Okeechobee Times

• 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.

Many sinusitis patients are prescribed antibiotics, but Dr. Cody Aull of West Palm Beach Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told Okeechobee Times that there are many risks involved in relying on antibiotics, including becoming immune.

"Antibiotics are absolutely wonderful, but we also know that they are unfortunately grossly overused and used incorrectly and inadequately," Aull said. "And it leads to resistance, so that when you really need an antibiotic, it might not be available to do the job that it needs to. That's a big problem. Can an antibiotic fix a sinus infection? The answer is, yes, it can. I'm not going to say, no, it never has or could. But is it the best fix?"

Aull explains that antibiotics are not the only answer to chronic sinusitis.

"Studies show that using antibiotics over and over is not the best fix," he said. "There's an infinitely better approach, and that's the approach that we want to give to our patients. You're not taking these antibiotics all the time, so when you really do need an antibiotic, if you have a bad infection for something else, that antibiotic is available to you. It does a great job. That's what we want to do: give patients a way out of dependence on antibiotics to try to manage their sinus problems."

According to WebMD, acute sinusitis is a sinus infection lasting less than four weeks. Ninety percent of U.S. adults who are diagnosed with acute sinusitis are prescribed antibiotics. Chronic sinusitis is a sinus infection that lasts for more than 12 weeks. Sinus infection symptoms can include nasal congestion, headaches, coughing, facial pain or discomfort and nasal drainage.

The American Heart Association reported that the overuse of antibiotics is linked to changes in the patient's gut microbiota, which can increase the risk of developing chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as dying prematurely.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), patients who develop antibiotic resistance can face increased risk if they experience infections related to other medical procedures, such as joint replacements, organ transplants and diabetes treatments.

Chronic sinusitis patients have alternative treatment options available, such as balloon sinuplasty.

Healthline reported that balloon sinuplasty is most often recommended to people suffering from chronic sinusitis after other treatments for their condition have either failed or been ineffective. The procedure doesn't involve any cutting or removal of bones or tissue. It is relatively straightforward and causes minimal reported complications. After a balloon sinuplasty, many patients are able to return to their regular activities within one or two days. Some patients are even able to drive themselves home following the procedure.

To learn more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.