Antibiotics for Sinus Infection

Sinus infection, also known as sinusitis, is an inflammation of the lining of the paranasal sinuses and nasal passages. As a result of swelling or congestion, regular mucus drainage is disturbed, which in turn results in mucus build up in the paranasal sinuses. The symptoms of sinus infection are headache, nasal blockage, fever and facial pain. Based on the duration of the manifested symptoms, sinus infection can be acute (less than a month) or chronic (more than 3 months).

Sinus infection can be caused due to allergic reactions, autoimmune responses and microbial infections. The potential pathogens that can cause sinusitis are, bacteria, fungi and virus. In acute cases, home remedies can effectively treat sinus infections. However, a prolonged condition may cause other severe complications. Very often sinus infections are caused by bacteria. Hence, appropriate antibiotics for sinus infection are usually recommended for the treatment of sinusitis conditions.

Antibiotics for Treatment of Sinus Infection

Correct diagnosis of sinus infection is the first step in the treatment process, which should obviously be conducted prior to the administration of antibiotics. No doubt antibiotic medications are effective for killing bacteria, but they are not effective in the case of other pathogens. Bacteria are one of the probable causes of sinus infection but there are also chances of fungal or viral infections leading to sinusitis. In such cases, antibiotics are ineffective for destroying them, rather they may lead to other complications, like, bacterial resistance to the particular antibiotic.

Proper diagnosis of sinus infection can be done by culturing the mucus extracted from affected sinuses for the presence of micro-organisms and conducting imaging studies of the paranasal sinuses to identify any abnormal changes in them. Once it is confirmed that bacteria are the cause of the problem, the physician may recommend antibiotics for sinus infection. The antibiotics either stop further multiplication of the bacteria or kill them. In either case, the antibiotics accompanied with the body's immune system help in treating sinus infection.

Types of Antibiotics Effective for Sinus Infection

In general, there are two major types of antibiotics, namely, narrow-range and broad-range antibiotics. The former type is less expensive in comparison to the latter type of antibiotics. As the name suggests, narrow range antibiotics are effective for killing specific types of bacteria, whereas broad range antibiotics are effective against many types of bacterial species. While treating sinus infection by using antibiotics, the physician usually prescribes narrow range type. The most commonly recommended narrow range antibiotic for sinus infection is Amoxicillin.

If a patient with sinus infection is allergic to Amoxicillin antibiotic, then the physician may recommend alternative ones, like, Penicillin or Macrolides. If the symptoms of sinusitis do not get reduced even after completion of narrow range antibiotic course, only then are broad type antibiotics recommended. The most popularly administered broad range antibiotic for sinus infection is Cephalosporin. Another effective option of broad range antibiotic for sinus infection is Fluoroquinolone.

It is to be borne in mind that the effectiveness of a particular antibiotic medication may differ from one person to another. On a safer note, it is always advisable to take antibiotics under medical supervision. Also, completion of antibiotic course as per the recommendation of the physician is essential to prevent recurrent occurrence of sinus infection. Speaking of the side effects of antibiotics for sinus infection, a broad range type poses higher risk of developing antibiotic resistance than a narrow range type.