Sinus Infection - Bacterial

Symptoms

Diagnosis

A doctor can diagnose bacterial sinusitis by reviewing the details of your symptoms.
Tests or X-rays are not needed.

Cause

Starts as a viral sinus infection. The sinuses normally drain into the nose. If a sinus opening becomes completely blocked, it can become infected with bacteria. This occurs in about 2% of colds.

Nasal Discharge with Bacterial Sinusitis

The nasal discharge changes color during different stages of a cold. This is normal.
It starts as a clear discharge and later becomes cloudy.
Sometimes it becomes yellow or green colored for a few days. This is still normal for a cold.
Thick, colored discharge points to bacterial sinusitis ONLY if it occurs with other symptoms. These are:
Sinus pain (not just sinus congestion) OR
Swelling or redness over any sinus OR
Return of a fever after it has been gone for over 24 hours OR
Thick nasal discharge and post-nasal drip lasts over 14 days without improvement.

Overview:

Antibiotic by Mouth:

Bacterial sinus infections need a prescription for an antibiotic.
The antibiotic will kill the bacteria that are causing the sinus infection.
Give the drug as directed.
Try not to forget any of the doses.
Give the drug until it is gone. Reason: To stop the sinus infection from flaring up again.

Pain Medicine:

To help with the pain, give acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen. Use as needed.

Cold Pack:

For pain or swelling, use a cold pack. You can also use ice wrapped in a wet cloth.
Put it over the sinus for 20 minutes. Caution: Avoid frostbite.

Fever:

For fevers above 102° F (39° C), give acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen. Note: Lower fevers are important for fighting infections.
For ALL fevers: Keep your child well hydrated. Give lots of cold fluids.

Nasal Saline to Open a Blocked Nose:

Use saline (salt water) nose drops or spray to loosen up the dried mucus. If you don't have saline, you can use a few drops of bottled water or clean tap water. Teens can just splash a little tap water in the nose and then blow.
STEP 1: Put 3 drops in each nostril.
STEP 2: Blow each nostril out while closing off the other nostril.
STEP 3: Repeat nose drops and blowing until the discharge is clear.
How often: Do nasal saline when your child can't breathe through the nose.
Saline nose drops or spray can be bought in any drugstore. No prescription is needed.
Saline nose drops can also be made at home. Use 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) of table salt. Stir the salt into 1 cup (8 ounces or 240 ml) of water. You must use bottled or boiled water for this purpose.
Reason for nose drops: Blowing alone can't remove dried or sticky mucus.
Other option. Use a warm shower to loosen mucus. Breathe in moist air, then blow each nostril.

Fluids:

Try to get your child to drink lots of fluids.
Goal: Keep your child well hydrated.
It will thin out the mucus discharge from the nose. Also, it loosens up any phlegm in the lungs.

Humidifier:

If the air in your home is dry, use a humidifier. Reason: Dry air makes nasal mucus thicker.

Decongestant Nose Spray (No prescription needed) for Teens:

Use this only if the sinus still seems blocked up after nasal washes. Also, only use for age 12 years or older. Use the long-acting type such as Afrin.
Dose: 1 spray on each side. Do this 2 times per day.
Always clean out the nose before using.
Use for 1 day. After that, use only for symptoms.
Don't use for more than 3 days. (Reason: Can cause rebound congestion).
Oral decongestants (such as Sudafed) are not advised in children.

What to Expect:

Once on antibiotics, your child will get better in 2 or 3 days.
The fever should be gone by 2 days (48 hours).
The sinus pain should be better by 2 days. It should be gone by 3 days (72 hours).

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Definition