Sinusitis affects more than 37 million people each year, making it one of the most common health problems in the United States. What are the treatments for sinusitis?

That question is often asked by patients of Hao “Mimi” Tran, M.D., F.A.C.S., a board-certified otolaryngologist at The Ear, Nose, Throat & Plastic Surgery Associates, shares her insights in this short video.

Types of Sinusitis Treatments

“For a run-of-the-mill bacterial infection, a short course of antibiotics is typically the first line of treatment,” says Dr. Tran. “Medicines like Amoxicillin or Augmentin are normally given or other antibiotics if you have a penicillin allergy.”

“Patients who have symptoms lasting more than three months including facial pain and pressure, nasal stuffiness, discolored mucus, persistent cough, and a general sense of malaise may have chronic sinusitis,” Dr. Tran continues. “And those patients would benefit from an extended course of antibiotics typically around three to four weeks with a nasal steroid spray or oral steroid treatment.”

According to Dr. Tran, once the full gamut of medical therapy has been tried, other options become available. A diagnostic test known as a CT sinus can be performed to determine what involvement of sinus disease is present.

“In our office, that’s done with a lotus radiation CT scanner,” says Dr. Tran. “Once evaluated, if there is indeed a sinus obstruction then treatment options include balloon sinuplasty and traditional sinus surgery in the operating room.”

For more information about sinusitis, balloon sinuplasty or sinus surgery, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll be happy to answer any of your questions and address your concerns.