Sinusitis is inflammation of the sinuses. Viruses cause most cases of sinusitis. Other causes include allergies, exposure to smoke, dust or other irritants in environment and bacterial infection. The color of mucus does not reliably predict whether or not you have a bacterial sinus infection and need antibiotics. It’s normal for mucus to change color from clear to yellow, green or white when your body’s immune system is fighting a virus. Various sinus infection treatments are available for your symptoms. Asses your symptoms and consult your doctor to get the proper care you need.

Sinus Infection Treatments

Antibiotics are among the best sinus infection treatments available for sinusitis when it is caused by a bacterial infection. Because a virus usually causes sinusitis, antibiotics won’t help most cases of sinusitis. Taking antibiotics won’t prevent a stuffy nose from turning into a bacterial sinus infection. In fact, taking unnecessary antibiotics puts you at risk for developing resistant infections later.

Antibiotics are rarely needed unless your child has pain or pressure on one side of the face, swelling around the eye area, postnasal drip and/or symptoms have lasted 10 or more days. Medical attention is recommended for high fever (104F or above), fever that lasts more than 24 hours and/or symptoms that are severe or have lasted more than ten days. Otherwise, if your child does not have a fever, and has only mild symptoms that have lasted less than 10 days, treat as a virus. Readily available sinus infection treatments that are recommended include the following; get lots of rest, avoid cigarette smoke, encourage sinus drainage by offering plenty of fluids. Acetaminophen may be taken for fever or pain. Ibuprofen may be given if your child is over 6 months. Ibuprofen should not be given if the child is dehydrated or vomiting continuously. Over-the-counter decongestants should not be given to children under the age of 3 years. Aspirin should never be used in children with fever due to the risk of stomach upset and intestinal bleeding.

For adults, cough and runny nose by themselves are unlikely to be caused by a bacterial sinus infection unless those symptoms have been present for more than 10 days. Antibiotics are rarely required as sinus infection treatments unless the following symptoms are present: pain or pressure on one side of the face, swelling around the eye area, postnasal drip (may cause dry cough), toothache in the upper jaw in the absence of dental problems. Medical attention is recommended for typical symptoms of bacterial infection that are severe or have lasted more than ten days. Otherwise. If symptoms are mild or have lasted less than 10 days, get lots of rest. Help your sinuses drain by drinking plenty of fluids, breathing steam from a shower or bath. Use a non-medicated saline nose drops or spray several times a day. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be taken for fever or pain. Over-the-counter decongestants like Sudafed or Benadryl may also be helpful as sinus infection treatments.