“Will a sinus infection go away on its own?”
I am a 28 year old male who was diagnosed with a sinus infection. Will a sinus infection go away on its own?
4 Answers
Sinus infections can go away without taking antibiotics, but it will take a little longer than it would if you use antibiotics, like a couple weeks longer in most cases. Using things like a decongestant and saline nasal irrigation will help the sinusitis to go away.
Hello,
If it's viral, such as a bad cold without persisting more than 5 days and without fevers, it can go away with humidity, saline spray, etc.
Dr. D
If it's viral, such as a bad cold without persisting more than 5 days and without fevers, it can go away with humidity, saline spray, etc.
Dr. D
That depends on what you mean by a "sinus infection." The problem is that so many people have different concepts as to what constitutes a sinus infection. Some practitioners refer to ordinary colds as "sinus infections," even though colds are actually upper respiratory infections (URI's) that affect the nose, sinuses, throat, and sometimes the bronchi. The common cold and influenza are caused by viruses, do not respond to medications, and do resolve on their own, usually after 7-20 days, although a cough caused by a URI can take as much as three months to gradually resolve.
The sinus infections that ENT docs treat are usually those caused by bacteria or fungi. These infections are entirely different from URI's and generally do not resolve without medications and/or surgery. They are characterized by pus being blown from the nose, perhaps a foul smell, and sometimes pain in the area of the infection. Symptom duration can be weeks, months, or years. Acute sinusitis can be painful. Chronic sinusitis may or may not be painful.
Antibiotics usually cure bacterial sinusitis, but results vary with the case. Polyps sometimes develop and cause nasal congestion or obstruction if the infection goes untreated long enough. Contrary to conventional medical dogma, oral anti-fungal medications are quite effective at suppressing and often curing fungal sinusitis. They are at least a valuable complementary treatment to surgery.
Most patients with sinus infections do NOT complain of headache, contrary to the impression given by TV commercials. Incidentally OTC decongestants never even had clinical trials done and are classified by the FDA as "possibly effective." Another pearl to know is that we do NOT breathe through our sinuses; we breathe through our noses.
The sinus infections that ENT docs treat are usually those caused by bacteria or fungi. These infections are entirely different from URI's and generally do not resolve without medications and/or surgery. They are characterized by pus being blown from the nose, perhaps a foul smell, and sometimes pain in the area of the infection. Symptom duration can be weeks, months, or years. Acute sinusitis can be painful. Chronic sinusitis may or may not be painful.
Antibiotics usually cure bacterial sinusitis, but results vary with the case. Polyps sometimes develop and cause nasal congestion or obstruction if the infection goes untreated long enough. Contrary to conventional medical dogma, oral anti-fungal medications are quite effective at suppressing and often curing fungal sinusitis. They are at least a valuable complementary treatment to surgery.
Most patients with sinus infections do NOT complain of headache, contrary to the impression given by TV commercials. Incidentally OTC decongestants never even had clinical trials done and are classified by the FDA as "possibly effective." Another pearl to know is that we do NOT breathe through our sinuses; we breathe through our noses.
How do you know it's an infection? Allergy? Vasomotor rhinitis? Consider getting a nasal culture and exam to rule out an infection.
