Bacteria

The sinuses provide a good place for any bacteria to grow. Recent studies have identified both aerobic and anaerobic organisms and fungi growing within the sinuses. This makes the choice of picking an antibiotic difficult, and you may find that your physician wants to put you on more than one antibiotic during a single course of treatment. Although complicated, this is a correct choice if your doctor believes that your infection is being caused by multiple types of bacteria. The most common bacteria that cause sinusitis are Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis. Others include Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which often cause the more aggressive infections.

There has been a concern in recent years that there is an increased resistance in H. influenzae strains (54 percent resistant to Ampicillin), and M. catarrhalis (74 percent resistant to Ampicillin). It also appears that there is increasing resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae to various antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and P. aeruginosa tend to cause more aggressive infections and are harder to resolve.

Available Antibiotics

Often, the first choices for treating CAID symptoms are amoxicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and erythromycin. As bacteria become more resistant to certain antibiotics, physicians are tending to choose newer versions over old standbys. The circulating bacteria usually have not had time to develop resistance to these newer antibiotics, so they may be more effective. However, the older antibiotics may still be effective, and in many cases are less expensive than the newer antibiotics. The following sections discuss the types of antibiotics used to treat CAID.

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