If you’re suffering from sinusitis, we know just how painful the face swelling and congestion can be. While antibiotics in pill form often help, you might also experience unwanted side effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, and stomach pain. If you want a solution that goes straight to the problem, a compounded antibiotic nasal rinse is an effective solution.
What is Sinusitis?
Put simply, sinusitis occurs when your sinus tissues are inflamed and your mucus production increases. Sinuses are hollow spaces near your nose and forehead.
While sinusitis isn’t always an infection, bacteria can cause sinus inflammation. Often, bad bacteria infects these areas, leading to swelling (inflammation). The inflamed tissues don’t allow your mucus to drain properly, which causes congestion. These are the most common symptoms of sinusitis:
- Inflammation in the nostrils
- Runny nose with thick, discolored discharge
- Pain, swelling, or pressure around the eyes, cheeks, nose, and forehead
- Postnasal drip
- Bad breath
- Cough
- Fever
- Ear pain
- Headaches
Acute vs. Chronic Sinusitis
Both acute and chronic sinusitis can cause the same symptoms of pain, swelling, and congestion. The difference is usually in how long each condition lasts and the causes for each.
Acute sinusitis tends to last four weeks or less. Bacteria, viruses, or fungi tend to cause most acute sinusitis infections. It often persists after viral infections, like the cold or flu.
Chronic sinusitis lasts 90 days or more. This inflammation is constant and it’s often exacerbated by allergies, nasal blockages, or irritants like smoke. In these cases, your doctor might order a CT scan or perform an endoscopy to determine how far the inflammation has spread and whether you have any nasal blockages such as polyps. Allergy tests are another common exam—certain allergens could be inflaming your sinuses.
How Can a Compounded Antibiotic Nasal Rinse Help?
If there’s an underlying bacterial infection behind your acute or chronic sinusitis, then your doctor might prescribe antibiotics.
Gentamicin is an example of a common antibiotic for sinusitis. While it’s often in IV form, a compounding pharmacist can also create a compounded antibiotic nasal rinse for you. In order to distribute the medication and flush out your nasal passages, a nasal rinse enters through one nostril and exits out of the other. It functions similar to a neti pot.
Your local compounding pharmacy can mix gentamicin in with normal saline. Since regular saline rinses are helpful on their own for those who suffer with chronic sinusitis, mixing the two solutions may provide you with better relief.
Other Solutions for Sinusitis
Nasal rinses are some of the most popular options, but a compounding pharmacy can provide you with a variety of other options for sinusitis. Nebulizers are one example. These devices create an aerosol or gas that you breathe in to coat your nasal passages. You could also request nasal gels or sprays.
Sinusitis is no fun. But if antibiotics don’t sit well with your stomach, a compounded antibiotic nasal rinse provides the medication straight to the source. Ask our compounding pharmacist, Sonia, how she can help you find an effective nasal solution today. Reach her at 305-665-4411.
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