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Dr. Mercola
December 29 2007
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Are Antibiotics Useless for Sinus Infections?

sinus infection, sinusitis, antibioticsAntibiotics 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.

Dr. MercolaDr. 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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Community Comments ( 59 )
 Comment on this Article
  
  
shiva
 [ Joined on 10/06 ] [ Posted on December 9, 2007 ]
7 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
While it is true that there is a role for antibiotics in medicine, .. it seems sad to me that modern society has been lead to believe that antibiotics are the only way to treat and resolve an infection. The likes of traditional Chinese medicine can be very effective at resolving an infection via acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

One of the dangers of using antibiotics that I have oboserved over the years is that antibiotics do not address the underlying weakness which gave root to the infection in the first place. ... As a result so many who recieve antibiotics as a treatment, end up with recurring bouts of infection down the road,.. only to be further addressed by way of antibiotics. ... The result over the long haul is that the weakness which underlay the enfection simply gets pushed deeper into the body so that years later the individual has a worse conditon to deal with.

The bottom line is, if you don't correct the imbalance that gave root to the infection in the first place,.. and you simply knock out the infection with antibiotics,... you are asking for trouble down the road. .. This is the problem with the pharmaceutical model of medicine.
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Bryan - oz4caster
 		[ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on December 10, 2007]
6 Points        
   
Apprentice User
  Mercola
Shiva, I agree that giving antibiotics does not address the health issues that led to a weak immune system in the first place.  Furthermore, since antibiotics are targeted at bacteria, they knock out the proper microbial balance in our bodies to favor yeast and fungi, which is not a good thing.  Most doctors that prescribe antibiotics don't also prescribe probiotics to help recover the proper balance that is so critical to having a strong immune system.  In many cases, the lack of proper microbial balance may very well have been a major part of the original problem of a weak immune system.  Toxic levels of sugar intake may very well be another major factor.
  
  
Rotan
 [ Joined on 12/07 ] [ Posted on December 29, 2007 ]
6 Points        
   
 
Novice User

I just want to add, regarding sinus irrigation:  Dr. Mercola suggests adding table salt to distilled water to make your own, non-preservative saline solution, the point I want to make is that I've noticed that some table salt now contains sugar as an ingredient.  

Seriously.  Check out Windsor Table Salt and others' list of ingredients the next time you're in the supermarket.  I just about fell over when I saw "salt, sugar" on the ingredients list.  

 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
no nonsense
 		[ Joined on 07/07 ]  [ Posted on February 18, 2008]
       
   
Novice User
  Mercola

Not only that but table salt may contain alumminum silicate!  I'd only use sea or himalayan salt.
  
  
KelleyEidem
 [ Joined on 11/07 ] [ Posted on December 30, 2007 ]
5 Points        
   
 
Novice User

A year or so ago, researchers at the Mayo Clinic were stunned to learn from their own research that 96% of all chronic sinus infections are caused by yeast, fungi and molds, not bacteria.

Taking antibiotics will actually increase yeast, fungi and mold growth. So if a person wants to ensure the return of their sinus infection, antibiotics is the way to go.

 [ Reply ]
  
  
Carrie
 [ Joined on 01/07 ] [ Posted on December 29, 2007 ]
5 Points        
   
 
Novice User

Amberodie mentioned Airborne....the last ingredient is Splenda!!

 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
mama bear
 		[ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on December 29, 2007]
1 Points        
   
Apprentice User
  Mercola

Carrie

Thank you for that information.  I carefully ready labels but haven't tried Airborne.  My instincts usually tell me that if it commercial advertised the product may not be all that it is hyped to be.
Mercola
  
themikeb
 		[ Joined on 02/07 ]  [ Posted on December 29, 2007]
       
   
Apprentice User
  Mercola

OMG- that stinks!   been using here and there..NO  MORE
Mercola
  
WellnessMom
 		[ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on December 29, 2007]
1 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

While being the last ingredient usually means that there is very little of that ingredient in the product, I would still stay clear of anything with Splenda in it. Dr. Mercola's posts on Splenda was enough to open my eyes.
Mercola
  
Cinnabar
 		[ Joined on 11/07 ]  [ Posted on December 29, 2007]
2 Points        
   
Apprentice User
  Mercola

Oh, thanks for letting us know.  I always knew that stuff seemed a little weird and don't take it.
Mercola
  
sparkywow1
 		[ Joined on 04/07 ]  [ Posted on December 31, 2007]
       
   
Novice User
  Mercola

Carrie, I have used a product called Immuno Gaurd from Advocare since 2002 and have had nothing but great results! I haven't been back to a doctor except 1 time in all those years,,, I feel I have kept my mom out of the hospital!

A friend of mine who has cancer issues told me about it, and It has paid for itself many times over. God bless, If you need help, call me 316-871-8845

Kevin

  
  
mmc88121
 [ Joined on 11/06 ] [ Posted on December 8, 2007 ]
5 Points        
   
 
Moderator User
I read in a nursing magazine that a true sinus infection can be life threatening.  What most people call a sinus infection is not a true infection, and can be treated with home remedies most of the time.

Mary
 [ Reply ]
  
  
Cheryl Rounds
 [ Joined on 10/06 ] [ Posted on December 10, 2007 ]
3 Points        
   
 
Apprentice User
The problem with antibiotics is that they kill only the suspectible bacteria and leave the stronger more restantant bacteria to multiply and cause further problems. Hence our problem with super bugs created through the overuse of antibiotics. 
My youngest child age 14 has never had an antibiotic.  While she never had a sinus infection she did fall victim to 3 ear infections and one toe infection.  i was able to clear all 4 infections through the use of homeopathy.  When she was younger, ear infections were immediately treated with antibiotics if you went to  your family doctor. This usually led to further infections caused by the resistant bacteria multiplying and many times because of repeated infections children were then treated with surgically inserted ear tubes  Now adays pediatricians are a little bit wiser and often take a wait and see approach.
Antibiotics do  have their place in medicine but they should never be used as a first line of defense for common illness. The benefits simply do not out weight the risks.
Cheryl Rounds
 [ Reply ]
  
  
foxtroter
 [ Joined on 09/06 ] [ Posted on December 8, 2007 ]
2 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
Research from 10 years ago (if I again recall correctly) showed sinus infections having an ever increasing resistance to antibiotics.  At that time research recommended punch biopsy with culture on a variety of antibiotic mediums to determine which antibiotic would be appropriate rather than the shot gun approach numerous times hoping to find one that would work.

Same advice applies to ear infections because of the increased resistance to antibiotics that have so indiscriminately been used unnecessarily.

Problem is medical doctors aren't trained and the public is not interested in biopsy approach for sinus and middle ear fluids.  Both MD's and the public would rather use the shot gun approach and pray that eventually through trial and error an antibiotic will be found that will work.

As side note, when I got off all milk products (including milk chocolate) my sinus problems went 95% away. 
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
New to Natural
 		[ Joined on 11/07 ]  [ Posted on December 11, 2007]
5 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Getting a chiropractic adjustment really seems to help with my sinuses.  Also, our daughter (1 1/2) has been adjusted many times and has no trouble with her ears
  
  
samurai
 [ Joined on 04/07 ] [ Posted on December 8, 2007 ]
2 Points        
   
 
Savvy User

I am NOT a physician; however, may I humbly DISagree. 

Do I think we should sell things like Viagra or Gardasil?  NO.  But anti-biotics are a different story .
We need antibiotics, folks.  It's the only thing that can really fight off serious infection.  Once, my daughter had a horrible sinus infection that I had the "wait, and see approach" with.  Antibiotics helped her.  Now, at the age of 7, she has had antibiotics only 3 times-- a low number if you ask me.  
Antibiotics aren't M&M's; use them with care, and not often.   

 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Phantom O' Banjo
 		[ Joined on 09/06 ]  [ Posted on December 10, 2007]
7 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Correct Samurai but when they are used to treat dopey things like child thumb sucking aliment.  In the case of my grandson that is just wrong medicine.  Doc d