Answer From James T C Li, M.D., Ph. D. Yes. Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers and decongestants may help relieve facial pain and sinus congestion associated with
Along the same lines as OTC options, antihistamine medications, such as Sudafed, Claritin, Zyrtec or Benadryl, can also offer sinus infection symptom relief. While these medications specifically target allergy symptoms, sinus infection symptoms can be similar, making antihistamines worth a try.
Take this medicine only as directed. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer period of time than recommended on the label (usually 7 days), unless otherwise directed by your doctor. To do so may increase the chance of side effects.
The recommended choices are amoxicillin or amoxicillin/potassium clavulanate (Augmentin) for 5 to 10 days.
Antibiotics and sinus infections
This may give you the idea that you need antibiotics, but most clear up without them. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses and aren't recommended within the first week of developing a cold. About 70% of sinus infections go away within two weeks without antibiotics.
Viral infections are spread the same way as bacterial infections. The difference is that the viral infection will start to improve after 5 to 7 days of the initial onset of the symptoms. There is no one definitive way for a doctor to determine if you have a bacterial or viral sinus infection based on symptoms alone.
An “acute” sinus infection lasts anywhere from ten days up to eight weeks. A “chronic” infection lasts even longer. It is ongoing — it may seem like it's improving, and then it comes right back as bad as it was at first. Chronic sinus infections may drag on for months at a time.
Rinsing out your sinuses and nasal passages offers relief for symptoms of sinus infections, allergies, cold and flu. In one study, patients with chronic sinus issues performed a daily nasal rinse and saw an improvement in symptom severity of more than 60%.
Untreated sinusitis allows bacteria and other harmful pathogens to enter the bloodstream and travel all throughout the body, leading to the following potentially life-threatening conditions. Meningitis develops when infection targets the brain or spinal fluid. It requires immediate medical attention.
Pseudoephedrine can interact with medications that affect the brain. These include tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), some types of headache medications, and caffeine. It's best to avoid interactions with pseudoephedrine. If needed, your healthcare provider can help suggest safer alternatives.
All products from the makers of SUDAFED® contain a nasal decongestant, either pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine. These medicines act on the nasal passages to narrow blood vessels that are causing nasal congestion.
Rebound congestion is a severe stuffy nose. Rebound congestion develops when you use nasal sprays containing phenylephrine and oxymetazoline for too long. Rebound congestion is tough to treat and can take up to 1 year to go away. You can avoid rebound congestion by stopping decongestant nasal sprays after 3 to 5 days.
It's fine to take Sudafed decongestant tablets or liquid with plain paracetamol or ibuprofen, assuming these are appropriate for you. It's also fine to take it with medicines for hay fever such as antihistamines or steroid nasal sprays. However, don't take it with other nasal decongestant medicines.
Ibuprofen and pseudoephedrine combination is used to relieve symptoms of cold or flu, including body aches and pains, fever, headache, or stuffy nose.
a blocked nose. pain and tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead. a sinus headache. a high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F) or more.
Whether sinusitis is caused by bacteria or by a virus, most people get better even if they don't take antibiotics. Home treatment for sinusitis can help relieve your symptoms. Here are some things you can do: Drink plenty of fluids to thin your mucus.
For adults — See a health care provider if:
You have symptoms for more than 10 days. You have a high fever. What's coming from your nose is yellow or green. You also have sinus pain or fever.
Thick, yellow or greenish mucus from the nose (runny nose) or down the back of the throat (postnasal drainage) Blocked or stuffy nose (congestion) causing difficulty breathing through your nose. Pain, tenderness, swelling and pressure around your eyes, cheeks, nose or forehead that worsens when bending over.
Your doctor will swab your nose to collect mucus. Culturing it in a laboratory will reveal which type of bacteria is causing the infection so the right antibiotic can be prescribed.
Sometimes, the doctor may swab your nose to collect mucus. Culturing it in a laboratory will reveal which type of bacteria is causing the infection so the right antibiotic can be prescribed. Treat early sinus infection symptoms with rest, hydration and over-the-counter sprays and decongestants.
The bacteria confine themselves in stubborn “biofilms,” making it difficult for your immune system or antibiotics to find and attack them. An overlap of additional factors such as smoking, environmental pollutants, and deviated septum, further complicate the picture of chronic sinusitis.