Beyond the Bedside: Sinus Infection
One of the most common problems physicians see in the office is what patients often call “sinus infections.” A similar, but more encompassing term used in the medical field is “upper respiratory tract infection” or URI. They are terms used to diagnose a constellation of symptoms brought on by an infectious organism that causes inflammation of the mucosal membranes lining the nose, sinuses, mouth, and throat but do not involve the lungs. These symptoms include headache, fever, sneezing, body aches, runny nose, congestion, sore throat, and cough.The real question to answer is what type of organism is causing the infection? A virus or bacteria? Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation leading patients to think that antibiotics are the “cure” for their symptoms. In fact,...
