, treatment by an expert is essential to successful outcomes.