Sinusitis Treatment: Medicine

Medicines can be helpful in mitigating the pain and discomfort that can come with sinusitis, or sometimes they are prescribed to kill the bacteria that can cause a sinus infection. Surgical interventions are also discussed in this section, though these invasive interventions should be accessed as a last-resort only after all natural and less-invasive options have failed.

• Sinusitis and Antibiotics
• Sinusitis and Beta-lactam
• Sinusitis and Fluoroquinolone
• Sinusitis and Macrolides and Azalides
• Sinusitis and Tetracyclines
• Sinusitis and Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole
• Sinusitis and Nasal Corticosteroids
• Sinusitis and Acetaminophen
• Sinusitis and Ibuprofen
• Sinusitis and Oral Decongestants
• Sinusitis and Nasal Decongestant Sprays
• Sinusitis and Surgery
• Sinusitis and Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS)
• Sinusitis and Conventional Open Sinus Surgery
• Talking to Your Doctor About Sinusitis

Cases of acute sinusitis usually get better on their own, without the use of antibiotics. In fact, studies have shown that antibiotics are not effective in treating acute sinusitis.

However, in...

Read more about Sinusitis and Antibiotics.

Common names include:

• Beclomethasone (Beconase, Vancenase)
• Budesonide (Rhinocort)
• Dexamethasone (Dexacort Turbinaire)
• Flunisolide (Nasalide, Nasarel)
• Fluticasone...

Read more about Sinusitis and Nasal Corticosteroids.

Common brand names for Acetaminophen include:

• Tylenol

Acetaminophen can be helpful in relieving some of the pain and discomfort associated with sinusitis. It’s also safe to give to...

Read more about Sinusitis and Acetaminophen.

Common brand names for Ibuprofen include:

• Motrin
• Advil

Ibuprofen can also help relieve some of the pain associated with sinusitis. Because some people find ibuprofen to be very hard...

Read more about Sinusitis and Ibuprofen.

Common brand names include:

• Sudafed
• Actifed
• Drixoral

These drugs help shrink the nasal passageways and may make it easier and more comfortable for you to breathe.

Read more about Sinusitis and Oral Decongestants.

Common Nasal Decongestant Sprays include:

• Afrin
• Dristan
• Sinex
• Neo-synephrine

These drugs are sprayed directly into the nasal passageways to help shrink the membranes...

Read more about Sinusitis and Nasal Decongestant Sprays.

Your doctor may recommend that you undergo sinus surgery if you have:

• Chronic sinusitis
• Frequently recurring sinusitis
• Little or no relief from treatments
• Developed...

Read more about Sinusitis and Surgery.

De Sutter A, Lemiengre M, Van Maele G, et al. Predicting prognosis and effect of antibiotic treatment in rhinosinusitis. Ann Fam Med. 2006;4:486-493.

Gosepath J, Mann WJ. Current concepts in therapy of chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis. ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec. 2005;67:125-136.

Pichichero ME, Brixner DI. A review of recommended antibiotic therapies with impact on outcomes in acute otitis media and acute bacterial sinusitis. Am J Manag Care. 2006;12:S292-302

Rakel RE, Bope ET. Conn’s Current Therapy. 54th ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Company; 2002.

Sinus infection (sinusitis). National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases website. Available at: http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/sinusitis/ . Accessed September 12, 2008.

Slavin RG, Spector SL, Bernstein IL, et al. The diagnosis and management of sinusitis: a practice parameter update. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005;116:S13-47.

Vining EM. Evolution of medical management of chronic rhinosinusitis. Ann Otol Rhinol Largngol Suppl. 2006;196:54-60.

1/10/2008 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php : Williamson IG, Rumsby K, Benge S, et al. Antibiotics and topical nasal steroid for treatment of acute maxillary sinusitis: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2007;298:2487-2496.

Last reviewed September 2010 by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD Last Updated: 9/20/2010