PRESCRIPTION MEDICINES

Don't Be Afraid to Take Medication

Patients very often come into my office afraid to take medication. Their fears are usually based on inaccurate information that they have
been given regarding medicines. You should understand that despite the fact that every medicine has its risks, when taken properly most medication will help rather than hurt you. For example, I had a patient who came to me many years ago. During the initial consultation, Stella told me that she usually had a few stiff drinks (three or four and sometimes more) each night and an assortment of wine and beer through the day. She smoked two packs of cigarettes a day and confessed that she often played around with recreational drugs, including marijuana and cocaine. Yet for all the abuse her body took, Stella was able to hold a job successfully as an executive at a major firm.

Stella came to see me because she felt sick all the time and had difficulty breathing. I quickly realized that she was suffering from a bad sinus infection. She had also created a large hole in her nose from her cocaine use. After diagnosing her chronic sinus problem, I told her that she needed to be put on antibiotics for at least 8 weeks, and that I would also start her on nasal and oral steroids. Stella’s response to this was simply: “But aren’t antibiotics and steroids dangerous?” I had to laugh: The medications I was prescribing would not harm her, unlike the drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes she didn’t seem to worry about using every day This example is extreme, but all of the medicines that I prescribe have been tested in clinical trials before they get U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

Keep Your Treatment Goals Realistic

It’s important to set achievable treatment goals, and to remain patient during the healing process. The expectation that a single 10-day course of antibiotics will magically cure you is unrealistic, especially because your chronic sinusitis or rhinosinusitis may have been with you for several years. Therefore, it is important to follow your doctor’s specific recommendations to provide you with the chance for a complete recovery or at least maximum improvement.

Sinus Tips:

Moving to Another State

In the past, physicians recommended that their patients with chronic sinusitis and/or allergies move to another part of the country, where the climate was different, thinking that

Supplements and Nutrients

A balanced diet high in protein, fruits, and vegetables is very important tor patients suffering from CAID. For patients who get frequent infections, I recommend supplementing thei

Sinus Friendly Foods

In the 12th century, the physician Moses Maimonides first prescribed chicken soup as a cold and asthma remedy. People have experienced the same tried-and-true results over the cent

ANTIFUNGAL TREATMENT

Fungus and mold are always present in the air, so it is reasonable to expect that they are also found in our nasal passages. Recent research at the Mayo Clinic has confirmed this t

THROAT SPRAYS AND LOZENGES

Throat sprays are appropriate when you are experiencing a sore throat caused by postnasal drip or during an acute flare-up of a chronic infection. Some products may contain an anti

NASAL EMOLLIENTS, ANTISEPTICS, AND GELS

Nasal emollients and gels allow mucus to glide over dry ciliated hair cells so that it can move through the sinuses with ease. These are useful for soothing your dry nasal membrane