Are Antibiotics Useless for Sinus Infections?

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Are Antibiotics Useless for Sinus Infections?

Mercola.com

 

Antibiotics are commonly used to treat sinus infections, but a new

study found that they work no better than a placebo. Further,

prescribing antibiotics to sinus patients may cause harm by

increasing their resistance to the medications.

 

In the study, researchers followed about 200 patients with sinusitis.

Of the 100 who received an antibiotic, 29 percent had symptoms that

lasted 10 days or more. Another 107 received a placebo, and 34

percent had similarly lasting symptoms. The difference was

statistically insignificant.

 

The effectiveness of a nasal steroid spray for sinus infections was

also tested in the study, and found to work the same as the placebo

(except among a group of patients with milder symptoms, when it was

slightly beneficial).

 

The researchers suggested that the antibiotic did not help the sinus

infections because it couldn't penetrate the pus-filled sinus

cavities.

 

Unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics has led to enormous problems

with drug resistance. Antibiotics were recently found to be

ineffective against ear infections and bronchitis as well.

 

The researchers say the results should encourage more patients to

forgo antibiotics for sinus infections.

 

" With a little bit of patience, the body will usually heal itself, "

said Dr. Ian Williamson, the study's lead author.

Sources:

Journal of the American Medical Association December 5, 2007;298

(21):2487-2496

Houston Chronicle December 5, 2007

 

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Dr. Mercola's Comments:

It's been known since the last century that antibiotics have been

proven to not help you recover from a sinus infection (sinusitis) any

faster than a placebo.

 

Still, Americans spend nearly $6 billion every year on health care

costs related to sinusitis, according to the National Institute of

Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Imagine if you could put some of

that money back into your pocket and address a sinus infection from a

foundational level.

 

How Sinus Infections Occur

 

Sinus infections occur when the mucous membranes in your nose and

sinuses become irritated by a cold, allergy, pollutants or exposure

to dry or cold air. This leads your membranes to become inflamed

while stimulating your mucous glands to secrete more mucus than

usual. As mucus accumulates in your sinuses, it can easily become

infected.

 

But this is all on the surface.

 

All infections, including sinusitis, appear when certain health

principles, such as eating a healthy diet, dealing with stress, and

taking time to relax, are not followed.

 

This dampens the strength of your immune system and allows bacteria

and fungus (another primary cause of sinus infections) to take hold

in your nose and sinuses. And when it does, you can be left battling

fatigue, sinus pressure, post-nasal drip, and thick mucus making it

difficult to breathe.

 

Top Ways to Avoid Getting a Sinus Infection

 

 

1. Avoid eating sugar or grains, as detailed in my nutrition plan.

 

2. Consume good quality krill or fish oil, high in omega-3 fats DHA

and EPA.

 

3. Eat coconut oil. Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which is

known for being antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal. However, be

careful with which oil you choose, as many coconut oils contain

fungal toxins. This is because they are commonly made with copras, or

dried coconuts, which are often contaminated with mycotoxins. So in

order to fully enjoy the benefits of coconut oil, you will want to be

sure that you find a company that uses only fresh coconuts to make

their oil.

 

4. Avoid eating these top 10 mycotoxic foods.

 

5. Get proper sleep.

 

6. Get regular exercise

 

 

If you suffer from sinus infections and other sinus issues often, I

highly recommend you also look into the emotional origins of this

problem.

 

Emotions are directly tied to your physical health, and new advances

in this field are allowing us to pinpoint very precisely which

emotional challenges are spurring your physical ones.

 

For instance, Dr. Ryke Geerd Hamer, the creator of German New

Medicine, has shown that sinus problems are triggered by an

emotional " stink conflict, " which could be a severe emotional

reaction to an actual odor, or a symbolic feeling that " this

situation stinks! "

 

The sinus infection occurs once you have resolved the emotional

conflict, and is actually a part of your body's healing process. So

please do take the time to get to the bottom of any emotional

problems that are ailing you.

 

Natural Treatments for Sinus Infections

 

If you've already come down with a sinus infection, you now know that

antibiotics are probably not the answer. Taking them is unlikely to

speed your recovery, and will definitely contribute to the growing

problem of antibiotic-resistance.

 

Fortunately, there is a full arsenal of tools available at your

fingertips that will soothe your symptoms and get you on the road to

recovery. My past article How to Flush Away Sinus Ills details seven

of them, and here are the first three:

 

 

1. Drink hot liquids, such as tea or hot chicken soup. It will help

moisturize your mucous membranes, speeding up the movement of your

cilia and thus washing mucus out of your sinuses more quickly.

 

2. Apply warm compresses to your face, three times a day for five

minutes. A small towel soaked in warm water, placed over your face

below and between your eyes, will help increase the circulation in

your sinuses, which will also help speed up the movement of your

cilia.

 

3. Irrigate your sinuses. (If you've never done this before, see the

Nasal Irrigation Guidelines source link in the past article above.)

Make sure you use a saline solution that does not contain

benzalkonium. Benzalkonium is a preservative that can impair nasal

function and might sting and burn. To make your own preservative-free

saline solution, add one teaspoon of table salt to one pint of

distilled water. Nettie pots are readily available and can help

facilitate nasal irrigation.

 

 

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