As I sit at my desk today pondering what article to publish this week for all of our wonderful readers, I am appalled by the heaps of tissue that scatter my desk! Yes it's that time of year my friends. Let's talk about snot. Have you ever wondered what's going on iside your nose, and where does all of that snot come from anyway?
To understand why your nose runs, you need to know what mucus is. This is the gooey, sticky, slimy material that's made inside your nose (also known as snot). Believe it or not, your nose and sinuses make about a quart of snot every day! A runny or stuffy nose can be due to colds, allergies, sinus infections or the flu. When there is an excess of mucus secretions the nose is runny. The additional secretions drain from the front of the nose, or down the back (post-nasal drip). The sensation of a stuffy nose occurs when the membranes that line the nose become swollen from inflamed blood vessels. Are anitbiotics the cure for a sinus infection we ask? A recent British study shows that neither antibiotics or steroid sprays offer much help to adults with sinus infections.
One of the most common complications of the common cold or flu is a sinus infection. The symptoms: a stuffy nose; a thick, dark-colored nasal discharge; and head pain.
You've very likely had such an infection. And if, like 25 million other Americans, you went to a U.S. doctor, there's a 90% chance you got a prescription for antibiotics. You very likely had some side effects from that antibiotic. But it's extremely unlikely the antibiotics you took were much help, according to a study by Ian G. Williamson, MD, senior lecturer at the University of Southampton, England.
"We are confident that if there is an effect of antibiotics on acute sinus infections, it is not very big -- certainly not as big as people have been led to believe," Williamson tells WebMD.
Williamson and colleagues studied 240 patients ages 16 and older whose symptoms suggested that they had a sinus infection caused by bacteria. Viruses also cause sinus infections, but antibiotics do not help viral infections.
Study patients received antibiotic treatment with amoxicillin, an antibiotic often used for bacterial sinus infections, with or without nasal steroid sprays. A fourth of the patients received no treatment at all, but just got inactive placebo pills and placebo sprays.
Ten days later, patients who got no active treatment were just as likely to be cured as those treated with antibiotics. Steroid nasal sprays made little difference, although they seemed to help people with very mild nasal congestion and seemed to make things a little worse for those with very intense nasal congestion. Williamson says the study does not definitively rule out some small effect of antibiotics. But that effect would be very small.
You've very likely had such an infection. And if, like 25 million other Americans, you went to a U.S. doctor, there's a 90% chance you got a prescription for antibiotics. You very likely had some side effects from that antibiotic. But it's extremely unlikely the antibiotics you took were much help, according to a study by Ian G. Williamson, MD, senior lecturer at the University of Southampton, England.
"We are confident that if there is an effect of antibiotics on acute sinus infections, it is not very big -- certainly not as big as people have been led to believe," Williamson tells WebMD.
Williamson and colleagues studied 240 patients ages 16 and older whose symptoms suggested that they had a sinus infection caused by bacteria. Viruses also cause sinus infections, but antibiotics do not help viral infections.
Study patients received antibiotic treatment with amoxicillin, an antibiotic often used for bacterial sinus infections, with or without nasal steroid sprays. A fourth of the patients received no treatment at all, but just got inactive placebo pills and placebo sprays.
Ten days later, patients who got no active treatment were just as likely to be cured as those treated with antibiotics. Steroid nasal sprays made little difference, although they seemed to help people with very mild nasal congestion and seemed to make things a little worse for those with very intense nasal congestion. Williamson says the study does not definitively rule out some small effect of antibiotics. But that effect would be very small.
Here's our recommendation for sinus infections... TEA TREE (Melalueca Alternifolia) Essential Oil. Tea Tree is an Australian tree that has extremely effective anti-microbial properties. Tea Tree is a very potent germ-killer, yet gentle enough to use directly on the skin of an adult.
Used topically, Tea Tree works in the following ways:• Anti-microbial - kills microbes, bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites• Antiseptic - Prevents infection• Astringent - Contracts, firms, and strengthens skin and other tissues; reduces secretions• Immuno-stimulant - boosts immune system• Venous decongestant - encourages circulation and detoxification through the veins.
For sinus infection give this recipe a try...
Add 1 drop tea tree, 1 Eucalyptus, 1 drop rosemary, and 1 drop peppermint into 1 TBSP olive oil. Mix. Take a Q-tip and soak Q-tip in mixture. Then rub mixture into both nostrils.
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