Treatment for Sinusitis

The treatment of sinus problems usually involves the use of antibiotics, surgery, or both.

Acute Sinusitis

Acute sinus infections can almost always be managed with antibiotics. Usually 10 days of intense oral antibiotic treatment will cure most acute forms of the disease.

At times an abscess or puss-filled pocket can form with acute sinus disease and require surgical treatment, but these are not common. If the acute sinus attacks are secondary to environmental or nasal allergies, then aggressive treatment of the allergies is required to handle the acute sinus episodes.

Chronic Sinusitis

Chronic sinus disease can be more challenging to manage and treat and can, at times, require multiple methods of treatment, depending on the cause. Nearly all cases of chronic sinus problems will require a CT scan to make the proper diagnosis.

Once the cause has been discovered, then a proper plan of treatment can be outlined. Sinus surgery along with antibiotics is more often necessary in treating chronic sinus conditions, but many of these problems can still be resolved with antibiotics alone, or in combination with other treatment modalities such as allergy skin testing and treatment.

Depending on the cause, one or more sinus operations might be required to bring the chronic sinus condition under control.