Sinus Infection Treatment- Avoid Antibiotics Abuse

 
 
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Back in the days when I typically had 4-5 sinus infections per year, I was concerned about taking too many antibiotics for my sinus infection treatment.  The article below from the Health Solutions Newsletter rather graphically explains the dangers of taking too many antibiotics.  It is startling to learn how ineffective some medications have become as a result of overuse.

 

I also learned that certain antibiotics can have strong and painful side-effects.  I once was prescribed an antibiotic called keflex to treat a sinus infection.  This drug made me feel nauseous, and I began to vomit in the middle of the night about every half hour.

 

By morning I was terribly weak and could hardly talk, but I asked my wife to drive me to the hospital

emergency room.  I was treated there for dehydration and was also given other medication via an IV to

treat my sinus infection. 

 

The bottom line is that there are many reasons to be very careful about taking too many antibiotics for

your sinus infection treatment.  It is far better to avoid the sinus infections in the first place.  Here's the

article:

 

How abuse of Antibiotics affects you, your children and their children

 

We all know about the problem of 2nd hand cigarette smoke- now there’s a new problem I call 2nd hand infection resistance.

Increasingly I see patients who have just finished a complete course of the “best” antibiotic. They come to me because they are still sick or worse.

Why bugs get resistant
This is because of how popular it has been to instantly prescribe antibiotics for Everything. Easy for the doctor, easy for the patient, great for the drug companies. Drug resistant bacteria are on the rise. Infections like tonsillitis, sinusitis, ear infections – no longer clear with a shot of penicillin.
Everyday we learn that our drugs with few side effects that worked yesterday no longer work for infection. This affects you personally! It is your friend who pops a few pills with every sniffle that is causing the growth of drug resistant bacteria that can land your child in intensive care.

Why drug resistance is increasing
Antibiotics are wonderful. But if you don’t take a full dose, the bacteria develop a resistance to that drug and drugs of the same class. If you stop your antibiotic 1/2 way through, as the antibiotic drops below the killing dose, then the bacteria that survive can develop resistance. Worse is taking one or two pills and stopping . Then ALL the remaining bacteria can become resistant.

Overuse of a drug is a major factor. When a patient is seen, it only takes 5 minutes to write a prescription. But it may take 1/2 hour or longer for the doctor to try to convince the patient not to take an antibiotic and even then he may fail. Many doctors give up and write the prescription, even though its not going to help.

Drug vs. Placebo
Worse, articles in the Archives of Internal Medicine and Lancet show that the patients have the same sinus result after the antibiotic as with the placebo! Except they don’t get stomach upset or vaginal thrush with the placebo!

These problems affect you personally.
The drug resistance is different from one city to the next even in the same state. A drug that is effective in Detroit may be ineffective against the same bug in Chicago. This is why doctors must take cultures to see which drug – if any – work.

The doctors are worried.
Every week I get a report from my hospital that my favorite drug no longer works. This is truly frightening. In practice, I belong to the drug of the month club – I use what the hospital reports works – this month.

Doctors need your help!
What can you do to help stop this menace?

Antibodies not Antibiotics!
The very latest Medical research is showing that for common infections- like sore throat sinus etc, common sense things like rest, nasal irrigation, adequate liquids, chicken soup and tea, may be more effective than an antibiotic. Encourage your friends to accept a doctor’s recommendation for non -antibiotic treatment. Discourage them from insisting on antibiotics for each sniffle. Learn about the serious side effects of antibiotics and tell your friends.

Set an example
By your own example of only taking antibiotics when you need them, by finishing all of the prescription, by advising your friends to finish their prescription, you can make a real difference right in your own back yard!

Healthy living
Of course you get sick when you never exercise, eat only junk, smoke and feel depressed all day. Set an example of eating right and living right. You would be amazed how much difference your example can make.

Drug free advice
Tell your friends about our drug free methods. They can find lots of recommendations for drug free treatment at Pharmacy Solutions. You are welcome to copy this material and spread it around. Then next time your friend has a sniffle she will drink hot tea and skip the antibiotic.

Don’t forget Tai Chi
Yoga, Tai Chi, all these forms of exercise can help you fight illness and avoid antibiotics. I personally learned about sinus relief through pulsatile irrigation from the Yoga teacher Indra Devi. She lived to 101 without ever getting a sinus infection based on this 3,000 year old practice. Our Hydro Pulse® Nasal / Sinus Irrigation System is essentially this method brought up to date.

By your effort we can correct the overuse and abuse of antibiotics, and this could save the life of someone you love.

© Copyright 2004 Health Solutions Medical Products Corp.