The best of intentions leading us all astray
Nothing is more miserable than the feeling of head pressure and drowsiness that comes with a sinus infection. It can feel like an animal inside of your skull, pushing and shoving to get out.
Who wouldn't run to the doctor for help?
Please, save your gas.
New research is proving what many have known for sometime: The over- prescribing of antibiotics (like amoxicillin) for sinus infections doesn't make a hill of beans' difference in how quickly you get over one.
A research group in England enlisted 240 adults in a study to measure the effectiveness of amoxicillin and steroid sprays in treating sinus infections. The study participants were randomly assigned to four groups.
One group received 500 milligrams of amoxicillin, three times per day for a total of seven days. In addition, they received 400 units of steroid spray for 10 days. The other three groups received just the amoxicillin, the steroid spray, or a placebo.
After two weeks, the results showed that the patients prescribed the drug treatments didn't get better any faster than those who received the placebo.
The problem is that antibiotics, while designed to treat bacterial infections, have a challenging time getting to your sinuses. But that doesn't stop doctors, anxious to help their patients, from over-prescribing these medications.
The flip side is that while they're trying to help their patients, in the long run they're hurting all of us, as evidenced by bacteria evolving in resistance as they come up against our human tricks. It's an act of survival on their part, and will result in dangerous sickness on ours.
So do yourself a favor: Don't involve your doctor. Try a nice eucalyptus steam bath to help relieve those head-stuffing symptoms. And hang in there—this too shall pass.
