Correct diagnosis of sinus infection is the first step in the treatment process, which should obviously be conducted prior to the administration of medication such as antibiotics for sinus infections. 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 for sinus infections 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 infections. 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 Infections

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. 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. When using antibiotics for sinus infections, the physician usually prescribes narrow range type. The most commonly recommended narrow range antibiotic for sinus infections is Amoxicillin. If a patient with sinus infection is allergic to Amoxicillin, 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 antibiotics, only then are broad type antibiotics recommended. The most popularly administered broad range antibiotic is Cephalosporin. Another effective option 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 for sinus infections 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 infections, a broad range type poses higher risk of developing antibiotic resistance than a narrow range type.

As biotechnology has developed stronger antibiotics for sinus infections, the more side effects they’ve produced. This can lead to other health problems, such as respiratory problems, worse future sinus infections, digestive upsets, oral, intestinal or genital yeast and fungal infection resulting from overgrowth of "candida," allergic reactions such as rashes, nausea, headache and/or resistance to particular antibiotics when really needed.