Why Do I Need Antibiotics For Sinus Infection
You should use antibiotics for a sinus infection when it is clear that its been caused by bacteria.
Its probably a bacterial infection if you notice the following:
- Symptoms persist for seven days or more, especially if they seem to get better and then worsen.
- Your mucus is yellow or green and thick.
- Your facial or sinus tenderness is severe, mainly if one side of your face is worse.
- Pain in your upper teeth area is worse on one side.
Contact your physician if the infection becomes severe, comes back, or isnt getting better on its own.
Ways To Recognize Serious Signs Of Sinus Infections
#1: Duration
The length of the infection is an important determinant of the seriousness of the infection.
I usually consider most infections less than 3 weeks to be viral or inflammation related to congestion. At this point, the best treatment is usually medications that decrease the congestion and inflammation. This in turn will alleviate the symptoms and ultimately cure the illness.
When the illness continues beyond 3 weeks, bacterial infection can begin to develop. Though antibiotics can be considered at this point, other treatments may still be the best answer if they have not yet been given a try.
#2: Mucous Color
I will dispel a myth right here and now. Yellowish/greenish mucous does not necessarily mean the infection is bacterial.
Viruses can cause the same color mucous. The reason for the mucous is generally not the actual bacteria or virus, but the bodys immune response to the intruder.
So dont worry just because you see a colored mucous when you blow your nose. This will also improve as the infection abates.
#3: Sinus Pain
Sinus pain can occur anytime throughout a sinus infection. This is normal and means there is inflammation in the sinuses, as we discussed previously.
However, severe pain, redness over the skin, hardened skin over the sinuses, or even a severe headache are not generally normal and can indicate a bacterial infection.
#4: Fever
A fever can be caused by both viruses and bacteria. So how do you differentiate between the two?
When Should I See My Healthcare Provider
When it comes to chlamydia, its a good idea to be proactive. Speak with your healthcare provider about your risks of infection. Make a plan to get screened regularly for STIs based on your providers recommendations for how often you should be tested. Make an appointment with your healthcare provider if your partner tests positive for chlamydia or if you notice any signs or symptoms that you may be infected.
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Could My Uti Symptoms Be A Sign Of Anything Else
Sometimes symptoms can be mistaken for a UTI but actually be caused by something else. For example, pain, burning, and stinging when passing urine can also be a sign of chlamydia, so it is important to exclude this if you are at risk.13
Needing to pass urine very frequently may also be a sign of other conditions, such as type 1 diabetes, although this is much less common than UTIs. However, it may be considered if other symptoms are present, like feeling thirsty very often.
Other less common conditions can also cause an increase in the frequency of passing urine, including a high blood level of calcium, and some medications. Blood in the urine can be a sign of lots of things other than a UTI, including kidney stones, STIs, and problems with the anatomy of the urinary tract. An examination from a medical professional and common tests if necessary can help distinguish between a UTI and another cause.
Generally speaking, UTIs are very treatable and wont always need antibiotics it just depends on the severity of your symptoms. However, if you experience symptoms and are unsure, it is always best to visit your doctor to be on the safe side, as some types of UTIs always need antibiotics.
Featured image is of a spilled bottle of pills against an orange background
What Illnesses Are Caused By Viruses And Cant Be Treated By Antibiotics
Viruses cause most upper respiratory infections, which include head colds, sore throats, bronchitis, and sinus infections. Viruses cannot be treated by antibiotics.
The common cold and flu do not respond to antibiotics. Less than 10% of acute bronchitis cases are caused by bacteria. Most cases of acute ear infections also resolve without antibiotics.
Sore throats are usually caused by viruses as well. Antibiotics are not recommended unless you have strep throat. Only about 15% to 30% of sore throat cases in children and up to 10% of cases in adults are due to strep throat.
Almost all cases of acute bacterial sinusitis resolve without antibiotics.
The bottom line: Taking antibiotics for most acute upper respiratory tract infections does little or no good, and the downsides are real.
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How Common Is Chlamydia
Chlamydia is the most common STI caused by bacteria. Nearly 2 million cases of chlamydia were reported to the CDC in 2019. The number of infections is likely even higher. When compared to previous years, 2019 infection rates increased among people of all genders, all races and ethnicities, and in every region of the U.S. Most cases of chlamydia are asymptomatic, which means there are no signs or symptoms of an infection. Many of these cases likely go unreported.
Certain demographic characteristics may make you more likely to get diagnosed with chlamydia. Youre more likely to get diagnosed if youre:
- A teen or young adult aged 15 to 24. More than half of all diagnosed chlamydia cases in the U.S. occur in this age group.
- A cisgender woman aged 15 to 24. Young women in this age group are targeted for chlamydia screenings, and the rate of infection among those who are tested is high.
- A man who has sex with men . Chlamydia infections disproportionately affect men who have sex with men.
- Black and non-Hispanic. Chlamydia infections disproportionately affect non-Hispanic Black populations.
Can You Treat A Sinus Infection At Home
Whether it is allergies, a cold, or the flu, most of us have experienced the unique discomfort of extreme sinus congestion. While there are many things that can make it feel like someone has stuffed an entire pillow inside your face, the sinus infection is a unique form of misery that is worse than a simple common cold or seasonal allergies.
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What Are The Treatments For Chlamydia
If you are diagnosed with chlamydia, your doctor will prescribe oral antibiotics. A single dose of azithromycin or taking doxycycline twice daily for 7 to 14 days are the most common treatments and are the same for those with or without HIV.
With treatment, the infection should clear up in about a week. Do not have sex for at least 7 days until you have taken all of your medication, and do not stop taking the antibiotics even if you feel better.
Your doctor will also recommend that your partner be treated as well to prevent reinfection and further spread of the disease.
Women with serious infections, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, may require a longer course of antibiotics or hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics. Some severe pelvic infections may require surgery in addition to antibiotic therapy.
Make sure you get retested after three months to be certain the infection is gone. Do this even if your partner has been treated and appears to be infection free.
Risk Of Unnecessary Antibiotics For Sinus Infections
Taking antibiotics when a bacterium doesnt cause your sinus infection wont help you feel better, prevent the spread of the illness, or cure it. Its possible that if you take antibiotics too often, you wont find success with them when you do need them.
If you do take antibiotics, follow your instructions to the letter. Even after you start feeling better, finish your antibiotic course. Youll want to ensure the medicine eliminates all the bacteria and you dont get sick again.
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Should I Take Probiotics With Other Medication
Generally, itâs safe to take your probiotic with other supplements in the morning or at another hour of your choosing. Antibiotics, however, should be taken alone, and a doctor may instruct you to discontinue other supplements due to temporary illness. Dr. Asike maintains that probiotics are generally safe for most individuals, and the likeliest side effect may be some temporary bloating or extra gas, which usually sorts itself out over time.
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Heart Problems That Call For Antibiotics In Dental Procedures
Virtually all guideline committees around the world recommend antibiotic prophylaxis for those individuals at high risk of an adverse outcome from infective endocarditis and who are undergoing invasive dental procedures. Today, the AHA only recommends antibiotics before dental procedures for patients with the highest risk of infection, those who have:
If youre not sure about the guidelines for your heart condition, check with your heart specialist. If you have one of these conditions, always tell your dentist. Also, alert your dentist if – you are allergic to any antibiotics or other medications.
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What Side Effects Are Related To Antibiotics
- Allergic reactions: Every year, there are more than 140,000 emergency department visits for reactions to antibiotics. Almost four out of five emergency department visits for antibiotic-related side effects are due to an allergic reaction. These reactions can range from mild rashes and itching to serious blistering skin reactions, swelling of the face and throat, and breathing problems. Minimizing unnecessary antibiotic use is the best way to reduce the risk of side effects from antibiotics. You should tell your doctor about any past drug reactions or allergies.
- C. difficile: C. difficile is a type of bacteria that causes diarrhea linked to at least 14,000 American deaths each year. When you take antibiotics, good bacteria that protect against infection are destroyed for several months. During this time, you can get sick from C. difficile. The bacteria can be picked up from contaminated surfaces or spread from the healthcare environment. People, especially older adults, are most at risk who take antibiotics and also get medical care. Take antibiotics exactly and only as prescribed.
- Antibiotic resistance: The use of antibiotics may increase the risk of bacteria becoming resistant to them. Antibiotic-resistant infections can be very serious and difficult to treat.
How To Be Antibiotic
So, what should we do about antibiotic courses?
Medicine in the 21st century is a team sport. You and your physician need to be partners in decision-making. If you are sick and your doctor mentions antibiotics to you, the first thing you should say is, “Hey, doc, do I really need the antibiotic?”
Doctors may otherwise prescribe an antibiotic even when you don’t need one, out of fear that you will be unhappy without the prescription. Flip the script on them. Help them to know that you’d prefer not to take the antibiotic unless it is really necessary.
If your doctor says, “Yes, I believe you have a bacterial infection and you need the antibiotic,” the next question is, “Okay, can we treat for a short course?”
Third, after you begin taking the antibiotics, if you feel much better before you complete the course, give your doctor a call and ask if you can safely stop therapy.
So, the bottom line is, doctors should prescribe as short a course of antibiotics as possible to treat your bacterial infection. If you feel completely well before you finish that course, you should be encouraged to call your physician to discuss if it is safe to stop early.
See, it’s not so complicated after all.
This article was originally published on The Conversation.
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Who Can And Cannot Take Amoxicillin
Amoxicillin can be taken by most adults and children.
Find out more about giving amoxicillin to children on the Medicines for Children website.
Amoxicillin is not suitable for everyone. To make sure amoxicillin is safe for you, tell your doctor if you:
- have ever had an allergic reaction to amoxicillin or penicillin or any other medicine
- have liver or kidney problems
- have recently had, or are due to have, any vaccinations
What Do I Need To Know If I Get Treated For Chlamydia
If youre getting treated for chlamydia:
- Take all of your medicine the way your nurse or doctor tells you to, even if any symptoms you may be having go away sooner. The infection stays in your body until you finish the antibiotics.
- Your partner should also get treated for chlamydia so you dont re-infect each other or anyone else.
- Dont have sex for 7 days. If you only have 1 dose of medication, wait for 7 days after you take it before having sex. If youre taking medicine for 7 days, dont have sex until youve finished all of your pills.
- Get tested again in 3-4 months to make sure your infection is gone.
- Dont share your medicine with anyone. Your nurse or doctor may give you a separate dose of antibiotics for your partner. Make sure you both take all of the medicine you get.
- Even if you finish your treatment and the chlamydia is totally gone, its possible to get a new chlamydia infection again if youre exposed in the future. Chlamydia isnt a one-time-only deal. So use condoms and get tested regularly.
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Professor Hanan H Balkhy
A great question Vismita. So when patients are admitted to the hospital and they start having more complexity from their disease so they can have what is known as a super infection with a bacteria, or if they’re in the intensive care unit and they’re also susceptible to having an overlying bacterial infection on top of the viral infection caused by SARS-CoV-2. And the WHO did come out with recommendations on when to use antibiotics within the course of SARS-CoV-2 patients, and those are usually within the moderate to severe disease classification of this illness.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Hannan explained to us why we are concerned about scenarios where people may be taking antibiotics without a prescription or may not be completing the cause, or may be taking antibiotics that has been prescribed for someone else because they heard that this was effective for someone else with similar symptoms. Explain to us why this is a matter of concern for us.
Is There A Case Against Taking Probiotics With Antibiotics
Ive seen some internet articles that warn people against taking probiotics to help with recovery from antibiotic therapy. Where is this advice coming from?
It may come from single small studies, such as one that questioned the value of taking probiotics and antibiotics together . In this study of 21 patients, eight patients received probiotic therapy, seven patients received no treatment, and six patients received a fecal transplant. Researchers found that probiotics were less effective for antibiotic recovery than no treatment at all. The fecal transplant brought near-complete recovery in a matter of days.
However, when you are looking for health insights from research, its important to follow the overall trends rather than focus narrowly on one study. For example, lets compare the evidence from that small, non-randomized study to a broad meta-analysis of many randomized controlled trials , the gold standard type of research.
The large-scale meta-analysis of 63 RCTs showed that subjects had 48% less antibiotic-associated diarrhea after taking probiotics [11
Trusted SourcePubMedGo to source].
Its clear that one small, non-randomized study doesnt stand up against a much larger meta-analysis of 63 gold standard RCTs. This is the reason the meta-analysis of RCTs is the highest quality type of research.
Bottom line: Be careful about science-based claims you read on the internet. Marketers often cherry-pick studies to support their position.
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Why Are Antibiotics Overprescribed
Doctors prescribe antibiotics for different reasons. Sometimes they prescribe them when they’re not sure if an illness is caused by bacteria or a virus or are waiting for test results. So, some patients might expect a prescription for an antibitoic and even ask their doctor for it.
For example, strep throat is a bacterial infection, but most sore throats are due to viruses, allergies, or other things that antibiotics cannot treat. But many people with a sore throat will go to a health care provider expecting and getting a prescription for antibiotics that they do not need.
Do I Need To Take Probiotics After I Take Antibiotics
Antibiotic medications are often needed to fight an infection. However, while antibiotics are killing the bad bacteria, they are also knocking out the good bacteria in your body. Some people develop conditions like diarrhea after taking an antibiotic. In other people, this may allow for really bad bacteria to take over and populate the gut, such as with C. diff. Some research has shown a positive connection between taking probiotics after an antibiotic and relief from diarrhea. This hasnt been proven yet and doesnt work for everyone.
The thought behind adding probiotics back into your body after taking an antibiotic is that it can repopulate the good bacteria that was destroyed by the antibiotics and re-boot your system. The extra good bacteria helps repopulate your gut and fight off any remaining bad bacteria. Many people feel that adding in probiotics wont hurt, might help you feel better a little faster and prevent diarrhea.
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