North Palm Beach Today

• Antibiotics are typically used as an initial treatment for sinus infections.

• Potential health risks associated with ongoing antibiotic use include cardiovascular disease and cancer.

• Balloon sinuplasty is an alternative treatment option for chronic sinusitis.

Of adults in the U.S. who are diagnosed with acute sinusitis -- which is a sinus infection lasting less than four weeks -- about 90% are prescribed antibiotics, according to WebMD. Chronic sinusitis is a sinus infection lasting for more than 12 weeks. Symptoms of sinus infections can include nasal congestion, headaches, coughing, facial pain or discomfort, and nasal drainage.

Overusing antibiotics has been linked to changes in the patient's gut microbiota, which can increase the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to the American Heart Association. The report notes that overusing antibiotics could also be a risk factor in premature death.

People who develop resistance to antibiotics can face increased risk if they experience infections related to other medical procedures, such as joint replacements, organ transplants and diabetes treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Antibiotics are absolutely wonderful, but we also know that they are unfortunately grossly overused and used incorrectly and inadequately," Dr. Cody Aull of West Palm Beach Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told North Palm Beach Today. "And it leads to resistance, so that when you really need an antibiotic, it might not be available to do the job that it needs to. That's a big problem. One of the big problems with that is everybody coming in and saying, ‘Hey, I've got a sinus infection.’ And the doctor says, ‘All right, here's your antibiotic. Go home now.’ That just makes my heart hurt when I hear it, because you're not getting the full picture at all."

An alternative treatment for chronic sinusitis sufferers is balloon sinuplasty, which is typically recommended after other treatments have been ineffective. Balloon sinuplasty is fairly straightforward, and reported complications are minimal. There’s no cutting and no removal of bones or tissue, according to Healthline.

"Studies show that using antibiotics over and over is not the best fix," Dr. Aull said. "There's an infinitely better approach, and that's the approach that we want to give to our patients. You're not taking these antibiotics all the time, so when you really do need an antibiotic, if you have a bad infection for something else, that antibiotic is available to you. It does a great job. That's what we want to do: give patients a way out of dependence on antibiotics to try to manage their sinus problems. A lot of patients don't ever fix their sinus problems. They just ‘manage’ them with recurrent antibiotics over and over. As we learn more about medicine, we find out how detrimental that is to other parts of the body, like the gut microbiomes."

Balloon sinuplasty is a good option for patients who don't need anything removed from the sinuses, according to WebMD. The doctor puts a thin tube into the nose with a small balloon attached to one end, then guides the balloon to the blocked area inside the nasal cavity and inflates it. The balloon helps clear the passageway so the sinuses can drain properly, alleviating congestion and allowing the patient to breathe more effectively.

If you're suffering from chronic sinus infections and are wondering about treatment options, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.