Sinus infections

Goldenseal Hydrastis canadens s Antiseptic for skin (topical), astringent for mucous membranes (mouthwash), wash for inflamed eyes, sinus infections, peptic ulcers, colitis, gastritis Large doses may cause dry or irritated mucous membranes and injury to the gastrointestinal system may reduce the beneficial bacteria in the intestines. Siould not be taken for more than 3-7 days. 

Although viral infections are important causes of both otitis media and sinusitis, they are generally self-limiting. Bacterial infections m complicate viral illnesses, and are also primary causes of ear and sinus infections. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae are the commonest bacterial pathogens. Amoxycillin is widely prescribed for these infections since it is microbiologically active, penetrates the middle ear, and sinuses, is well tolerated and has proved effective. 

Occasional sinus infections over the last several years... 

Her medical history includes osteoarthritis, mild osteoporosis, and hypertension. She also has recurrent sinus infections associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis. She is a medical transcriptionist. 

A 2.5-year-old female with a sinus infection caused by Haemophilus influenzae is treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. 

Matthew is especially reactive to soy products, dairy, chocolate, preservatives, fragrances, formaldehyde and diesel fumes. As a small boy he would develop a stuffy nose within minutes of eating dairy products, and by morning he would have a sinus infection. Other foods and chemicals—soy, chocolate and formaldehyde, for example—caused him to behave violently. His tolerance to those triggers has improved by taking antigens. 

Ms. Jones takes fexofenadine 60 mg twice a day for seasonal allergies. She comes to her physician with a sinus infection and receives a prescription for erythromycin, a drug known to inhibit CYP3A4. As a result of this drug interaction, you would expect Ms. Jones to... 

Erythromycin is effective in the treatment and prevention of S. pyogenes and other streptococcal infections, but not those caused by the more resistant fecal streptococci. Staphylococci are generally susceptible to erythromycin, so this antibiotic is a suitable alternative drug for the penicillin-hypersensitive individual. It is a second-line drug for the treatment of gonorrhea and syphilis. Although erythromycin is popular for the treatment of middle ear and sinus infections, including H. influenzae, possible erythromycin-resistant S. pneumoniae is a concern. 

It is indicated in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infection e.g. bronchitis and pneumonia, upper respiratory tract infections e.g. pharyngitis and sinusitis, infections due to chlamydia, legionella and mycoplasma, skin and soft tissue infections and eradication of H. pylori with acid suppressants. 

Overuse of antibiotics comes from the desire to treat colds and other illnesses caused by viruses rather than bacteria. Unlike bacteria, viruses do not respond to antibiotics. Yet the symptoms of bacterial and viral infections are similar enough that patients often want antibiotics for both. For example, a study from Harvard University reports that more than a million children a year unnecessarily receive antibiotics for sore throats.53 While 15 to 36 percent of children with sore throats have a bacterial streptococcal infection that antibiotics can treat, 54 percent of the children studied received an antibiotic. Other studies report similar overuse among adults for sinus infections. Although only a small portion of sinus infections result from bacteria, most patients visiting physicians for the problem get a prescription for an antibiotic. 

My problems only started to get worse after the first sinus infection. From that moment on my health never really improved. I also began to react sensitively to cigarette smoke, exhaust fumes and smog. My inflammations became chronic, giving me more and more problems, and limited my freedom. I really couldn t go to restaurants or parties where people were smoking without paying a stiff price over the following days. The result was usually an inflamed... 

As stated above in entry 36, my problems began in the early 1990s with a severe sinus infection. The hyper-reactivity that followed has remained. Despite repeated visits to the general practitioner and the ear, nose and throat specialist due to my nose and sinus problems, little really changed I was prescribed some inhalers, pills and antibiotics. For years I had a slightly high body temperature (99.3—100.4 degrees Fahrenheit)... 

Sinus infections arise because chemical substances or allergens irritate the mucous membrane, causing an infec-... 

A rare case of Pott s puffy tumor, anterior extension of a frontal sinus infection that results in frontal bone osteomyelitis and subperiosteal abscess, has been associated with metamfetamine use (81). 

Mr. K is a 24-year-old man who is coming to see his primary care physician abont a sinus infection he s had for the last year. Dr. W is the fourth doctor Mr. K has seen for this complaint, and this is the third time he has seen her in the last 2 months. As she examines him, he tells her the same story abont spending the night at his cousin s honse, sleeping on his cousin s pillow, only to find out a few days later that his cousin had a sinus infection. Since then he s been obsessed with the idea that he became infected with a horrible bacteria, and he visits doctors monthly to try to find a cure. Dr. W finds no signs of infection refers him to an ear, nose, and throat specialist and also refers him to an in-house therapist to help him work through all the stress this congestion has caused. ... 

Two months later, Mr. K comes back to see Dr. W about his sinus infection. As he s getting ready to leave the appointment, he asks for the number of a psychiatrist and for Ms. J s number, which he had lost in the last few months. He never contacts Ms. J, but she and Dr. W are hopeful that he will follow through on his desire to see a psychiatrist. 

On a related front, studies at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, seem to indicate that NO furnishes protection against sinus infections. Unlike the nose where bacteria thrive, the... 

Mild cases, characterised by pinkness or infection of the eardrum, often resolve spontaneously and need only analgesia emd observation. They are normally viral. A bulging, inflamed eardrum indicates bacterial otitis media usually due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella (Bran-hamella) catarrhalis. Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A) or Staphylococcus aureus. Amoxicillin or co-amoxiclav is satisfactory, but the clinical benefit of antibiotic therapy is very small when tested in controlled trials. Chemotherapy has not removed the need for myringotomy when pain is very severe, and also for later cases, as sterilised pus may not be completely absorbed and may leave adhesions that impair hearing. Chronic infection presents a similar problem to that of chronic sinus infection, above. 

In what position should the patient move his or her head when instilling drops for an ethmoid sinus infection ... 

Q. You mentioned the use of H202 as nose drops to prevent bad breath from chronic sinus infection. But what concentration do you recommend—straight from the drug store undiluted —Dr. B.W., California... 

If a major salivary gland is lost from trauma or disease, or if nasal allergies or sinus infections cause persistent mouth-breathing, or if tobacco smoking persists, the oral cavity becomes dry (xerostomia). The oral mucosa and teeth become covered with bacteria and dental caries and periodontal disease become difficult to control. The functions of whole... 

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