A new study, published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, appears to confirm those doubts: The antibiotic amoxicillin was no better than placebo at improving the congestion, cough, runny nose, pain, and other symptoms that accompany sinus infections (also known as acute sinusitis), researchers found.
"Compared to placebo, amoxicillin doesn't seem to provide any benefits," says lead author Jane Garbutt, an associate professor at the Washington University School of Medicine, in St. Louis. "In terms of patient satisfaction, side effects, symptom relief, days missed from work, et cetera, we did not see any difference."
Health.com: Is it a cold? Or a sinus infection?
Most sinus infections are caused by viruses, which don't respond to antibiotics. But even bacterial sinus infections rarely require antibiotic treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In most cases, both types of infection go away on their own in less than two weeks.
"Most patients get better despite antibiotics, not because of them," says Garbutt. "There is a high rate of spontaneous resolution."
Antibiotics would be more useful if doctors were able to distinguish between viral and bacterial sinusitis. But general practitioners have no tests at their disposal that reliably diagnose bacterial infections, Garbutt says, and in the study she and her colleagues were unable to identify any symptoms or other markers that predicted which patients would respond to antibiotics.
(http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/14/health/antibiotics-not-helpful-sinus-infections/index.html)
Brain Infection. The most dangerous complication of sinusitis, particularly frontal and sphenoid sinusitis, is the spread of infection by anaerobic bacteria to the brain, either through the bones or blood vessels. Abscesses, meningitis, and other life-threatening conditions may result. In such cases, the patient may experience mild personality changes, headache, altered consciousness, visual problems, and, finally, seizures, coma, and death.
(http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what_symptoms_of_sinusitis_000062_4.htm#ixzz26vVxZJwS )
So I suppose you're both right!
I attempted to wait out a "cold" for about the last month...Sinus pressure/pain and ear pain...nasal discharge tastes llike something crawled up my nose and died....husband finally forced me to go into Urgent Care last night. First thing the doc did was push on my face and smell my breath. He told me he was almost positive it was bacterial due to the smell, as viral sinus infections do not put off a horrible smell. He sent me to x-ray and when he got the results, he asked me how I was still standing. He went on to let me know that every space in my sinuses was completed blocked with infection and asked why I let this go so long. I told him I was a little leery of antibiotics, I don't like to take them unless I really need them. He said that was to be respected, but, any infection in the face/head can definitely cause issues with infection in the brain and a good doctor will know the difference, or take the time to find out...Gave me a shot of steroids and a shot of strong antibiotic and sent me home on oral antibiotics. So thats my story... My QUESTION is: How the HELL do I get rid of this smell, as one of the above posters mentioned, it seems to be getting more concentrated and I am beginning to gag from the intense smell/taste. That was the ONE thing I forgot to ask last night, and I'm really kicking myself now. Thanks for any help.
Ok im better now. I did some reading and anyone who is having foul smelling mucus from a sinus infection and you rarely never get sinus infections i say try Biaxin. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth but it does the job. May take a week to clear after your done with the bottle but give it time. THIS IS ONLY IF YOU NEVER HAD SINUS INFECTIONS or rarely get them. I figured people who do get them all the time or year long have been down Biaxin road before.
this is what you have got...
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I am also suffering from this smell from a week
a sinus infection CAN go into the brain.. its one of the most common causes of intriduction of bacteria into the CNS which then leads to menengitis.. this happens when a sinus infection goes undtreated and spreads from the tissues to the bones.. which leads to a weak spot or even holds in the bone covering the brain..(these bones are very thin) Thus intruducing the infection into the brain and surrounding tissues..
ha ha everyone describe the nasty stuff. I think it smells like a dead rat. I am too stuffed up to taste anything,thank heavens. GET THIS....LEFT nostril is the nasty one... Is this the LEFT nostril bacteria. I went to the reg doc paid my $30 co pay and picked up my $3 anti biotic...sulfametoxazole/tmo 800/16....anyhow the doc said just use PLAIN water in the hand suck it up in there and blow back out. Said he thinks the saline stuff irrates. I think he may be right, I had been using that before I got the smell. I have a netty pot,but why chase the stuff into the other sinus cavity? This is day 3 on pills every 12 hours. The smell gets better,then stronger again. Other folks have been out sick from work,so I figure One of their nasty little snotty nose kiddos gave us this. I am 57 and never had this before,so Understand your fears. I will just start putting back the good bacteria with a probitotic starting today inbetween anitbiotics. the cheap ones are chewable vimtamin world from wm. i also have a sams ulitimate probiotic formula I may try. That was pricey,but gotta put it back. I got pretty sick on new years eve but felling some better today. In the beginning I ran a fever one night about 2 weeks ago,thought it was a regular cold,(clear mucus)got totally better,went back to work,where the carriers are and relapsed into this dead rat c**p. Most of the sickys had a relaspe THEN went to doctor.Me included. Do not hesitate to get medical help!
is this really works. i am suffering with that problem, so please suggest is that really works. please
Hey, yea it worked for me definitely. I drank my honey and peppermint tea EVERY morning and EVERY night! I always drank water, like I said try room temperature, and ate plenty of soup. If you do this every day, never missing anything, you should start feeling a lot better with just doing this alone. I encourage people to take their antibiotics, but if you're against that then try drinking garlic tea. I know that sounds foul but garlic is a natural and potent antibiotic. Another natural and very powerful antibiotic is Neem Oil. What you can do is buy some Neem leaves, boil a pot of water, and pour the hot water over the leaves. Let that steep and drink that. Also, be careful when using herbs since many of them can conflict with current medications that you may be taking, most of natural blood thinners, and can lower blood pressure. Read up on them and consult with your physician to figure out what's best for you. I'm all for using herbs, I have a cabinet full of them, and I always use them with caution! But yes, doing this did work for me. I did however stop taking my Amoxicillin because I found out that I was allergic to it. I just continued with this regime: tea, water, and soup and got better before I knew it! =) I hope you get well soon!
Not too sure when all of these posts were written but I have to agree with the person above me. It is dangerous to let a sinus infection go or even a tooth infection go. Both of them can go to your brain and you could die. That is to the extreme but it happens. I know of somebody who died because of an infection that went into someones brain. And my mother inlaw also has a friend whoes daughter died from having a sinus infection and ignoring it it went to her brain and she died. It happens..
I just recovered from a sinus infection where my throat and sinus was clogged with mucus. I did not go to a Dr as I do not currently have any insurance. All I took was a sudafed and musinex combined with chicken noodle soup and rest and 5 days later I was fine. My brain appears to be functioning properly as well.
Jesus Loves you and so do I . xoxox
I do have to say this is not true, I know of a person who had a sinus infection that did almost eat through to his brian. My son got a bad cold during his first year of college and got a bad sinus infection, which the doctors say gave a pathway spinal meningitus. We almost lost him. Infections are nothing to mess around with. I am not one that likes to go to the doctors or take antibiotics unless they are needed, they can and do save lives.
Go see an Ears, Nose and Throat specialist. I had great volumes of smelly mucus. Cause - old broken nose injury - would not drain. Get a CT scan - antibiotics only a temp fix.- minor surgery will fix.