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Treatment Overview
Sinusitis is treated with medications and home treatment methods, such as applying moist heat to your face. The goals of treatment for sinusitis are to:
- Improve drainage of mucus and reduce swelling in the sinuses.
- Relieve pain and pressure.
- Clear up any infection.
- Prevent the formation of scar tissue, and avoid permanent damage to the tissues lining the nose and sinuses.
Medications may be used to treat sinusitis, especially when it is caused by a bacterial infection. There are varying lengths of treatment with medications-treatment may be as short as three days or last as long as several weeks or more. Medications most often used to treat sinusitis include a combination of:
- Antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, which kill bacteria.
- Decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, which reduce the swelling of the mucous membranes in the nose.
- Analgesics, such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen, to relieve pain.
- Mucolytics, such as guaifenesin, which thin the mucus.
- Corticosteroids, such as beclomethasone dipropionate or prednisone, which reduce inflammation in the nasal passages. These medications may also be used as an inhaled nasal spray.
Inhaled antibiotics are a fairly new treatment choice for chronic sinusitis. Initial studies show that since inhaled antibiotics make direct contact with the mucous membranes, they may be effective when other treatments have failed.1
It is possible to develop "double sickening" while being treated for acute or chronic sinusitis. At first, you may begin to feel better from antibiotics and home treatment, but then your symptoms become worse and additional treatment may be needed.
For acute sinusitis
Short-term (acute) sinusitis usually lasts less than 4 weeks. Up to two-thirds of people with acute sinusitis improve on their own without antibiotic treatment.2 Sinus infections are commonly caused by viral infections, which do not respond to antibiotics. Antibiotics may cause bothersome side effects (such as diarrhea or upset stomach) and also may contribute to your becoming resistant to antibiotics in the future. Talking with your health professional will help you determine whether treatment with antibiotics is needed for your acute sinus infection.
After one or two bouts of sinusitis, you may be able to recognize the early symptoms of a sinus infection. Using steam to relieve nasal congestion at the first sign of a sinus infection may relieve your symptoms and prevent the need for antibiotics. For more information, see the Home Treatment section of this topic.
Most people recover completely when treated with an antibiotic for acute sinusitis that is caused by a bacterial infection. The number of days you take antibiotics depends on the antibiotic and the severity of the infection. When you are prescribed an antibiotic, be sure to take it until it is gone, even if you feel better. It is important to always take an antibiotic exactly as your health professional tells you, or the infection may not go away completely.
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
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