• Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for sinusitis.
• Doctors warn that overuse of antibiotics can lead to the development of "antibiotic resistance," which can cause serious health complications.
• Patients looking for a long-term solution have treatment options such as balloon sinuplasty.
Dr. James Oberman of Frederick Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers is warning patients who have sinusitis that overusing antibiotics can lead to the development of antibiotic resistance over time.
Of adults in the U.S. who are diagnosed with acute sinusitis -- a sinus infection lasting less than four weeks -- approximatley 90% are prescribed antibiotics, according to WebMD.
“The more infections you have, the more antibiotics that are prescribed, the more bacterial resistance you have,” Oberman told North Baltimore Journal. “So we're to the point where the antibiotics no longer work. You're developing what's called bacterial resistance. Bacteria are smart microbes that are able to develop and adapt to what technology and medicine has developed, including antibiotics, and they develop means to become resistant to those antibiotics.”
Compared with acute sinusitis, WebMD says that chronic sinusitis is a sinus infection that lasts for more than 12 weeks. Symptoms of sinus infections can include nasal congestion, headaches, coughing, facial pain or discomfort and nasal drainage.
The overuse of antibiotics has been linked to changes in the patient's gut microbiota, which can increase the risk for chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to the American Heart Association. The AHA's 2019 report notes that overusing antibiotics could also be a risk factor in premature death.
People who develop resistance to antibiotics can face increased risk if they experience infections related to other medical procedures, such as joint replacements, organ transplants and diabetes treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Balloon sinuplasty is most often recommended for people suffering from chronic sinusitis, after other options have been ineffective in treating the condition, according to Healthline. The procedure doesn't involve any cutting or removal of either bone or tissue. There are only minimal complications associated with a balloon sinuplasty, and many people are able to return to their daily routine within two days, even driving themselves home after undergoing the procedure.
If you’re interested in learning more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, please take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.
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