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Sinusitis Blog
Related terms: Acute Sinusitis, Chronic Sinusitis, Infection, sinus, Sinus Infection, Sinusitis, Acute, Sinusitis, Chronic
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Steroid Nasal Sprays Show Small Benefit for Sinusitis: Study
Posted 13 days ago by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, May 15 – Corticosteroid nasal sprays apparently are not a silver bullet when it comes to symptom relief for acute sinusitis patients, a new review suggests. The British analysis of six prior studies found that the sprays confer only a small degree of benefit, and only after being taken for three weeks at relatively high doses. The disappointing observation comes amid growing public health concerns that the more common use of antibiotics for short-term sinusitis symptoms is both ineffective and potentially dangerous because the drugs contribute to bacterial resistance. "Looking at all the trials together, we found that nasal steroids seem to give a small benefit for patients with acute sinusitis," said study co-author Matthew Thompson, a senior clinical scientist in the department of primary care health sciences at the University of Oxford, in England. "In fact, they work about ... Read more
Related support groups: Sinusitis, Nasonex, Flonase, Omnaris, Nasacort, Veramyst, Nasacort AQ, Sinus Symptoms, Rhinocort, Rhinocort Aqua, Nasacort HFA, Beconase AQ, Zetonna, Tri-Nasal, Nasarel
Antibiotics Useless for Most Sinus Infections, Experts Say
Posted 21 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, March 21 – Most sinus infections are caused by viruses and should not be treated with antibiotics, which target bacteria and are useless against viruses, new expert guidelines state. About 14 percent (one in seven) of people are diagnosed with a sinus infection each year, and sinus infections remain the fifth leading reason for an antibiotic prescriptions. However, between 90 percent and 98 percent of the infections are caused by viruses, which are not affected by antibiotics, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), which released the new advisory on Wednesday. IDSA noted that the inappropriate overuse of antibiotics is encouraging the development of tough-to-treat, drug-resistant bacteria or "superbugs." An inability to determine which germ is behind a particular case of sinusitis often leads to inappropriate prescribing, one expert said. "There is ... Read more
Related support groups: Sinusitis, Sinus Symptoms
Alternative Medicine May Help Ease Chronic Sinusitis
Posted 21 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, March 21 – When used in tandem with standard Western treatments, alternative therapies such as acupuncture, acupressure and dietary changes may spell significant relief for patients battling chronic sinusitis, a new pilot study suggests. The authors say that their study is the first to explore the potential of combining Western medicine with Eastern therapies among these patients, who experience swollen and inflamed sinuses, facial pain, headaches and impaired breathing. "Our study was small, looking at a handful of patients who were not benefiting that well from standard treatment," acknowledged study author Dr. Jeffrey Suh, an assistant professor of rhinology and skull base surgery in the department of head and neck surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles. "And my take on alternative treatments is that Western medicine is effective for the majority of ... Read more
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Antibiotics Don't Help Most Sinus Infections, Study Finds
Posted 14 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Feb. 14 – Treating a sinus infection with antibiotics doesn't speed recovery, new research shows. "We did a randomized clinical trial among adults with a clinical diagnosis of acute sinusitis, and found no benefit from the antibiotic compared to the placebo for the treatment of acute sinusitis," said study author Dr. Jane Garbutt, a research associate professor of medicine and pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Still, one in five antibiotic prescriptions for adults in the United States are written for sinus infections, according to the study. "Acute sinusitis is a miserable disease. People want something to make them feel better, and there are not very many treatment options, so patients ask their doctors for antibiotics. But, we think most of the time, acute sinusitis is a viral infection, so antibiotics won't help," said Garbutt. Results of ... Read more
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For Severe Sinusitis, Oral Steroids an Option, Study Says
Posted 1 Mar 2011 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Feb. 28 – An estimated 32 million Americans suffer from chronic rhinosinusitis, in which inflammation of the lining of the nose and sinuses leads to congestion, pain and loss of smell. In the most severe cases, patients develop nasal polyps that can make the symptoms even worse. The standard therapy is to begin with a steroid nasal spray and then move on to a more powerful steroid pill if topical steroids don't work. That's because although oral steroids are more effective at reducing inflammation, they can also carry serious side effects, such as an increased risk for osteoporosis, insomnia or worsening of asthma. But a new study by researchers in Scotland suggests that starting with a short course of oral steroids can safely improve symptoms and may help avoid the need for surgery. "The principal problem with nasal polyps is that the plumbing of the sinuses is jammed, so ... Read more
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More Seniors Opting for Less Invasive Sinus Surgery
Posted 17 May 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, May 17 – Sinus surgery via endoscope is becoming more popular as a treatment for chronic sinus disease among seniors on Medicare, a new study finds. People diagnosed with chronic sinus disease suffer from infections and inflammation that last longer than three months. Their symptoms can include congestion, runny nose, headache, facial pressure and loss of smell. Treatments include medications – including steroids and antibiotics – and irrigation of the nose with saline solution. In severe cases, patients may undergo surgery, sometimes several times. Rather than "open" sinus surgery, which requires cuts to the skin, endoscopic or keyhole surgery uses a thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera and an optic light inserted through the nose to take close-up views and project them on a screen to guide the operation. The procedure has been used in the United States since 1985 and is ... Read more
Related support groups: Sinusitis, Sinus Symptoms
Secondhand Smoke Boosts Sinusitis Risk
Posted 20 Apr 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, April 19 – Exposure to secondhand smoke appears to substantially raise the risk for chronic sinusitis, a new Canadian study has found. In fact, it might explain 40 percent of the cases of the condition, said study author Dr. C. Martin Tammemagi, a researcher at Brock University in Ontario. "The numbers surprised me somewhat," Tammemagi said. "My general impression was that public health agencies were strongly discouraging smoking and controlling secondhand smoke, and that governments in parallel were passing protective legislation to reduce peoples' exposure to secondhand smoke." But his team found that more than 90 percent of those in the study who had chronic sinusitis and more than 84 percent of the comparison group, which did not have the condition, were exposed to secondhand smoke in public places. "To see that exposure to secondhand smoke was still common did surprise and ... Read more
Allergens Worsen Sinusitis
Posted 22 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Dec. 21 – A new Dutch study provides solid proof that allergies can trigger the sinus problems that afflict millions of Americans. When allergy-causing substances were dripped into the noses of people with chronic sinusitis, almost all of them developed significant sinus responses, such as inflammation, evident on X-ray and ultrasound images, according to a report in the December issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology--Head & Neck Surgery by physicians at the Allergy Research Foundation in Breda, the Netherlands. "This is something that further supports what we've already known," said Dr. Jordan S. Josephson, a sinus and allergy specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "People should consider allergy testing when they have chronic sinusitis." An estimated 30 million to 40 million Americans have chronic sinusitis, a swelling and inflammation of the maxillary sinuses ... Read more
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Research Yields Clues to Severe Form of Sinusitis
Posted 1 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Nov. 23 – U.S. researchers say they've identified a protein that causes nasal and sinus polyps in 15 percent to 30 percent of people with chronic sinusitis. The condition is one of the most serious forms of sinusitis, a constant irritation and swelling of the nasal passages. Polyps - unhealthy overgrowths of sinus tissue – can block the sinus passages and make it difficult or impossible to breathe through the nose. This often leads to pain, swelling and infections. "This type of sinusitis isn't subtle – you can spot the patients with polyps across the room. They're breathing through their mouths, they talk with nasal voices, they're constantly sniffling, and their faces are swollen," Dr. Jean Kim, an assistant professor in the departments of otolaryngology and allergy and clinical immunology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in a news release. Kim and ... Read more
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Steroid Concoction May Ease Sinusitis
Posted 16 Mar 2009 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, March 16 – A steroid nasal wash can help reduce symptoms of chronic sinusitis without affecting adrenal gland function, according to a small U.S. study. Chronic sinusitis is a persistent inflammation of the nose and sinuses behind the nose that affects up to 14 percent of people in the United States, according to background information in the study. The study included nine people who were told to use a nasal wash, composed of 0.25 milligrams of the corticosteroid budesonide and 5 milliliters of saline, in each nostril once a day for 30 days. The budesonide came in respules – small, plastic, liquid-containing devices. The researchers, from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said it was the first study to examine the safety of this type of nasal wash, noting that suppression of adrenal gland function is a known complication of budesonide. All participants ... Read more
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A Honey of a Sinusitis Treatment
Posted 24 Sep 2008 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 – Honey may help bring sweet relief to chronic sinusitis sufferers, new Canadian research suggests. Scientists say natural germ fighters in honey attack the bacteria that cause the discomforting disorder. "Honey has been used in traditional medicine as a natural anti-microbial dressing for infected wounds for hundreds of years," noted study co-author Dr. Joseph G. Marsan, from the University of Ottawa. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the activity of honey on so-called "biofilms," which are responsible for numerous chronic infections, Marsan explained. "Certain bacteria, mainly Staph aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, have found a method of shielding themselves from the activity of anti-microbials by living in substances called biofilms, which cannot be penetrated by even the most powerful anti-microbials," he said. The report was to be presented Tuesday ... Read more
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