“What can you give a child for a sinus infection?”

"Sinus" infections are unusual in children under age 12 -- they don't even develop all their sinuses until they are about 8 - 9 years old! Most runny noses are not sinus infections, and most all upper respiratory infections, including sinus infections, are viral - thus, antibiotics will not help. True sinus infections in children and adolescents must be diagnosed by your pediatrician, and, as with most everything, the treatment depends on the cause.

Shelley C. Springer, MD, MBA, MSc, JD, FAAP

Thank you for your question. In Chinese medicine, there are various versions of Bi Yan Pian Tablets for sinus infection, which may help.

Best regards,

Fengli Lan, PhD., L.Ac.

Children normally do not develop sinusitis quickly. Natural course of common cold from viral infection lasts for 10-14 days. It starts with some stuffy nose, clear runny nose and then thick green runny nose 3-5 days into the course. Most parents think that it’s sinus infection by now. However, naturally, this thick greenish runny nose will change into lesser amount of clear, yellow, green runny nose for another couple days and then dries up completely. If your child is prone to have persistent nasal congestion, you may help him/her doing sinus rinse ( check out YouTube video). You can mostly prevent an episode of sinus infection. After 10-14 days, if the congestion worsen, the child may then develops sinus infection. Otherwise, that’s when the whole course of common cold finally resolves. Seek doctor’s appointment as needed if not better 10-14 days later.
I have tried prescribed antibiotics around 13-14 days but doubting if it’s sinus infection or not but recommended parent waiting for couple more days. Very often, they later told me that the nose clear up spontaneously without starting the antibiotics.
Wish him the best.